- Justice dept., RCMP, reluctant to

move against Arcand fascists

~~ OTTAWA—Spotlighting of the
recently began “revival” meetings in

Department officials in 1945
of the National Unity Party.

‘Asked by William Irvine (CCF-
Cariboo) on October 1,
whether Arcand would be tried
for his nazi activities prior to
internment in 1940, the then Min-
ister of Justice Louis St. Laurent
said prosecution was “not advis-
able.” i

He based his statement on. legal
opinions from deputy-Minister of
Justice F. P. Varcoe and , Gerald
Fautéux, K.C.

Both indicated that Arcand had
been interned on the basis of
Sections 39 and 39A of. the ,De-
fence of Canada Regulations.: Re-
vocation of the wartime regula-
tions created a “stale offence”
out of Arcand’s anti-semitic and
fascist mongering, said the ruling.

Arcand had served more than

1945, }

By MARK FRANK

a

e activities of Adrien Arcand, notorious Nazi agent who
Quebec, recalls the curious behaviour of key. Justice

‘when they refused criminal proceedings against the leader

five years in camp from May, 1940,
to July, 1945. Maximum sentence
under the regulations was five
years, said Mr .Varcoe.

He reveals that the preliminary

criminal code proceedings by way
of indictment were dropped by
the inquiring judge on the grounds
that there was evidence of a
conspiracy against the state, thus
coming under the wartime De-
‘fence of Canada regulations, The

judge referred the matter to
“Attorney General Maurice Du-
plessis, who in turn handed it

over to the federal government.

Refusal to press criminal code
proceedings in 1945 following re-
lease of Arcand from internment
was also based on the argument

that it “would have led to certain

ness agent of Local 80
Union, was elected to

Territories, November 17.
candidate on the labor slate,
missed election by 4 narrow
margin.

The election of Brother
Henne gives labor @ voice on
the Council of the Territories
which is not a fully represen-
tative body as only five mem-
bers are subject to election,
the others being appointees of
the Federal Government.
Messrs. Wilson, Hardie, Cole,
and Sutherland are the other
elected members to this body.

Since its formation Local 802
of the IUMMS at Yellowknife

e
Henne wins seat on
ow. mar e 8
Yellowknife Council
YELLOWKNIFE, NWT.—Fred W. Henne, busi-
2, Yellowknife District Miners’

the Council of the Northwest

Brother Swanson, the other

has played an active part in
community affairs and for rep-
resentative self-government for
the NWT. Its program for civic
improvement launched in 1946
has been realized to a consider-
able degree, and with stronger
labor respresentation now on
the Council of the NWT there
is every indication of steady
progress.

¥red Henne is well known in
the Trail-Rossland district and
was business agent of the
JUMMS in that area before

moving to Yellowknife.

| Alberta CCL united on
labor political action

EDMONTON — Delegates to Albert’s convention of

Canadian Congress of Labo
whelmingly endorsed a t
united political action. This
the resolutions of the national
CCL, convention where the CCF
was endorsed as labor’s “political
The resolution passed here aon
itself up in support of progress ue
candidates who are pledged to 18
bor's program in civic, provin
and federal election pe oie
“In Alberta,” said William -
ridge, president of the Calgary La-
bor Council, “where we have aa
multiple of progressive politic
beliefs, . only candidates nomin-
ated by the labor movement an
‘provide a unifying force of
Progressive peoples against pati
tion, To tie labor to one politi ie
party would split the unions an
prove suicidal.”
The convention, xis oe metas
:) e &
mered out a compre he fiel
of organization,
telat security and parliamentary
action, was the largest since the
organization of the CCL provin-
cial committee two years 880
Highlighting the three days and
sions, were addresses from fratern
al delegates of the
bia and Saskatchewan
of Labor, the paren
executive, Srovinolbl government
officials and the provinces
main farm organizations, the
berta Farmers’ Union and
United Farmers of Alberta. _
C. J. Stimpfle, president of the
AFU told the convention that “our
office didn’t get a letter from

FRAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1947

resolution

r unions: which met here over-

pledging their affiliates to
step contrasted sharply with

across this country where a far-
mer condemned the packinghouse
workers’ strike. “

“We ‘did get letters from farm-
ers offering to come into town to
help man the picket lines if the
strikers wanted help,” he declared
to the cheering unionists.

