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Canada’s link with China

Though Canadian planes and guns have taken the lives of
mary Chinese people in their struggle for freedom, the work
of one Canadian, the late Dr. Norman Bethune, saved the lives
of many thousands. Dr. Bethune went to China 10 years ago
and trained a number of Chinese doctors ard nurses. He died
in the course of duty, by blood-poisoning, in ‘November, 1939.
With him in China as a nurse was Jean McEwen, now Mrs.

Jean Kovich of Penticton,
editor of the Pacific Tribune.

B.C., daughter of Tom McEwen,
Dr. Bethune is shown here with

a Chinese soldier of the People’s army in one of the last photos

taken of him.

Last Kuomintang

stronghold falls

,

over to public’

Pender Auditorium here is expected to be packed to the doors this coming Sunday evening,

October 16, when the newly formed Committee for Public Ownership hold: its opening rally to launch
a campaign for taking over of the British Columbia Electric Railway by Vancouver City.’ Sponsored
by leading trade unionists and a large number of influential private citizens, the committee is hoping

that a lively debate will take place at the Sunday
meeting between BCER officials, who have been
invited to attend, and representatives of the
Tiade Union Research bureau, who previously
challenged company spokesmen to debate the
issue of the alleged need of fare hikes.

City council “experts” who brought in a
report justifying the 10-cent fare have also
Ifen asked to appear at the meeting to state
their case.

Other speakers will include Orville Bra-
aten, president of the Committe for Public

Ownership; Don Guise, a member of the execu- ,

live of the organization; and a BCER_ bus
driver. >

An “advance poll’ on public ownership
will be conducted at the meeting, with all mem
bers of the audience voting “Yes” or “No” on

the question, ‘‘Do you want ownership by the

city of our street railway system?” .

CPO officials announce that on Sine
day, October. 29, approximately 50 polling

stations wil be set up on busy street corners in

all parts of the city, and a “straw plebiscite”
on public ownership held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.,
rain or shine. é

There are rumors that interests working to
prevent public ownership of BCER may at-
tempt to picket Sunday night’s meeting.

Jack Phillips, secretary of the CPO, an-
swered a press query, “Is your committee a
political movement?’ by saying:

“We are against monopoly and for the

NA Be

TRANSFER
TO PUBLIC OWNERSHIP

Cheap Transportation

Better Service

Democratic Control

More Civic Revenue

Keep this date
open! Come to
the Pender
Auditorium
339 W Pender
and join the
great campaign
for PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
OF OUR STREET
RAILWAY SYSTEM — BY

SUNDAY
16
October
1949

8.00 P.M.

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to people’s army

» <The Chinese People’s Armies swept triumphantly into the suburbs
of Canton this week, as Chiang Kai-shek’s demoralized troops broke
and fled, or deserted to the side of the liberating forces. “Thousands
of Kuomintang officials and hangers-on arrived in Hong Kong by |

people. Our immediate aim is to create a wide-
spread sentiment in favor of ownership by the
city of our street railway system.

THE PEOPLE — FOR THE
PEOPLE -

Prominent Speakers - Entertamment
AUSPICES:

_ ‘We are not hiding under a smoke-screen
of Non-Partisanship in order to elect people who
serve the monopolies.

rail, water and plane, lugging
whatever loot they” could carry.
Remnants of Chiang’s troops have
been ordered to Formosa for a-
‘Jast ditch” stand.

Recognition by the Soviet
Union of the People’s Republic
of China as the legal government-~
of the Chinese people has had
diplomatic repercussions around
the world, It places the question
of recognition of the Republic
squarely before all governments ©
and raises the question of the
Republic’s admission as one of
the five permanent members of
the UN security council, a step
that will transform UN relation-
ships.

The United States and its satel-

lites are expected to delay recog- | [fe

nition as long as possible because
of the far-reaching consequences
involved.

The Canadian government,
whose contribution’ to the Chin-
ese people has hitherto been the
shipment of Mosquito bombers
to the corrupt Chiang regime, rs
now confronted with the ques-
tion: To recognize or not to
recognize People’s China? To
. trade, or not to trade, with over

400,000,000 potential customers?

The People’s Republic of
China this week sent a message
to the United Nations, stating
that it is the only government
representing the Chinese people,
and demanding cancellation of

GENERAL CHU TEH

the Kuomintang delegates’ cre-
dentials,

A Peking broadcast said the
People’s government will exam-
ine all treaties and pacts signed
by the Kuomintang and will de-
cide whether to denounce them or

‘to recognize them.

The People’s government will
seek to resume and, develop
trade relations with other coun-
tries, the broadcast said. It
added the government would pro-
tect the legal interests of foreign-
ers in China and overseas Chin-
ese.

“We are out to build a movement which
will break the stranglehold, of the monopolies '

in civic affairs.”

Rush urges trade with China-
‘Vital to B.C. lumber industry’

“ __NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C.

Immediate. recognition of the
Chinese People’s Republic by the
federal ‘government and _ sending
of a Canadian trade mission to
China were demands voiced by
Maurice Rush, LPP candidate
in the New Westminster byelec-
tion, this week.

“The new Chinese People’s
government has already announc-
ed a huge program of railroad re-
habilitation and construction,” he
declared. “Establishment of
friendly trade relations between
Canade and China can mean
long-term orders for railroad ties
and other lumber that are vital
to New Westminster and other
B.C. lumber centers.”

At meetings in Port Kells and
Willoughby this week Rush de-

Senn

7

nounced high lumber prices,
charging excessive profiteering by
lumber companies.

_ “There has been no satisfactory
explanation given to- the public
why prices should be increased.
The rise announced the other day
by a spokesman for the lumber
industry strikes a hard blow at
those in New Westminster and
Fraser Valley who are building
or improving their homes and —
farms,” he stated.

“Price increases cannot be justi-
fied on the grounds of a lumber
shortage. There is a ‘growing
surplus due to the foreign mar-'
ket situation. ,

“Neither can grounds be found
for higher lumber prices in the
usual cry ‘that labor costs have .
risen.’ There have been no wage
increases in the woodworking in-
dustry this year.

“The real explanation for the

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — OCTOBER 14, 1949 — PAGE 12

.

Committee for Public Ownership
HS

‘McEwen and Harold Pritchett

NNUAL

increase ii lumber prices lies
St. Laurent’s devaluation of the
dollar and the profit greed of the
lumber operators. B.C. lumber
companies in face of declining,
world markets and lower prices im
terms of Canadian dollars are —
raising domestic prices in order
to maintain high profits. This _
excessive profiteering is undermin-
ing the people’s living standards,
and points to the need for federal
action to curb profiteering.”

As the windup of an energetic
campaign that has taken him into”
every community of the New
Westminster riding Rush will hold
his final election rally next
Thursday, October 20, 8 p.m,
in Legion Hall, New “Westmin-
ster, with Nigel Morgan, Tom

as supporting speakers. Chair-
man will be Hugh Clark, popu-
lar Royal City unionist.