@ ‘WAR CAN BRING ONLY DISASTER’ Labor fights for peace By WM. PEARSON] I F we are going to avoid the disaster of a third world War i tis necessary for the. trade union movement all over the. world to lead the struggle for a just and lasting peace, : ‘The maintenance of peace is hecessary to the progressive de- velopment of all countries and for improvements in the people’s con- ditions. War can ouly bring dis- aster, death and disease to the common people of the world, and Put back the hands of progress. The working class of the world desire peace: they know that war is not in their best interests. We must therefore, strive to build to the greatest extent possible world trade union unity based on a policy of mutual aid and help when required. To do this the trade union movement must remain free to de- _ termine its own policy in relation _to world events, and not be bound by the policy of their gov- ernment. ; War is a mad man’s game and can only end in ruin and disas- ter. Let the trade union move- ment use its power for peace and I am convinced we can change the present dangerous situation. The British TUC sincerely de- sires that all people shall live in peace, happy in the knowledge that ‘the horrible experience of the present generation will not be passed on to the next. The people of Britain made big sacrifices to defeat fascism and, as a consequence, are suffering much privation now. Britain has been in the front line of two world wars. AS a result’ of an all-out €éffort during the war against fascism our economic position has become very bad indeed. ® RX This position is not the result of the British workers lagging at: work as some people suggest, but ‘was due to the drain of the wars and the utter neglect of our vital industries by their capitalist own- ers and the Tory governments. As a result of this the standard of living of the British working’ class is not as high as we hoped. In view of this bad situation the British TUC have asked the trade unions to exercise restraint on wage claims and have called on the government to reduce po- fits and prices. The trade union movement will watch the situa- tion. |. We require all the assistance we Can get;. assistance that will not prevent the progressive develop- ment of our country. Aid that places restrictions on any country, is not aid and certainly would not be acceptable to a free people. Within recent years we have had very important developments in our country;! some of our vital industries have been nationalized, and we are expecting others to _ follow as soon as possible. These - vents have been very import- _ ant, not only to the British people but to the trade union movement €verywhere. : % As a result of these develop- ments the movement in Byitain has learned lessons, and will con- tinue to do so as long as the Process of nationalization takes Place, Our recent TUC gave consider- ation to the position and the fol- lowing resolution was agreed to: . ___ “Congress welcomes the national- _ ization of the .basic industries of ‘this country by the labor govern- Ment, me GER | Congress expressed its concern however, at the present composi- tion of the boards of nationalized industries and stresses the ne- cessity for greater workers’ par- ticipation, which can only be ob- tained from trade union ranks. Congress believes that persons appointed to administer national- ized industries at all levels should be chosen on the basis of proved ability and belief in the policy of nationalization. Extensive training schemes should be under- taken within the nationalized in- Custries in order to develop ad- ministrative ability of a type which will ensure the success of nationalization.” e You will note that we are call- ing for a different composition to the boards which control the na- tionalized industries and for greater participation by the work- ers through the trade unions. Nationalization cannot succeed unless the workens play a full part in all aspects of the industry ? through their trade union, This is of the greatest importance. Many of the persons holding re- sponsible positions within the Na- tionalized Boards have been life long opponents of nationalization and many workers are suspicious of them. Any board must have the full confidence of the trade unions and the workers, if the proper spirit is to exist within the indus- try. There have been many critics of the mining industry during the first year of nationalization who have done everything to try and prove it a failure. - But what are facts of the Brit- ish mining industry? : Output was increased in 1947 _by 6 million tons. 22,000 more men were recruited. The follow- ing facts are interesting: Increased output due to in- creased manpower .... 5,000,000 Increased output due to bet- ter attendance ....... 9,500,000 Increased output due to high- er output per man - 5,500,000 20,000,000 Decrease due to 5 day week, May 1947 betes 14,000,000 Total Increase ..... 6,000,000 It is clear that during 1947 the British miners worked harder than they did forthe old coal-own- ers as the individual output per man-shift rose from 1.03 tons in 1946 to 1.07 tons in 1947 and from 2.76 tons 1946 to 2.86 tons 1947 at the coalface. ; This ‘is the best answer to our critics. is It is true that the National Coal Board accounts for 1947 showed a loss of £23,255,586, but out of this there was only an operational loss _ of £6,187,300. ' The principal losses were made up as follows: Interest and interim pay- ment to ex-owners £15,120,279 Compensation for loss of office 406,192 Loss on imported coal, U.S.A, and Poland.... 1,697,992 Total ..... .