FRAMED FOR IDEAS U.S. political Fugitives are ‘guilty of no crime NEW YORK 'IN THE sharpest terms, the New York Daily Worker has con- demned the highly sensational ar- rests of two U.S. Communist leader, Robert Thompson and Sid Stein, and several associates in the Sierras of California. “The FBIs_ political. police have put the handcuffs on Ameri- cans guilty of no crime, inno- cent of the slightest wrong doing against their country or their fellow Americans,’ the paper said editorially. “Thompson, in fact, was award- ed the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest mili- tary honor, for bravery in de- fending the USA in the Pacific during the Second World War. “The real criminals are not the Americans — more than 80 now—who have been or are be- ing framed into prison solely for their ideas under the notorious Smith Act; the criminals are the Smith Act itself and the political police who are using it to crush free speech and political opposi- tion, and to whip up a McCarthy- ite, Nazi-like atmosphere in the country.” The editorial recalled the dis- sents of Justice William O. Doug- las and Hugo L. Black from the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1951 ‘de- cision, upholding the conviction of 11 national Communist lead- ers under the. Smith Act, and added: : x “These two judges reminded America that the Smith Act vic- tims were not charged with any acts of violence, nor -with any actual advocacy of violences, but solely with having ‘the intent’ some time in the future to ‘teach and advocate’ such alleged vio- lence!” Citing also a CIO national con- vention resolution which said the Supreme Court’s decision “struck a blow” at basic American free- doms, the editorial continued: “Yet, it is innocent American patriots who are being pilloried, hounded and jailed in these Smith BY White Act raids, rigged trials and news- paper sensations. ~ “Jt is this persecution which has resulted in other innocent citizens becoming political refu- gees from Smith Act frameups as'it did in the case of the Fugi- tive Slave Law and other repres- sive legislation.” Citing the vast wave of sup- pression unloosed since the first group of Communists were con- victed under the Smith Act, the editorial hit the purpose of such raving of the ‘‘“McCarthy-Jenner- Velde-McCarran mob” which ‘wants to terrorize the U.S. into submission to a form of fascist rule at home and ‘inevitable atomic war’ abroad.” The editorial offered these con- clusions: @ ‘Far from being jailed, and having additional charges rig- ged against them as in Gus Hall’s case, Thompson and Stein —along with other Smith Act victims — should be amnestied as men and women innocent of any crime other than op- posing the Korean war and the present more-war policies in Washington. Thompson, a tuber- cular veteran ‘of the Second World War, should be imme- diately moved from Alcatraz. @ “It is not political opponents who should be jailed but what is needed is the long-delayed action by. the justice depart- ment on the 1951 Florida bomb- killings as well as on the Sen- ate report on McCarthy’s weird financial dealings. @ ‘The nation should demand negotiations for a peaceful set- tlement in. Asia and Europe. Peace is what the witchhunt- ers fear the most! The trade unions should find the ways and means to defend their rights against Taft-Hartley and the projected probes aimed at stifling their strength! The anti-McCarthy front should em- brace all creeds ready to stand for free speech in the market place of .ideas.” : é is “Although the militia of the Family Compac: under the dictatorial Sir Francis Bond Head dé the people’s forces . . . the principles for which they fought were eventually won.” 92nd ANNIVERSARY OF ‘LITTLE REBEL’S’' DEATH William Lyon Mackenzie first saw U.S. designs on Canada | 5 1774 the U.S. that, sinc® | tne oy OX August 28, 1861, at his home that still stands on Bond Street im Toronto, William Lyon Mac- kenzie died. The funeral procession to the Necropolis where he is buried was more than half a mile long — tribute to a man who during his lifetime fought to put Canada first and for the supremacy of parliament. “Government,” his famous Declaration of 1837 proclaim- ed, “is founded on authority and is instituted for the bene- fit of a people. When, there- fore, any government long and systematically ceases to answer the great demands of its foun- dation, the people have a na- tural right given them by their Creator to seek after and to establish such happiness to the greatest number.” Together with his compatriot Your | Department Radio chauvinism B.M., Vancouver, B.C.: I liked Bert Whyte’s article on Jim Crow im Vancouver. The PT should keep hammering away at it. So often I have run across a sort of smug complacency among people here that “of course it is ter- rible, the Jim Crow south of the border, but thank goodness we don’t have that ‘problem’ here.” Beeause the daily rags don’t consider such things as “news- worthy” most people are un- aware of its true scope and ex- tent, so as usual it is up to the Pacific Tribune to throw a little light on the subject. I see by this week’s PT that a reader writes in concerning some of the subtleties of white, chauv- inism. This brings me to the main purpose of this letter. There is a particularly obnoxious brand of chauvinism coming right over one of our