Mr. Stimpfle’s strong plea for
labor-farmer unity of action was
repeated by D. MacLeod, Lake
Isle farmer and executive mem-
ber of the UFA in a message
made on behalf of that organ-
ization. : :

“Another sharp contrast to the
national CCL convention held in
Toronto was the fact that the
Alberta gathering was clear of
any attempt at red-baiting, Crit-
icism of “the hysterical red-bait-

Harvey Murphy, fraternal dete-
gate of the British Columbia. Fed-
eration of Labor.

Mr. Murphy charged that the
foreign policy resolution submitted
by the CCL administration at Tor-
onto openly attempted to align the
Canadian working class with
American imperialism through the

11 convention’s endorsation of the

Marshall Plan.

Wis sharp denunciation drew
the admission from C. H. Millard,
fraternal delegate from the CCL
executive, that “there were nega-
tive features” about the foreign

| policy resolution passed by the

national Congress convention.

ing that took place at the Tor-}
ds|onto convention” was voiced by

agitation.

‘It is not revealed in the legal
opinions from what sources the
“agitation” to defend a ‘nazi
agent might come, but is clear
-that Arcand had many friends
in high places. ;

Another trick argument used by
the deputy Minister of Justice was
that Arcand could not be tried for
treason because the Treachery Act
of Canada was adopted in August,
1940, after his internment.

Refusal to prosecute Arcand on
his pre-internment activities is
further based on a legal opinion
by Gerald Fauteux, K.C., mention-
ing the name of Inspector C. W.
Harvison of the RCMP, whose
report on Arcand is termed “a
general outline of the case and
cannot be taken as definite and
exhaustive as far as evidence is
concerned.”

It is interesting to recall that
Inspector Harvison is said to have
figured prominently in the “spy”
trials involving the imprisonment
of Fred Rose, former member of
parliament for Montreal-Cartier.

Phillipe Brais in the finer points
of anti-Sovietism and Canadian
foreign policy as seen by higher-
ups of the RCMP.

Inspector Harvison, according
to the former communist Mem-
ber: of Parliament Fred Rose,
congratulated an anti-Soviet lec-
ture given by Max Eastman in
1942 when the cause of the
United Nations was in grave
doubt, urging that Mr. Eastman
give further talks of the same
type. .
this incorrigible and pathological
hatred nursed during the days
when the Soviet Union was Can-
ada’s best first line of defence
against Nazism, is still current
among top members of the
RCMP? ‘

It might further be asked
whether the RCMP intend do-
ing anything about checking on
German spy Grace Buchanan
Dineen now free to enter Can-
ada from the U.S.; the activities
of Adrien Arcand and his for-
mer associates; the whereabouts
and doings of one Otto Strasser
former member of the Nazi
high-command and the untram-
melled wanderings of Dr. Giulio
Zorkin, reported to be a fascist
political emigre from Yugoslavia.

Official reluctance of the RCMP
to press investigations against
these people certainly open the
conduct of our Canadian constab-
ulary to suspicion of neglect and
a one-sided method of work based
on a biased interpretation of in-
ternational relations and political
philosophies.

Inspector Harvison is believed to)
have coached special prosecutor

It might well be asked whether |

s

‘Not advisable’

External Affairs Minister
Louis St. Laurent, who, when
holding the post of Minister of
Justice, opined that it was “not
advisable” to bring Arcand to
trial for treason. His predeces-
sor Ernest Lapointe had de-
clared in the House of Commons
in 1939 that Arcand would be
tried. f

Reluctance of the justice de-
partment and the RCMP to
prosecute avowed fascists has
become a matter of grave con-
‘cern to many Canadians,

UK steel barons
restrict output

LONDON—“It restricted produc-
tion to keep prices (and profits)
high.” That may well be ‘the epi-
taph of the British steel industry
as monopolists continue refusing
to expand capacity and modernize
plants while opposing nationaliza-
tion.