£17,224,463 < It should be remembered that during 1947 the National Union of “Mineworkers negotiated improve- ments in miners’ wages and con- ditions to the extent of £60,000,000 and that many of the pits taken over by the NCB were “in poor “shape.” ‘ Had the NCB refused to pay the ex-coal owners the £15,120,279 as interest the press would have howled with rage 4nd would have charged the NCB with a breach of faith. But the press, being mainly the friends of the ex-owners re- mained silent on this aspect of the accounts. The NUM is not satisfied with the way the industry is going and is considering what steps it can take to improve the position, The mining industry in Brit- ain requires to be re-organized and mechanized and the NUM want the full plans of these de- velopments and the fullest consul- tation at all levels. The re-organ- ization of this vital industry is es- sential in the best interests of our country. We must learn from these mis- * takes to ensure that the steel in- dustry, next to be nationalized, will be put on a proper basis right at the outset. : Nationalization of steel is a very important issue in Britain and there is a big feeling that this industry should be nationalized at the earliest possible moment and within the lifetime of the present parliament. There can be no planned econ- omy in Britain without national- ization of the steel industry. e Just as we have built up power- ful trade unions in our own coun- try so also. must we ensure that there exists a powerful interna- tional movement especially at this time when the imperialists of the world are trying to frighten the people by their own exaggerated strength, sy : I want to see Britain cooper- ate with all nations and not be dependent on any single nation. I am sure this jis the wish of the Canadian labor movement. The closer we work together the more effective will be our mutual influence at one of the most difficult and complicated moments the workers have ever had to face. se I am also confident that despite their intensified propaganda the Tory party will never return to power. : I know your great movement has been built on sacrifice and: we must. all pay etribute to the many pioneers responsible. Too often these men are forgotten in our movement and we must take steps to ensure that they get their proper place in history. They have left us a movement that can carry out the ideals they preached end fought for.and it is ~ our duty to safeguard and strengthen our movement. Many of the pioneers of your movement came from my coun- try and I am proud of the part they have played. Let us then march forward in unity to build a world free from disaster and war: we will build a world for happy and contented people. A world we will be proud of and one we must fight to win. I wish your movement every success and I am sure that the old slogan .of the trade unions should be remembered today more than ever: : “United we stand, divided we fall.” ‘ “Long live the unity of the work- ing class.” e Condensed from an address given to the recent Victoria convention of the Trades and Labor Congress of Canada by William Pearson, exXecu- tive member of the British Union of Mineworkers and fraternal delegate from the British Trades Union Con- gress. rere ee ee eS Berlin | “crisis.” Ten years after the civil war thousands of men languish in Franco’s jails, their only crime that they fought for democracy. In view of their attacks on American liberiies, “it’s not difficult to understand why the U.S. militarists want Franoc as an ally. : Wall St. wants Franco — By CHARLES SIMS OUIS ST: LAURENT is reported to be warinly favor- able to the idea of a military alliance with the fasc- ists. regime of the butcher Franco. He is not alone. Senator Chan Gurney, Republican chairman of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, returning from a visit to Franco, presented his plant for such an alliance to the heads of the U.S. armed-forces. Gurney said: “Franco Spain sheuld be brought into the Western European military alliance and supplied with arms, even if it méans reducing economic aid to the Marshall Plan countries.” James A. Farley, former Democratic Party chair- man, visiting Franco in Madrid, is also urging an alli- ance with Franco. He declared: Pie a -“What is impertant is that Spain is ready to fight the Russians on the Pyrenees even if other countries are not, thereby establishing Spain’s fundamental com- munity of present ideals with the United States and | Britain.” pe pe ee . General Marshall recently met with Ernest Bevin and Robert Schuman in Paris and told them that the U.S. wanted to kill the UN resolution on fascist Spain. It is timely to recall that resolution which was adopted by the UN on December 12, 1946. It read: “In origin, nature, structure and general conduct, the Franco regime is a fascist regime patterned on, and established largely as a result of aid from Hitler's Nazi Germany and Mussolini’s fascist Italy. . . Inconiro- vertible documentary evidence establishes that Franco was a_ guilty party with Hitler and Mussolini.” It barred Franco Spain from the UN. : 21 Why does the St. Laurent-Marshall camp want a deal with Franco? Because, as the New York Times declares: . “Spain is militarily important. It is protected from land invasion by a formidable barrier: the Pyrenees. Great air bases could be located in the country.” ' This shows. how fast and far the Western war- . mongers are going. Nazi murders, pankers and generals are pardoned, and now it is proposed to make an lli- ance with the Franco fascist who, with German and Itlaian armed intervention, overthrew the Spanish Re- public, massacred thousands. of workers, suppressed the trade unions, outlawed Protestans, sent divisions of troops to help Hitler, and sheltered Nazi submarines that sank hundreds. of Allied ships in the Atlantic and | Mediterranean. “This is not something that has arisen out of the Canada, for example, shipped almost $650,000 worth of aluminum to Franco last year. West- inghouse is modernizing the Spanish railroads. Henry Ford said he will build new plants there. J. S. Duncan, head of Massey Harris, visited Madrid last year and came back to announce M-H expansion there. ie This latest U.S. proposal to bring fascist Franco — into the Western Bloc has aroused wide opposition in France and Britain. Bevin and Schuman are finding it difficult openly to agree with Marshall, Gurney adi Farley. Franco is known for what he is by the people of Europe—a fascist murderer of freedom-loving men and women, a human butcher. | — The Canadian people must never allow St. Laurent to align Canada with Franco Spain. Our job is to sup- port the Spanish people in their heroic struggle to over- throw the fascist tyrant and restore democracy to long- suffering Spain. ; ’ . PACIFIC TRIBUNE—OCTOBER 22, 18—PAGE 5