THE NATION

By TIM BUCK

Canadas interests lie in strengthening
friendship with new China

'OHE remarkable victories being won by the Chinese

People’s Liberation armies are stirring millions of
Canadians into a new interest in China and its future.
Well they might. In China a fifth of all mankind are
at last achieving genuine national freedom and setting
their course for the democratic, economic and political
development of their country. They are completing
the revolution that was started in 1911 under the leader-
ship of Dr. Sun Yat Sen. This is an event of historical
significance equalled by only a few great revolutionary
turning points in history.

The Chinese people, like all the peoples of Asia,

want national freedom and the opportunity
Different

come their own economic backwardness.
elements among them have different aims but the
industrial workers, the poor peasants, tenants and

sharecroppers, who comprise 85 to 90 perecent of the
population, want to ‘be free of feudalism and landlord-
ism, and at least as well off as are the workers and
farmers of the economically advanced countries.

The Chinese people are winning their struggle for
national freedom against tremendous odds. Since the
Japanese capitulation the U.S. government has granted
Chiang Kai-shek gifts, loans and credits to a total value
of more than five thousand million dollars. Thousands
of U.S. officers have been kept in China to train
Chiang’s anti-communist armies. In addition to arms
equipment and supplies for his armies the United States
supplied Chiang with 271 war vessels.

Not less important than the massive material assist-
ance, has been the diplomatic and political assistance
given to Chiang by the United States, illustrated by
the role of General Marshall while he was in China,
supposedly to mediate between Chiang Kai-shek and
the Communist party.

General Marshall mediated, put in a manner which
actually prolonged the civil war. He arranged truces
whenever and wherever Chiang Kai-shek’s armies were
in trouble. During the armistices the American army
and navy moved newly trained and equipped Chiang

forces into strategic positions for a new offensive when

the armistice ended.

But the rank and file Chinese workers and peasants
were never intimidated by the massive material aid
or diverted from their struggle by U.S. diplomacy.
Under the leadership of their great Communist party
they found ways and means of getting a ts propor-
tion of the military equipment for their People’s armies.
They out-generalled Marshall's diplomacy by simply
keeping on fighting. AS 2 result, their NIG ES are
literally striking a body plow against imperialism,
changing the relationship of world forces.

It should be emphasized that, while leading their
people in this great historic struggle for national free-
dom, the Chinese communists have devoted - intense
study to the character cof their revolution, of its tasks
and the forces involved. In fundamental contrast to
Nehru, who, seeking te establish capitalism in Asia,
is slavishly following the example of capitalist countries,
Mao Tse Tung has developed very significant contribu-
tions to Marxism-Leninism in the spheres of the national
question and of the merging of national and socialist

revolutions. : ,
Consolidation of People’s power in China will tend
to raise the political level of the people’s struggle
throughout the East. China’s New Democracy will be
a beacon light and Mao Tse Tung’s selaboration of
the theory and tactics of the People’s struggle for
freedom will chart the course for all the fighting
millions of Asia. ‘2
The transformation of China from a pawn of the
imperialists into a major factor jn the camp of de-
mocracy will bring big changes in economic perspec-
tives as well as in the relationship of political forces:
not only throughout Asia but all over the world. - The
transfer of the weight of four hundred million people,
a fifth of all mankind, from dependence upon and sub-
ordination to the imperialist camp will by itself con-
stitute a radical change—it should even make & big
change in the United Nations. — aye ;
significant result will flow rom e fac
Mabaket rol Findned million gee Auden cman de
; erally a sub-contini =
Vii dee ae pus ‘e suid nature economic continua-

stitutes the geographi :
tion. of the Sorbie Republics of northern Asia and

People’s power in
the USSR. Consolidation of the Pec

China will make the manpower of the socialist sector
of the world far greater than the combined manpower

of all the imperialist states.

to over-—

Let there be no illusions, however, ‘The imperialist
warmongers are not going to be defeated by victories
of the colonial and semi-colonia! peoples alone. The
menace of war grows out of capitalism, imperialism.
The source of the threat, of war today is U.S. imperial-
ism, and its basis is in North America. The war-
mongers will have to be defeated at home, in Canada

and the United States.

The heroic struggles and the victories of the
Chinese people will help facilitate. our struggle, but
unless we organize it and press it in time the war-
mongers might plunge the world into war in a mad-
men’s gamble.

Progressive Canadians must be reminded that the
struggle in China isnt finished yet. It may yet become
necessary for progressive workers to mobilize demo-
cratic opinion against a last-minute, desperate attempt
to carry through some sort of military intervention.
U.S. imperialism has received a _ striking setback in
China but it has not yet withdrawn from that country
and, until today, the Canadian government has based
its postwar activities in China upon U.S. imperialist
aims,

‘We in Canada have not aided the Chinese people to
any appreciable extent in their long, bitter and costly
struggle. Today the Chinese people are on the verge
of becoming a major factor in the world camp of de-
mocracy and peace entirely as a result of their own
efforts and sacrifices. Yet, it is obvious that the grow-
ing strength of the working class everywhere was 2
factor in limiting what U.S. imperialist reaction could
undertake anywhere,

Let us strive now to strengthen the bonds of in-
ternational solidarity between the workers of North
America and the fighting democrats of China, as pari
of the guarantee that they shall be free to continue
their advance through the New Democracy to socialism.