Vancouver radio stations every morning, from a character on CJOR who calls himself ‘‘G.G.” One of G.G.’s little “special- ties” is the introduction of racial caricatures. His Negro “char- acter” is impersonated in the racist voice of Jim Crow, his name is ‘‘Rastus” and his speech is filled with ‘““Yassah, Boss” and “Mistah G.G.? and so on, ad nauseum. The same thing ap- plies to a very vicious caricature of the Chinese people. The whole thing*is disgusting. I would like to see a series of protests made to the radio sta- tion. I think Jim Crow should be hammered at good and hard, as should chauvinism and racism in any form. Conditions in France M.M., Vancouver B.C.: A friend of mine now living in France wrote recently.and gave several intimate glimpses of how people over there react to events. Several parts of her letter should prove interesting to Pacific Tri- bune readers. I quote: “Jt is not ,too difficult to find out what people in Paris think, because they make no secret of it, in fact they underline it by making big demonstrations. You may have heard of the Rosenberg demonstrations all over France. al You Please. Everyone was against the execu- tion of the Rosenbergs, from the president to the film stars, and from the cleaning woman in the house where I live to the many students in Paris, and from the capitalist press to the social dem- ocratic and communist press. Not to speak of the workers, who or- ganized no end of delegations, signature campaigns and meet- ings in an effort.to save the Ros- “ enbergs. “T wonder if you saw a photo of the huge demonstration at Place de la Nation a few days before the execution? Nearly everyone in Paris was out. And then when you read reports about it having been a minor riot (in the foreign press) it makes you mad. Not* only wasn’t it a riot, but it also wasn’t minor by any means. ... “Like all over the world, everyone here is in favor of peace. However, the fear propa- ganda was doing its work until, for instance, something like the Rosenberg case came along, and many more people began to won- der what they were fearing. .. . “During the Bastille Day par- ' parading together. in French Canada,*Louis Joseph Papineau, Mackenzie led the struggle of English and French- speaking .Canadians for respon- sible government in Canada. Al- though the militia of the Family Compact under the dictatorial Sir Francis Bond Head defeated the people’s forces in Upper Can- ada — poorly armed and trained and betrayed from within'— the principles for which they fought were eventually won. Today these patriotic principles of government responsible to the people of Canada and free from foreign domination and control, are being trampled underfoot by a modern Family Compact in Ottawa. : e It was Mackenzie, facing. a witch-hunt court in the United States in _1838>who first warned of the plot in high circles in ade, there were many cases of socialist and communist sections of trade unions joining hands and Many child- ren paraded—children who don’t want to spend the summer play- ing in the gutters. You know, the French working people are liv- ing in very poor conditions, es- pecially in Paris. No car, no ice- box, no central heating, not enough to eat, no entertainment. Many children work when they should still be in school... . “Of course you may -say, all well and good, but there’s no re- sult from these demonstrations, ” look at the prisoners, and look at the Rosenbergs, and look at the war preparations. True, but then look how often the world has thought there would be a war, and still there isn’t. ] think public opinion, expressed in demonstrations, in Peace Con- gresses, in newspaper articles has had a big effect on the war- makers. “And this is only a beginning. As far as freedom of thought is concerned, I would say that it is pretty good in France. Many people, especially communists, are imprisoned for their beliefs, but also many are holding every kind of job. Well, that’s pretty good, isn’t it? I mean, it could be worse. Now all we need is freedom to eat enough, and free- dom to work all the time, and -soon everything will be just fine.” sought to bring abou ay, nexation of Canada, ~ new forms, that plot 18 gravest menace faciDe ~“¢ (if the economic annexatio® ada by the U.S. and ov independence. The Put Canada Fits being advanced by the @ of gressive party grew oat pr struggles of Mackenzie the ineau and their of ta working people of Oe, Lower Canada. FO cog t 9 was.a man of the ae far ple, the poverty-strié in Scotland; most © in te Canada and in exile wg fOr a found him struggling % poo | for his heroic wil€ He said: o< J Jove Well may estee™ ofl greatly ma y ‘or 5 humble and lowly: a, ae and adversity were watts and in youth We” sie misery my familia? He was only 2 the publication newspaper, cate, because, dias to join the oppres® ¢ because: be of “J had long seen of Pe try in the bands igs My shrewd crafty ent ] under whose ™? ‘of the most lovel¥ efit able sections Be aratit® compe” mained a Ty bra Deer sea? of power i very sources © ry a our fabulous pot : materials to @ forel® ow Mackenzie pioneer in the ] to put Canada first i 6 gt great and patriot’ of the iconsciousnes> and workers, farmers class people as tbs cl national independ? ' tage, for per F d e ul moves into @ 2 p PACIFIC TRIBUNE — SEPTEMBER 1) 1953 — follow’ agi F a f his day: ry ;