‘Music hath charms’

President James ©. Petrillo (center) of the American Federa-
tion of Musicians (AFL) demonstrates his union’s ruling that har-
monicas are “musical instruments,” and that harmonica players
are now elegible to join the AFM. Excluded until now, they had
mot been affected by the union’s ban on recordings. Observers
believe this ruling opens the door to the inclusion of tin whistles

and bagpipes.

“Quit U.S. war path,“ —
demand of Co-operators

: —WINNIPEG

‘A demand that Canada “adopt an independent trade and

foreign policy based on United Nations principles” and cease

following “the warlike path of the U.S.A.” was made here by
the annual meeting of the People’s Cooperative Ltd.

The representatives of the 3,500
Co-op membérs asked for the im-
mediate recognition of the State
_ of Israel and the breaking off of
_ all diplomatic and trade relations

“with Franco Spain. “We declare
our conviction,” the Co-op meeting
said, “that if the peoples of the
world act unitedly in resisting the
threat of a third World War, peace
will surely prevail.”

The Co-op members pledged full
support behind the Canadian Sea-
men’s Union and asked that the
federal government intervene in
the present Great Lakes strike and
“bring the shipping companies be-
fore the bar of justice.”

The report of the president and

not afford to be silent or neutral.”

The foHowing
the’ executive of
board: W. A. Kardash, president;

treasurer.

In line with the growing needs
and the expansion program of the
Co-op, the board made the follow-

eski as Creamery manager. Further
appointments will be considered at
the next regular meeting of the
board. 2

a year and compulsory selectiv
war counsellor and militarist,
Club in Toronto. |

Under the heading “A critique of
the defense of Canada,” Goforth

proceeded to draw his blueprint for
war against the Soviet Union and

Trade with USSR
desirable, Cripps

—OTTAWA.

As if to underscore the re-

preparations, was the demand of Colonel Wallace Goforth, O.B.E

and financial men at the Canadian | 5

Wants arms budget doubled,
Canadian army to Europe n

Ottawa’s defence budget must be increased from $235 million to at least

OW:

—OTTAWA
> In: $500 million
re service instituted now as part of Canada’s World War III
. E.D., M.A., leading Ottawa

last week. Goforth spoke to a select gathering of business

demanded that Canada send to en by Canada in order to carry out
western Europe one fully equipped this function to the fullest extent.
armored division and one infantry! First of these was a vail for the
division, ‘ immediate participation of Cana-
That he was capable of drawing dian aircraft in the Berlin air-lift.
such a blueprint was amply de- He betrayed his inspirational source
monstrated by his record, which by later callng for a Selective Serv-
stretches over ‘two world wars. |ice Bill, to be passed at the outset
During the last war he was chief of the next federal session, Such a
of Weapons Research and Require- bill, in his words, would require
ments branch of the Department of “immediate registration, with au-
Defense. He later led the first~air-| thority to implement the legisla-
ground operation in northern Can- tion, for army or alternate service,
ada—Exercise Eskimo, and has!|whenever the requirements of the
published a number of papers on|Armed Services cannot be met
future war strategy since. through voluntary recruitment.’

cent Sir Stafford Cripps’ visit

officers constitute
the newly elected

John Korol, vice-president; Andrew

Bileski, secretary; W. Hluchaniuk,
assistant secretary; M. Kostaniuk,

|to Ottawa, DBS figures just
released show a drop of Can-

»| adian exports to Britain of $20,000,

000 for the first eight months of
1948 compared to 1947.

Questioned as to whether ERP
would terminate the British aus-
terity program or affect its dura-
tion, Sir Stafford told newsmen
here: “I don’t believe the standard
of living at the end of ERP will
be markedly greater than now.”

The nature of, current negotia-
| tions for a barter trade deal with
ine USSR came up for intensive
| questioning. Sir Stafford told re-
porters the broad objectives were.
raw materials and coarse feed
grains as well as the restoration
lof the pre-war timber trade with
|the USSR. All payments to the So
viet Union would be made via Sovi
et imports from sterling area coun
| tries,

Cripps believes the current trade
division between East and West
Europe hindered the solution of
Britain’s economic problem and
urged a greater flow of inter-
European trading,

Asked whether the barter deal
| with Russia would be regarded as
jan instrument of good relations,
| Cripps paid indirect tribute to the
| USSR’s

ing appointments: W. A, Kardash) other countries by pointing out that | si overcrowded and deplorable |
as general manager, and A. Bil-| the Soviet Union did not permit | ©°

|her political position to sprerfore:
with good stable economic rela-
jtions and trade with other coun-
| tries.

general manager, Andrew Bileski,
revealed that the current year had
been a record one for the People’s.
Co-op with an annual sales turn‘;

} “The LPP column
~ Poison in the Post

Goforth’s speech ties in with a/ In nine specific points, he called
stepped-up campaign by Canadian|/for a program of complete and
brass to boost arms production and |hurried re-armament which would
institute conscription. include the creation of special com-
| Classing Canada as a “parrying”’ |mittees to speed the work, and con-
,force in the general scheme, he /|trol Canadian industry in arms pro-
| duction,

Exempt workers homes
from sales tax---UBCJ

Last weekend the B.C. Provincial Council of the United
Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners (AFL) held its 6th
annual convention. Forty-five delegates representing 7000
carpenters of 26 construction locals in the province attended.