Operating in factories modern
40 years ago, using outdated me-
thods and equipment, the steel
barons follow the big business con-
cept of low production for high
profits.

Just before the war, the pro-
duction index per maz in iron
and steel foundries was 100 in
Britain and 186 in the U.S. Out-
put index of pig iron per workers
was 100 in Britain and 361 in the
U.S. Today, despite heroic efforts
by workers, the magnates still

‘|overwhelming majority,

|Alta. CCL aims at unity

EDMONTON, Alta. — Highlight
ing the progressive policies brought
forward ‘by ‘the conference of
Canadian Congress of Labor unions
in Alberta, held in Edmonten on
November 13 to 15, was a reso-
lution endorsing independent poli-

recommendation

-| tical action, the ©

of support of progressive candi-
dates who were pledged to the
support of Labor’s program, and
the nomination and election of
labor candidates wherever pos-
sible, in civic, provincial and. feder-
al elections.

The resolution carried with an
as the
delegates showed the tone of the
conference, namely that organized
labor intended to take an active
‘|part in the legislative field.

An ally in peace

SASKATOON—The 30th anni-
versary of the Russian Revolution
was observed at a Canadian-Soviet
Friendship meeting held in Sas-
katoon. Dr. J. S. Thompson, presi-
dent of the University of Sas-
katchewan, acted as chairman. In
opening his address, Dr. Thomp-
son said: “We salute the peoples
of the USSR. . . We need them
as vitally as an ally in peace as
we did in war.”

James Aitkin, a OCF farmer
MLA for Hanley, Sask, constitu-
ency, said: “Russia has something
to shoWw for her system. . . the
people of this country need a
new vision.” He emphasized the
great need for unity of the peo-
ples by quoting the lines penned
by the immortal Burns: “Man to
man the world o’er shall brothers
be, for a’ that.”

The Rev. C. P. Bradley attacked
the war-mongers and stressed the
need for friendship with Russia
to gain lasting peace in the world.

CSU strike deadline

MONTREAL—Deadline for pos-
sible strike action by the Can-
adian Seamen’s Union’ has been
set back to Friday midnight ac-
cording to CSU official reports.
November 25 was the original
dealine set which would tie up
all deepsea ships if settlement in
the present conciliation proceed-
ings could not be obtained. ;

CSU President Harry Davis is
reported to have stated that some
points of agreement had been
reached between the CSU and
the ship operators. Union demands
include a 15-cent an. hour wage
increase, the 40-hour week in port
and 48-hour week at sea. Mr.
Justice D. A. McNiven is com-
missioner in the present dispute.
Approximately 155 deep-sea ves-
sels in Atlantic and Pacific ports

we ieee code pareny would be affected should the
: present conciliation -proceedings
break down.

Come One! Come All!

— OPEN

All Candidates Welcome

Support Your Community Recreation Centres

RALLY —

Monday, December 1, 8 p.m.

~——MOKAY BALLROOM
Kingsway and McKay, Burnaby

Chairman, D. Brewer.

Any action taken by the Pacific
Coast district of the CSU will be
entirely dependent upon the out-
come of negotiations now in pro-
gress in the east. tad

King mum on prices |

CALGARY — “Prime Minister
King did not say a word about
the gravest of all problems—the
declining standard of living for
the vast majority of the people—
in mentioning some of the busi-
ness to be dealt with at the
special session,” Kate Fountain
charged in a radio talk here. The
LPP provincial secretary main-—
‘tained that “this should be the
first item on the agenda.”

Contradigting a recent state-
ment by finance minister Mr.
Abbott, the speaker declared that
“the majority of the people have
demanded a return to price con-
trols. Their demand has been ex-
pressed through the most impor-
tant organizations of the people—
the trade unions, for example,

lion members and families.”

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE 3

who represent nearly three mil- _