WHY CAN‘T ‘PEACE WILL WIN’ BE SHOWN?

Peace Council leading protest
against B.C. censors’ ban on tilm

HE inspiring film, Peace Will
Wim, the story of the Second
World Peace Congress, has been
banned from the screen by the
British Columbia censor, R. W.
McDonald. His decision has
now been upheld by the three-
member appeal board.

‘This is thought-control, pure
and simple,” is the comment of
Ray Gardner, secretary of Brit-
ish Columbia Peace Council, “It
means that four people, appoint-
ed by the government, can tell a
million and a half people what
films they may see and what
films they may rot see.

“There is nothing in our film
whatsoever that offends against
good taste or that offends
against any specific clause in
the act. It has been banned
simply because, in the minds of
four people, it would not be in
the public welfare to show it.

_“The same four people are
eontinually approving of films
which depict crime, brutality
and immoral sex _ behaviour,
though the censorship act
charges them most specifically
with the responsibility of bann-
ing such films. This incon-
sistency on their part is con-
vincing proof that their deci-
sion is discriminatory,”

Gardner points out that the
film is being shown publicly in
Saskatchewan, Manitoba and On-

Ve

Never more needed

R.G., Victoria, B.C.: Received
my Honor Press Builder pin this
week for helping in the Pacific
Tribune financial drive last
spring. Thanks very much,

I have no doubt that with so
many supporters who have our
principles at heart, and who un-
derstand the value of our press,
our paper will continue to ex-
tend its circulation, educate the
people and tell the truth fear-
lessly. :

As for me, rest assured that I
will continue to help win new
subscribers for our valuable
paper.

Health in USSR

M.L., Vancouver, B.C.: In the
Soviet Union everything is be-
ing done to provide more and
better medical attention for the
people, including the most mod-
ern hospitals, surgical equip-
ment, etc. The new Five-Year
Plan directives state: ‘

“In the course of the five-year
period to expand the network of
hospitals, dispensaries, sanatori-
ums, rest homes, children’s nur-
series and kindergartens; to in-
crease the number of beds in
hospitals by no less than 20
percent, the number of accom-
modatians in sanatoriums, ap-
proximately 15 percent, in rest
homes, 30 percent. .. .-

“Wurther to supply hospitals,
dispensaries and sanatoriums
with the latest medical equip-
ment and ensure a higher stan-
dard of their work.

“In the course of the five year
period to augment the number
of doctors in the country no less

Ths id

~ ered skim ‘milk.
products* will harm the user— /

tario. (Prints have not been
sent to other provinces.) It is
also being shown in many Am-
erican states, often in large
commercial theatres, as well as
in almost every other corner of
the world.

_ It is disgraceful that British
Columbia should be the only
part of the world where the film
has been suppressed by undemo-
cratic elements,’ Gardner says.

“We intend to fight to have
the ban lifted. I wish to appeal
to every single person who op-
poses thought-control and who
cherishes the right of free ex-
pression to help us in this cam~
paign.

“You can help by writing im-
mediately to provincial Attorney
General Robert Bonner, at the
Parliament Buildings in Vic-
toria, and telling him, politely,
that you wish to see Peace Will
Win so that you may judge its
message for yourself. You might
mention that you don’t wish your
mind to be made up for you by
any four people no matter who
they might be.”

&

The following article on the
panning of Peace Will Win ap-
peared recently in the Vancou-
“ver News-Herald.:

British Columbia’s one-man
film censorship board, R. W.
McDonald, has banned for pub-

Your

than 25 percent and to extend
the facilities for
courses for doctors.

“To direct the efforts of medi-
cal research workers towards
the solution of cardinal prob-
lems of public-health protection,
coxscentrating particular atten-
tion on prophylactics, to ensure
the quickest possible practical
introduction of the achievements
of medical science.