Highlights of the 2-day conven-
tion include:

@ A demand ‘that the 9-day. @ Unanimously condemned
waiting period be eliminated from) Frank Hall for his labor splitting

the a7 1 _ activities in the labor movement
e Unemployment Insurance Act |of Canada, and supports the Ex-
@ That the Sales Tax he. re-

ecutive of the Trades and Labor
moved from materials required. for | Congress of Canada in his suspen-
the construction of workingmen’s

| sion,
|homes up to the value of $6,000,| @ Supported P, R. Bengough
| and also semoxed: fork seat up | 2nd TLC Executive in the action
;taken throughout in upholding the
jurisdictional rights of the Can-

adian Seamen’s Union.

Officers elected were J. Steve-
Rie son, president; C. M. Tassie, vice-
ee of schools and hospitals | president; and Howard Lyons,
oritene: | Secretary-treasurer. An executive
@ That the Canadian govern-|slate of seven members, covering
ment do everything possible to ,the various zones of Council juris-
seek greater cooperation with the diction was also elected.

|
| governments of all nations to bring
| about a lasting peace. :

to $1.00. :
@ That the Coalition + govern- |

record tin trading with) ™ent release funds to eliminate |

By STANLEY RYERSON

_ ing against fascism and war. “The

over of $1,653,000, compared with |
the previous high of $1,304,000. |

Mr. Bileski told the annual meet-|
‘ing that the cooperative movement!
must take sides with labor in fight-

Co-ops,” he said, “must come out
fighting on the issue of prices, civil
liberties, fascism and war, We can-

OUR NEXT
_ MAYOR
ON THE AIR!

e
EFFIE

MONDAY TO FRIDAY
(1410 On Your Dial)
6:55 p.m.

] AST week the editors of the

“ Financial Post indulged in
wishful thinking. “Canada’s
Communists are going back un-
derground,” a_ front-page edi-
torial announces... “Those who
know their activities say that
at least three-quarters of their
work and at least the same pro-
portion of their members have
always tried to remain hidden
and secret.” *

Of all the monumental gall—!

The millionaire Galahads of
- “democracy” who thrice in 30
years have outlawed the move-
ment of struggle against capi-
talism , and are now scheming
their fourth attempt, accuse us
of “going underground.”

The would-be wreckers of or-
ganized labor, the shipping and
mining bosses, the men of the
auto and steel and electrical,
logging and chemical and farm
implement trusts, want to il-
legalize the lLabor-Progressive
Party. Their Tory stooges have
inscribed it in their platform,

the St. Laurent clerical-reaction-

aries secretly itch for it...
And the Financial Post wish-
fully queries, “Is there fear that
the Party will again be out-
lawed soon?”’—and concocts its
story about “the Reds going
underground” to provide a

favorable atmosphere for push-
ing the attack.

‘Gentlemen — disabuse your-
selves, Get wise to yourselves.
You're slipping.

A goodly portion of this year

of 1948 was taken up with a.

campaign to defeat the LaCroix
Bill, designed to illegalize our
party. That campaign SUC-
CEEDED. It succeeded because
tens of thousands of Canadian
workers and farmers and mid-
dle-class progressives stood up
and said “NO!” to the fascist-
minded promoters of the bill.

e ‘

Far from “deciding to go un-
derground,” our party fights
tooth and nail for its legal
existence: and by no means for
ourselves alone.

History has made it plain
enough for all to see, that denial
of democratic liberty to Com-
munists is part and parcel of
the assassination of all demo-
cracy, the installing of fascist
terror, the unleashing of fascist
war.

‘The banning of the fighters
for the people can be the aim
only of the most ruthless and
Jhateful enemies of the people.
The fight against “anti-Com-
munist” laws is a fight againsc

the union-smashers, the destroy-

ers of the people’s organizations
—the profit-mad promoters of
fascism.

Is there danger of a new
round, of an attempted follow-
up of the La Croix Bill?

Of course there is, and the
Financial Post and the Tory
convention provide clear enough
indications of it, .

There is every need for vigi-
lance, and for seeing to it that
the party of the working class
is ready to meet any and every
attack,

But most of all, there is need
for a counter-offensive against

‘the brazen enemies of the peo-

ple, the would-be architects of
fascism.

The experience of the fight
against the LaCroix Bill has
shown that the camp of demo-
cracy can be roused against re-
action If the job must be done
again on a bigger and tougher
scale—it can and will be done:
provided the fight for the peo-

ple’s needs is waged as it must ~

be—strongly and widely, with
passion and clear-headed vision.
e ‘

The Financial Post screams
that we are spreading “poison.”
And what is this “poison”? Ex-
posure of the St. Laurent-Pear-
son policy as “a foreign policy

absolutely fatal to the interests
of the Canadian people.”

What a crime is this: we fight
for peace!

Our Labor College works to
develop understanding and
ability to combat the dark forces
of reaction.” :

What a crime is this: we fight
fascism!

I am quoted as urging the
National LPP University. Stu-
dents’ Conference: “Students
must unite to resist any attempt
to militarize the campus or to
restrict academic freedom.”

All this, to the organ of
monopoly, is “poison.” Of
course!

But to Canada’s people, the |

battle for democracy and peace
ds the battle for life and a fu-
ture of freedom.

Assuredly, there’s poison
the Post,

in

But in the hearts of Canadian |

working men and women there's
red-blooded courage, and the

will foy peace and decency and

human dignity . ~

The job. of every club, of
every member of our party, is
to work with such vigor and

devotion that leadership is giv--~

en, that unity is built, in every
shop and neighborhood — that
the people’s cause shall triumph
over the people’s enemies.

ae

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—OCTOBER 15, 1948—PAGE 6

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