| ‘Tradition of
May Day lives
___ in WFTU

By J. B. SALSBERG

HEN the American ork:
ers called on the working
class of other countries to” join
with them on May Day in the fight
for the eight-hour day and for the

other labor objectives of that per-

iod they gave powerful impetus to
the development of one of labor’s
_ strongest weapons - international

; solidarity. ;

If it was right 60-odd years
ago in the fight for the shorter
work day, the right*ito organize,
the extension of the franchise,
abolition of child labor etc, then
it is a thousand times’ more cor-
Tect now.

If the early trade union pion-
eers on this continent realized so
clearly and ‘so correctly the need
for international solidarity and
world-wide united action on the
burning labor issues of their
times, then how much more ob-

vious is dt that only the boldest »

ise of this: powerful working
clags weapon can save the work-
ing people of each country and
of the whole world from the
dangers which face them now!

After all, one might have ar-
Sued that the problems of the
day might perhaps be solved for
_the workers of a single country
without regard | to what happened
to their fellow. workers in other
lands. But who can argue that
Way now and expect to be taken
Seriously!

In the epoch of. socialist ad-
vance, when hundreds of millions
of people have cut themselves
loose from the bondage of capi-
talist exploitation | and. suffering

and when they have to defend
their new-won freedom against
the incessant attacks of a mad-

before. Furthermore it

dened, decaying social’ order, the
weapon of working class inter-
national. solidarity is more im-
portant than ever before.

Was it not the solidarity and
world-wide action of the working
class which helped to break the
back the war of intervention
which the imperialists waged
against the new-born socialist
state the toilers of the old Tsar-
ist empire set up towards the end)
of the First World War? And
was it not the failure to achieve
international solidarity and ac-
tion due to the betrayal of the
social democratic leaders, which
led to the fascist victory in

Spain jthe black treachery of

Munich and ultimately to the Se-
cond World War?

Who can argue that a strike,
say, of seamen or longshoremen

“against the loading, ‘carrying or .

unloading of war supplies to the
imperialist puppets in China, Ma-

-laya, Viet Niem or, yes, in France

or Italy is not in defence of the
peace and freedom of the people
of all countries including their

own. No honest person can deny

that truth.

The enemies of the working
class, the enemies of democracy
and ‘of socialism know the full
value of working class interna-
tional solidarity. That is why
they are determined to destroy
it just as they tried to destroy it
more than 60 years ago when
the American workers called for
and received imternational sup-
port. t

eo
That is why the U. S. imperial-

“ists, who now lead the war bloc
‘of imperialist forces, brazenly de-

clared war on the World Federa-
tion of Trade Unions which the’
workers of the United Nations
fashioned during the’ common
struggle against Fascism and Na-
zism. eee

"The WFTU united more organ-
ized workers than was ever done
prought.

¥

the same shipment.

_ the
2B.
| And deliberately

in an auto
| 82d maintenance,

: ~~. Ri ft :
ki # ; ; cis ,
Czech cars pilfered
SABOTAGE or pilfering, Whichever ‘it was, 19 clocks have
_ been stolen from a shipment of 25 Skoda cars imported by

_ Campbell Motors from Czechoslovakia. In addition, several tool
Kits were taken {eum a number of Tatra rear-engined autos in ©

Bruce Haddock, an official’ of Campbell Motors, recently
appointed B. C. agents for the world-renowned cars, this week
opined, “It’s just petty pilferage.”..But in Montreal, Randall
Cotton president of a firm of auto dealers importing Skodas and
Tatras, maintained that a shipment of cars had been sabotaged
*n route from Rotterdam to Montreal.

__ “This is more than carelessness on the part of the shipper.
it is nothing more than a deliberate attempt to keep Czecholslo-
vakian cars out of Canada,” Cotton declared. :
The sturdily built Skodas, better engineered than most of
> Small cars now outselling the larger American autos in
C., are appearing in greater numbers on Vancouver streets
spread rumors “knocking” their performance
testify to their growing popularity. : ee

‘They have alliround independent wheel suspension which

; ‘for smoother riding, better load adjustment and greater
_ Ability to hold the road at high speeds. An important feature
» jot found in competitive cars is the tubular chasis backbone,
ne of a number of advanced construction principles embodied
designed to meet the need for economy in operation

}

~

- while those in the

together the trade unionists of
the Soviet Union and of the coun-
tries in which a new, people’s
democracy was established, with

those of the imperialist and col-
enial countries.