Duplessis designs
fascist labor code

By FRANK ARNOLD

—MONTREAL
REMIER Maurice Duplessis has set out to
decapitate labor and bury the body of Quebec’s
trade unions in the hand-wrought casket of his
new fascist labor code. Introduction of the super
Taft-Hartley slave law is designed to set the pace
and pattern for reaction throughout the Dominion
and serve as a “model” for government action to
smash the trade union movement and set up
“labor fronts” in the Nazi style.

One key clause, ostensibly aimed at “purging”
the trade unions of Communists, actually would
allow Duplessis to hand-pick his own labor lead-
ers from men who would take orders from the
trusts. Bearing the Hitler imprint, it provides
that no person can be an officer or representative
of a union if he is a member of a communist or
Marxist organization, “supports such organization,
movement or party” or “is notoriously known ‘as
a follower, preacher or propagandist of commun-
ist or Marxist doctrines,” “if he approves of or ad-
vocates the subversion or change of the estab-
lished order of government, or of any govern-
mental institution by means of force, violence, etc.”

These clauses seem at first glance to be aimed
at excluding Communists, who play such a heroic
and unselfish role in building, strengthening, and ©
defending the labor movement from internal and
external attack, from holding positions in the
unions. But in reality the broad, undefined,
sweeping clauses allow Duplessis to carry through
his real aim of purging the unions of any and
all leaders, be, they “right,” or “left,” who shdw
the slightest signs of vigilance in the face of
monopoly assault.

The code provides for revoking of certifica- 1
tion unless the unions expel from their ranks the
officers who are “repugnant’-—-presumably to the

employers in the industry.

PARLIAMENT HILL

/ aa f
Counting. house
policies dominant

By MARK FRANK

—OTTAWA
PARLIAMENT opered in grand style this year. _The
wives of cabinet ministers wore their best silks and
satins. Mrs. L. B. Pearson, for instance, wife of the
external affairs minister Whose “security” pact will be
the hit of the season among financiers and industrialists,
wore a “Paris model of bronze shot silk fashioned wit!
a tight bodice and full skirt, pale rose hat with rose
and. black feathers, silver fox furs.”

Barely a newsman in the glittering crowd of brass
and bankers recalled that the opening ceremonies were
held in the self-same Senate Red Chamber where the
notorious Beauharnois power scandal
conducted.

hearings were

In these tradition-crusted halls, leading senatprs
connected with the Liberal Party machine and manifold
lucrative business interests, were charged with receiv-
ing large sums of money for favors given
economic interests.

vested

At the time, the then Liberal party leader Mackenzie
King tearfully admitted that his party was travelling
through “the valley of humiliation.”

As though to emphasize that the same. Liberal party
today enjoys the confidence of industrialists and finan-
ciers, three of them were given life memberships in
the rubber stamping Senate for services rendered the
Liberal party organization.

They were Thomas Wood of Regina, an oil well
industrialist and worker in the Saskatchewan party;
J. Gordon Fogo, vice-president of Algoma Steel Cor-
poration, director of many big corporations, and presi-
dent of the Liberal Federation; and J. C. Davis of
Winnipeg, associated with a large engineering firm in
Winnipeg. All of these men were very active in Liberal
party circles, and their Senatorships are viewed here
as rewards for loyalty to the party.

©

\Intended as an example of plums to be expecied if
party workers got down to business in the coming
‘election months, the award of senatorships was accom-
panied by news that at least a $1,000,000 election fund
is being organized by the Liberals from among their
big-money supporters.

. Truly Minister of Reconstruction R. H. Winters
said in a speech to the advisory council of the National
Liberal Federation, meeting here, “The warmth of our
enthusiasm for Liberalism varies widely in degree and
is somewhat proportionate to our activity in the party.”

He might have added in proportion to the gratuities
and patronage handed out. For he immediately drew
attention to the recent byelection in Digby-Annapolis-
Kings, which he said “highlighted” the need for getting
votes. “More was done for this constituency,” said thé
minister, “by way of direct financial beneficence than
probably any other constituency in Canada, and you
know what happened.” The Liberals lost the: seat,
formerly held by J. L. Ilsley, to the Tories!

Winter's comment implied that financial ‘benefits

to a constituency did not always pay off as expected;

and that the need for ordinary spadework in a riding

was still apparent. What was significant in his advice

to Liberal diehards was the implied admission that
such financial favoritism was in practise. ;

A further piece of evidence on just how “democracy”
works in the Liberal camp was the matter of nomina-
tions in the recent Carleton byelection. At a meeting
of the Carleton County Liberal Association held im mid-
January, a member asked why Drew had not been
opposed by a Liberal candidate. “We were advised not
to do so by higher-ups,” replied John O'Connor, retiring
president. :

4

’

Perhaps the best characterization of the parliament
now opening was given strangely enough by a leading
Tory newspaper editor. Bewailing the absence of such
“giants” in debate like Wilfred Laurier and Sir John
A. Macdonald, and pointing to the drab figures now

_ inhabiting the House of Commons, the editor unwittingly ©
spoke of St. Laurent addressing Parliament in 2 manner
“reminiscent of his days in courts’—where, it must

be noted, he stoutly defended the big corporations he
worked for.

The editor finally wound up with the view that
“decimals and percentages, the language of the count-
ing house, will have the place of muted eloquence” in
the coming session. ‘ P

Truer words were never said, as this fina] session
of Canada’s twentieth parliament convenes to discuss
legislation framed in the board rooms of St. James and :
Bay streets. :

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — FEBRUARY 4, 1949 — PAGE 9