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_ Young people want jobs...

\ r)
In Korea (top), General J. Lawton Collins, U.S. Army chief of staff, greets General Mark
W. Clark, and (below), British Field Marshal Sir William Slim visits U.S. General Matthew
Ridgway, NATO supreme commander in Europe. These are the men who would like to see
conscription imposed upon the Canadian people. :

ENERAL Matthew Ridgway
™ recently demanded that all
countries in the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization immediate-
ly adopt a two-year period of
conscription. The effect this
statement has had on young Can-
adians is not hard to imagine.

Coming as it does, at a time.

when their chief concern is in
developing opportunities for
jobs, education and recreation,
and in promoting friendship

among young people every

where, it casts a very dark shad-
ow on their hopes.

What’s behind. this Yankee
brasshat’s demand that Canadian
youth give up their desire for a
constructive future in order to
serve in his armies? The answer
is simple. Crazed with the single
idea of waging war on the coun-
tries of socialism and peace, Ridg-
way intends to regiment the youth
of. Canada in order to carry
through his plans.

In this he has the cooperation
of the St. Laurent government
which hasn’t raised the slightest
protest against conscripting young
Canadians. In fact, the govern-
ment is in full agreement with

these demands and is )prepared to
carry through the militarization
of the youth. Already it has come
up with a scheme for enlistment of
sixteen year-olds for a period of
seven years. This is represented
as “apprentice” training.

If the government is sincere in
its desire, why couldn‘t these young
people be given apprenticeship
courses
and vocational schools across the
country? There is no reason for
them to go into the army to get
their training. -And it should be
kept in «mind that St. Laurent
wanted to start with fourteen
vear-olds. It is clear that he is
out to militarize the whole of the
younger generation in line with
the plans of the Yankee general.

In this fashion the government
“hopes to get the Canadian people
* used to the idea of their children

going into the services so that it
will be easier to implement out-
right compulsory service.

However, the young people
themselves. will have something to
say to the generals and diplomats.
Throughout the country and par-
ticularly -in the province of Que-
bee young people are opposed to
the idea of compulsory sérvice in
Yankee armies.

in the various technical -

In British Columbia a look at
the enlistment figures will con-

vince anyone that the youth have

their own ideas about aggressive
wars. The daily newspapers con-
stantly bewail the fact that our
youth do not realize the terrible
danger we face, that the young
people today are not made of the
same stuff their fathers were. They
suggest that with better food, beds,
pay and allowances the young
people would come flocking to get
in. But the daily papers make the
mistake. of substituting their own
thinking for that of the majority
of young people.

If the youth felt that our coun-
try was in danger they would be
the first to come to- its defense.
They would support all measures
designed to ensure that defense.
But in the last few years it has

become clear to the big majority

of young people that there is no
danger of anyone attacking us.
Why should they. think otherwise
when they have before them the
example of the Korean war—the
example that is constantly held
before them? Most young people
share the opinion of their parents,

that there must be peace in Korea
and the Canadian forces now serv-
ing there must be brought home.

The fact is that most young

.

with

people don’t see conscription and
war as the answer to their prob-
lems of jobs and opportunities.
Since the arms drive got under
way the living standards of the
Canadian people have fallen stead-
ily. To defend their living stand-
ards, the workers of this province.
fought prolonged strike struggles
last summer. And the young or-
ganized workers were, in the fore-
front of these struggles, helping to
‘maintain the unity of ‘the picket
lines. They could clearly see the
answer to their demands of jobs
and opportunities lay in, united
action. They may be expected to
answer the demand for conscrip-
tion in the same united fashion.
td

Last spring on the University
of British Columbia campus a vote
was taken as to whether or not
students from the Soviet Union
should exchange with students
from Canadian universities. The
vote was overwhelmingly in favor
of the idea and the students
thought that this step would fur-
ther cooperation and _ friendship
with Séviet students.

But the government has put
pressure on the leadership of the
students’ organization and_ has
stalled the idea of student ex-
change. Now a controversy is rag-
ing around the exchange question.

So far UBC students have not
taken the same stand as Toronto
students of arranging to sponsor
student exchange outside the Na-
tional Federation of Canadian
University Students. But the idea
is gaining ground on the campus.
This is the fight for, the right of
peaceful exchange of ideas. with
the Soviet Union and for friend-
ship with the youth of other coun-
tries. In no way would conscrip-
‘tion help to achieve this aim.
ry ;

Our young people today are
conscious of themselves as Can-
adians as no other generation has
been. They don’t relish the idea
of fighting Wall Street’s wars. Nor
do they like the idea of the raw
materials and resources that are
part of their theritage flowing

‘across the border to build up the

Yankee war machine.

The question is; how can they
prevent it?

The national council of the Na-

tional ‘Federation of Labor Youth
took up this question in a recent
meeting. Norman Penner, NFLY
national secretary, pointed out
that the youth must carry its ‘“No
Conscription” demand to the Can-
adian people everywhere. If the
youth are to beat this threat to
their future then there is no other

road except to struggle against it. _
oe

future
. not conscription

By ERNEST LAWRIE

CE

nee

This fight against conscription can *
, contribute a great deal to the

struggle for Canadian indepen-
dence, to the making of that kind

‘of Canada which will abound in

opportunity for the youth.

In order to help in carrying
through this struggle, the NFLY
has initiated a national post card
campaign calling upon the Can-
adian government to take a public
stand against conscription. To get
these cards signed NFLY mem-
bers will talk to young people on
street corners, in cafes, at plant
So that
everyone who signs a card will
be completely clear on the issue
the slogan. for collecting signa-
tures is “No signature without ex-
planation.” NELY members have
also been calling on their MP's
and rallying public support with
leaflets and protest meetings.
Throughout the province action
around the needs of young people
is being initiated in order to high-
light the campaign.

gates and in schools.

The danger of conscription at
the present time is «grave, but
with sufficient protest it can be
defeated. The people of British
Columbia must support the youth
in the fight to protect their future.
Last year the Canadian Legion
tried to popularise the idea of “uni-
versal military training.” The
Legion learned in the course of
that campaign what the feelings
of’ the people are and dropped the
idea. Now the demand for con-
scription is being promoted again
and there must. be a concerted

drive to defeat it. All across the
country young peopie are on guard
against this threat to their rights.
And with the help of all working
people they can beat the militar-
ists.

Z,

_ PACIFIC TRIBUNE — NOVEMBER 21, 1952 — PAGE 10