“By 1955 to increase the out-
put of medical supplies, equip-
ment and instruments 2.5 times
as compared with 1950, paying
particular attention to expand-
ing the production of the latest
medical supplies and other ef-
fective means for treatment and
prophylactics and also of up-to-
date medical: equipment for di-
agnosis and treatment.”

It is obvious that in the So-
viet Union the health of the peo-
ple is a matter of prime concern.
They, approach the problem sci-
entifically, utilizing the latest
medical achievements. In a so-
cialist society, there is no room
for the development of a whole
breed of amateur medicine men,
food faddists, naturopaths and
the like.

In Canada the voice of the
faddist is loud—and dangerous.
Many seemingly sensible people,
even some people in the progres-

sive movement, fall victims to
peddlers of ‘‘health foods.”

Recently I glanced through a
book titled Look Younger, Live
Longer by a Yankee quack nam-
ed Gayelord Hauser. His pet.
nutritional nostrums are black-
strap molasses, yogurt, wheat
germ, brewer’s yeast and powd-
None of these

but they won’t do him much good

: Depanj: MENT
What you Plame.

refresher -

lic showing Peace Will Win, a
documentary account of the Sec-
ond World Peace Congress held
in Sheffield and Warsaw in No-
vember, 1950.

In giving his reasons for sup-
pressing this film, McDonald
states ‘‘. .. it is the duty of the
censor to prohibit the showing of
all films which he considers
against the public welfare or
likely to offend the public.”

He then says: *“While tne pic-
ture is in part a description of
a convention in Warsaw, it deals
with a subject of great contro-
versy at the present time; a con-
troversy highlighted by great
disturbances in many world cap-
itals. I am referring to the fre-
quent refernces to and made of
treatment of the Korean situa-
tion in your picture. There are
people in British Columbia who
support the claims of North Ko-
rea and those who support the
South, indluding many who are
now fighting with the United
Nations forces. Here we have
the sharp conflict df ideas and it
is my opinion that this picture
will only serve to stir up bit-
terness and lessen chanees of a
lasting peace for which we all
-are fighting.”

The effect of McDonald’s de-
cision is to stifle democratic dis-
cussion of the most vital issue
facing the people of our coun-

either. The folk myths sur-
rounding these foods, however,
are definitely harmful to the
mind. - 0

Perhaps the most dangerous
myth is the one that blackstrap ”
molasses can help cure cancer, —
heart trouble and other afflic-
tions. This is utter nonsense.

Hauser claims bilackstrap is
“an excellent source of many
‘B vitamins.’”’ This is a lie, as
are most of his other claims.

Yogurt is a good food, with a
nutritional value no greater than
the milk from which it is made.
Most folks prefer milk. Some
people who have an allergy to
milk in its normal form can use
it in the form: of yogurt. Tribes-
men in the Balkans have always
used yogurt because they had
no refrigerators to keep milk
fresh. .

Wheat germ, another ‘‘wonder.
food”’ is rich in many of the B
vitamins, but any. person on a
normal diet gets sufficient of
these vitamins in any case.

The real danger in following
the advice of a food faddist is
that the ‘patient’ usually ends
up by belieying that “nature
foods” can cure any and all ills,
Unfortunately, these cure-alls
don’t work, and many victims of
the faddist cult shorten their
lives thereby.

The ‘scientific approach to
medicine taken by the Soviet
Union should stand as a warn-
ing to all progressives, at least,
to keep clear of the small army
of food faddists in this country,
and combat their false doctrines,
which have nothing in common
with Marxism or progressive
thought. 2

Financial Post, Aug.30
A Good Year—1952

fs Canadian business in first half of 1952 has}
Been relatively stable, a Financial Post survey
indicates. Net profits after taxes and depreci-
Pation are up for 14 out of 40 companies checked,}
Mdown for 26 of the 40. But most of the compan-:
ies showing declines show much larger depreci~
ation allowances over the same period of last

A good year-for profits

Can big business afford to pay the wage demands being put
forward by workers? According to the Financial Post it can. “A
Good Year — 1952” is how this big business journal summed UP
its survey of the first six months of this year.

try and the world today: the
question of peace or war.

