Sellout by _ the day draws closer when : . Parliament will decide the fate of the Columbia River Treaty, the only MP’s voices heard in con- sistent opposition and appeal against this shameful betrayal of Canada’s interests are these of the New Democratic Party (NDP). National NDP leader T.-C. “Tommy” Douglas (Burnaby-Co- quitlam) and H. W. “Bert” Her- fidge (Kootenay-West) have been, and still are putting up a courage- ous effort in Parliament in opposi- tion to this betrayal of Canada’s interests. While tens of thousands of work- ing people in B.C. and throughcut the country welcome and fully en- dorse the efforts being made by Douglas, Herridge and other NDP- MP’s, many are asking the ques- tion “Why the silence of the NDP- MLA’s in British Columbia, and particularly that of NDP previn- cial leader Robert Strachan?” Throughout the pages of the most recent editicn (March 4-64) of the NDP organ “The Demo- crat,” featuring the opinions ofa number of NDP-MLA’s on provin- cial legislative matters, the Colum- bia River issue is barely mentioned. “The treaty is not, in my opinion, the best one for this ccun- try,” says Mr. Ran Harding NDP- MLA (Kaslo-Slocan) and lets it go at that. His closing sentence al- Editorial comment iH OW many Canadians recall the vast flow cf official “bull” that came out of Ottawa at the time of the multi-million dollar “Dew Line” construction? For us poor suckers it was tout- ed as the last word in “early warn- ing defense” precautions by “fore- sighted” Tory and Liberal yesmen for Pentagon lunacy. Something Canadians should-really be glad to dump millions of dollars into. Well, most of the ‘Dew Line” has already been consigned to the “obsolete” junk pile, with defense minister Paul Hellyer heaving the remaining Eastern secticn onto the scrap heap last week. And witha brand new line of Liberal “bull”; that of “saving” something from the obsolete wreckage fcr the har- assed “taxpayer.” Such “savings’”’ from such “economists” leaves us more wilted than Wacy’s insist- ence that we are all wallowing in Socred “prosperity.” : * Mayor Bill Rathie of Vancouver has come up with a new idea to ffset the current spate of bank hold-ups. ‘Go a bit slow in hand- ing over the money,’ rumbles His Worship “when the stick-up boys appear at the wicket.” Good advice—if you don’t hap- pen to be an attendant at the wicket. . e e : e Pacific Tribune Editor — TOM McEWEN Associate Editor — MAURICE RUSH Published weekly at Room 6 — 426 Main Street "Vancouver 4, B.C. Phone MUtual 5-5288 Subscription Rates: Canadian gnd Commonwealth coun- tries (except Australia): $4.00 one year. Australia, United States and all other countries: $5.00 one year. Authorized as second class mail by the Post Office Department, Ottawa and for payment “of postage in cash. EDITORIAL PAGE * silence ready implies that the sellcut has been cinched, so there is little more to be said, other than to-wender what .‘this government plans’ for the flooded-out residents of B.C. when the Columbia is dammed up to provide storage waters—for the U.S. power trusts. But at least Mr. Harding does say something about the Colum- bia, while his NDP cclleagues in Ottwaw battle valiantly to save the Columbia—for Canada. On the other hand NDP provincial leader Bob Strachan preserves a deadly and chilling silence; a silence de- signed to put all NDP and Labor oppositicn to the Columbia River sellout in a “deep freeze.” Even if time is running short, and the danger of ratification grow- ing, a power-packed public opinion, even cutting across partisan ranks can yet block the Columbia River betrayal and force the negotiation of a new treaty, in which Canada’s interests take priority over all else. But this victery won’t come by studied NDP silence in B.C., nor by “fear of bringing the Pearson minority gcvernment dow::,” or open sabotage of any or all opposi- ticn to the sellout. The people may not want “‘another election,” but if it is a chcice between keeping the Columbia River or a U.S.-in- spired minority Liberal govern- ment, there should be no doubts or misgivings abcut what choice needs to be made. There is still time to make the voice of the NDP in Parliament the united voice cof the Canadian — people on this vital issue, but it re- quires first and foremost an end to NDP silence in B.C. It should be echoing the voice cf its national leader in every corner of B.C.— instead of its provincial leader sitting like a silent Buddha con- templating the area of his navel and muttering to himself, “let’s get on with the job.”’ T HIS week in the United States Senate an historic bill is cn the table, “House Resolution Ne. 7152,’ better known as'the Civil Rights Bill. It is a long way from 1776 and the “Emancipation” of Negro- Americans tc a status of equality in the America their blood and sweat have helped to create. Tired of 188-years cf “gradualism” which has meant a ruthless era of race hate and discrimination and denial of equality, ten million Negro- Americans, backed by millions of white America, are on the march to end this long nightmare of lynch mob rule, race discrimination and inequality. It is also a long way from the origin of the Declaration of Inde- pendence and its “Bill of Rights” which American reaction have all but nullified with restrictive legis- lation to curb the civil rights and liberties of the citzen and his right of association, affecting Negro and -white Americans alike. Two decades of McCarthyite “Un-American” witch-hunts, Taft- Hartley Act, Smith Act, McCar- ran Act, Landrum-Griffin Act, all and more, designed for one specific purpose—to destroy the civil rights and liberties of progressive work- ing and middle-class America. Anti-constituticnal decrees to en- able U.S. monopoly reaction, whether from the North or Scuth, to retain its strangle-hold grip on the economy, ideology and destiny cf America. To destroy all con- cepts of freedom and civil rights which do not coincide with its own —that of “freedom” to dominate, exploit and crush. Today millicns of Negro-Ameri- cans are on the march, fighting racist discrimination in every facet of their lives; the right to jobs, to education, to homes, to worship. How to kill House Resolution | No. 7152? Southern Senators who -have never emerged past the Comment ‘We shall overcome’ “Simon Legree’’ mentality, 4 already swinging into action, rely ing on the “filibuster ’ to kill the ‘civil rights bill in the Senate. , kill the bill by “killing time” WY senseless obstructionist endles talk, and the Klaghorns working! “relays” in an effort to achieve te strangulation. ia But history doesn’t stand still nor will the marching feet of lions of Negro and white cans. Its thunder will rea the innermost sanctum of the 9% ate to drown out the filibusterime of “white supremacy” sen@ i, who couldn’t win by KKK ly mobs, and who now cannot wil by obstructionist talk. New winds are blowing in Amel ica as elsewhere. The great C0" munist Party of the USA, the and most persecuted victim of Me Carthyism, and its multiple Sa McCarran and other undemoc!@™ and unconstitutional decrees} now emerging the victor a? champion of American civil libel ties and rights in the law cov” of America. An eloquent testimony that th long night of racist discriminat!® and the denial of citizen equa and civil liberties in AmeriC@ nearing its end — even thoug handful of “filibustering”’ Kla horns may not be aware of it, an insist on learning the “hard Way’ Ruis in Politica, Mexic® be) “Hurry! We've got to liberate Cub™ sf was really shocked when I heard the Minister of Recreation and Conservation (Mr. Kenneth Kiernan) state that our parks will be opened up to private enterprise for timber, mineral development and recreational concessions. Surely we are not so hard pressed for the dollar that we need to allow our parks to be exploited for private profit.’”? (Mr. Leo Nim- sick, NDP-MLA, East Kootenay in the . Kimberley News’’). Aside from a handful of Socred apologists, most British Columbians experienced the same ‘ shock’’ as Mr. Nimsick, but the ‘shock’? is still not strong enough to shake the Socred “