It was apparent that such a_

force could not become an instru-
ment for imperialist aggression,
for colonial oppression and for
the continuance of exploitation.
On the contrary, it was clear that
such a force could only strive
for peace, colonial liberation, de-
mocracy and economic security.

The American bankers, there-
fore, saw in the WFTU a colossal
barrier to their plans for world
domination and war. They did
not conceal their hatred for the
WFTU and pressed into service
their labor stooges to wreck it.

It is true that the Bevinites
of the British Trade Union Con-

‘gress, the Greens and Murrays of

the U.S. and their agents in Can-
ada, forced through the ‘with-
‘drawal of their bodies from the
WFTU, and they have set up a
thoroughly, Marshallized opposi-
tion “international” which is the

. favored child of the U.S. state

department: But the WFTU is
actually greater in numbers and
influence than-it was before the
withdrawal. This is so not only
because the trade unions in the
non-capitalist countries grow
imperialist
states are under terrific attack,
but also because the global strug-
gle for liberation from imperial-

“We want to live!”” This slo

gan, raised by these French

workers, members of WFTU-affiliated unions, is echoed
by workers throughout the capitalist world.

ism is making tremendous. head-
way and millions of additional
trade unionists are joining the
WFTU which fought with them
for liberation. Growing numbers
of workers in Britain, the U. S.,
Canada etc. look for guidance to
the WFTU.

When the WFTU was form-
ed in 1945 it adopted the follow-
ing resolution to which the CIO
leaders and those of the British
TUC agreed: :

“The Congress calls upon
trade unions all over the world
to combat resolutely all attacks
against the economic and social
rights of the workers, to de-
fend their vital interests, to
secure a progressive improve-
ment in their material welfare,
and to proniote the cause of
‘stable and lasting peace. _

“The Congress calls upon the
trade unions of all countries
to wage a struggle to strength-

The only free

ing the printed word, newspapers,
shop papers, leaflets. | Nothing.

-Not all the spies and fascist police

and class courts inthe world. That
is why the Communist press is
really and truly free—because it

-rests upon love, devotion, convic-

tion, and not upon the rich men’s
dollars which are ipvested for
the purpose of making profits out
of mass stupefaction of whole
peoples.

e .

Today press, radio, capitalist
politician, right-wing trade union
leader, CCF top official, reaction-
ary church leader and the whole
crew of official defenders wage
slavery and monopolist ‘private
property, of imperialism and the
oppression of peoples, are in a
witch hunt against communism.
It is because they are afraid, mor-
tally afraid, of the power of the
workers. In their fear they find
the brutal strength to launch
world atomic war—against social-

ism.

They have no “scruples. Men
who do not hesitate to welcome
half a million unemployed as a

“sign of economic health” so that

wages can be cut, and who do not
bat an eyelash when Canadian
families go crazy trying to find
a decent roof over their heads,

will care not a jot or tittle if

millions die in another war—so
long as their criminal system of
exploitation and oppression con-
tinues. —

That is why they are ready to |

drop the Hell-Bomb. That is why

. they cook up war scares (like the

most recent one about the Yankee

plane caught spying for Wall St.
over socialist territory) and do
their best to frighten people into
accepting their lie that “war is
inevitable.”

_To fight against this madness a
free, workers’ press, which stands
for peace, democracy, civil rights,
for the socialist way out of the
constant threat of war, unemploy-
ment and wage cuts—the way out
which will lead to the workers and
farmers owning and controlling
the means of producing-the neces-

en trade union unity and to
combat resolutely all those who
might attempt to disrupt this
unity and to weaken and di-

vide the forces of the working
class.”

That is in the spirit of May
Day. But it has been betrayed
by those who split, divide or
weaken the ranks of the worker
in’ our country or on a global
scale. .

Canadian workers on this May
Day. will see in the WFTU the
continuation of May Day’s great
and inspiring tradition. They will,

_ despite the position of their top

leadership, rally to the banner.
of the WFTU, will welcome its
leadership and will resolve . to
join with the millions of workers
marching under its banners in
the spirit of true international
solidarity to achieve the common
goals of the workers of the
world peace, freedom and
security. ;

press

sities of life under their own gov-
ernment—a press which. upholds
these great truths, is so vital to-
day. a ‘
e

Celebrating the first 30 years of
the Canadian Communist party,
we look forward confidently to the |
day when the Tribune will be the
leading newspaper of our Socialist

Canada. That day will come as

surely as the sun rises over New-
foundland, sweeps across our be-_
loved country and sets in the wide
Paéific. .. ’

seen anes

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