He notes that the picture is
controversial and deals with a
“sharp conflict of ideas.” It is
for that reason he will not allow
the people of British Columbia
to view it.

It is interesting to note that
MecDonald’s letter was written
on June 7, five days before the
people of British Columbia went
to the polls to resolve in: demo-
cratic fashion the ‘“‘sharp conflict
of ideas’? which pervades the
political life of our province to-
day. How sharp that conflict is
was demonstrated in the election
returns. Would McDonald, or
anyone else, have suggested not
holding an election in order to
avoid airing this sharp conflict
of ideas?

There exists today in Canada
a sharp conflict of ideas concern-
ing the Korean war, concerning
NATO, concerning our policy to-
wards China;
fact, all of the issues of war and
peace. :

This conflict of ideas has seen
its highest form of expression
in the foreign policy debates in
the House of Commons where
the CCF party has been in sharp
conflict with the government
over its policy in Burope and
Asia. Subsequently the debate
-raged over the CBC and in the
daily press. Would McDonald,
or anyone else, suggest that this
debate, this airing of the conflict,
should have been suppressed in
Commons, by the CBC or by the
daily papers? :

Obviously, if Canada. is to re-
main at peace with the world
she must have a sound, peaceful

foreign policy supported by the ,

majority of her people. In @

democratic country such a con-’

dition can be brought about only
through the fullest discussion of
all the issues involved.

By suppressing this film which
tells of the people’s efforts to
bring about world peace, the
censor is subverting the demo-
cratic process. He would re-
solve the sharp conflict of ideas
—over Korea, for instance, by
forbidding public discussion.

Many will sense in his deci-
sion a threat to their right to
hear all sides of a controversy
and will join with us in’ seek-

concerning,. in ©

‘picture was not only con

either by the appeal board
by the attorney-general. :

The (Moving Picture Act
(1924) is an undemocratic act.
which invests in one man (and
three-man appeal board) dict@
torial powers over the Prov
ince’s screen, On a ‘whiftug
may ban any film.

Under the act, the censor
charged with the responsibility
of preventing the showins ve
films which depict ‘‘scenes ®
an immoral or obscene natutr—
the representation of, crime or
pictures reproducing any bru
talizing spectacle, or which in”
dicate or suggest lewdness OF tea
decency, or the infidelity or U
faithfulness of husband or wilh
or any such pictures which Bx
may consider injurious to mor
als or against the public welfare:
or which may offer evil sus
tions to the minds of childre?y
or which may be likely to oftend
the public.”’ eh

If the terms of this claus?
were scrupulously applied very
few of the Hollywood films 2°
appearing in Vancouver ysis:
pass the censorship. A his
percentage of these would ce
tainly flunk out on the grou?
they depict crime and prutality-

But as few if any Hollywo?
films are actually banned bY iad
censor, we are inclined to con
clude that in this instance ae
censor has discriminated against
Peace Will Win. ae

The censor seldom acts t? ve
films depicting and glorifyie?
war. Certainly the censor pase
ed for exhibition The Desert ae
a Hollywood film which glorii®”
the Nazi SS leader and Gestas
officer, Erwin Rommel.

r is:

trovel”

sial, but happened also to Pe
deliberate distortion of nist:
This demonstrates the inco2® ae
tency of the censor in claim
one film—which is a docume, —
tary account of an actual es
—is not in the public wel
while ruling that such @ Be:
strous. distortion of nistory
The Desert Fox is apparently
the public welfare.

The people of British .
bia should be allowed t0 age
Peace Will Win and to J¥e,
it for themselves. To allow .
man, or even four men, to J3°7)
it for them is to submit
thought control.

Colue
view

ing reversal of his decision ;

Pacific TRIBUNE

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PACIFIC TRIBUNE — SEPTEMBER 12, 1952 — PAGE #4

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