Democracy In action By LESLIE MORRIS “After all, Iam only the Pope,” John XXIII is reported to have said when Holy Office tories trieq their worst to stop him from opening the Vatican to the winds of social and political change. : John succeeded before his death in giving encouragement to the liberals in the Church. His Encyclical, “‘Peace on Earth,” is his bequest to them, as well as to the people everywhere. In 1846, when Europe was coming to the end of the bourgeois revolutionary age and the modern working-class was stepping on to the stage of history, the then Pope also strove to reform the Church. He failed. But it is a measure of our revotntion: ary times that Pope John’s thoughts con- tinue to reverberate throughout society. Tey will not be silenced. Already they are a mighty force for peace and progress. The Anglican Church, the church of the English Beinn a tion, also is going through a crisis as deep as that in the Catholic Church. There, too, are found the dogmatists and the liberals, the “rights” and the “lefts”. * * # While not for a moment giving an inch to communism, (and how could he?) the Archibishop of Canterbury declared | at the Anglican Congress in Toronto that there must be peace- ful co-existence with it. Canon Max Warren of London, England, tolq the Con- gress: “If we have flexed the muscles of our imagination far enough, let us be bold to see Him at work in that bitter critic of 19th centry society, who once labored in the British Museum, whose dust lies in a London cemetery, and whose name sti!l conjures up the fears of half mankind and the hopes of the other half. ; “Have we the moral and intellectual integrity to admit that our concern for social righteousness owes not a little, under God, to the stimulus of Karl Marx?” : We think that Marx, who understood that religion was basically a manifestation of Man’s search for the truth (‘the . Sigh of the oppressed,” he called it) would not object to this praise, knowing that it helps in the end to bring heaven from the skies to the earth, where it belongs. * * * Rev. Russell Self, a Canadian Presbyterian missionary to India, said on a visit home that communism has done more .in 60 years than Christianity in 2,000. Canada’s pseudo- Christianity must die, he declared, so that “the real message of the cross will emerge.” This year the theme of the Couchiching Conference was, Values in Conflict. Rev. William Nicholls told the Conference: “The Marxists pour scorn on us for our exaggerated concern for our own personal goodness, our morality. We emphasize individual morality, yet so often we ignore the fate of millions of our fellow men. This is just criticism by Marxists, and in this regard we can learn from them.” In the same discussion Father Gregory Baum asked whether the ideals of Marx were not aims for which, in fact, Christians should have worked. And that misanthrope, Prof. Frank H. Underhill, noted for his eloquent pessimism, departed from his usual nature to tell the conference: “Perhaps the world has just turned a corner in the test-ban treaty signed this week in Moscow.” It is the bubbling ferment of ideas, which at last has spread into the dogma-fortified bastions of the churches, which caused Mr. Underhill to say: ‘‘Perhaps you younger people are going to live into a second age of enlightenment.” The venerable professor is right. It is a welcome departure from customary ignorant red- baiting to see the churches and the intellectuals for a change criticizing capitalism and its institutions, to which they them- selves belong. Such a dialogue is long averane and communists them- selves must accept criticism for not encouraging it long since. Even now, perhaps, some followers of Marx are cynical about all this and see in statements such as those quoted here simply the desire of the churches to reinforce their hold upon men’s minds. That would be a bad form of sectarianism and stand- offishness. The public discussion of values, economic, social, moral and spiritual, which the churches and the intellectuals are engaged in itself arises from the rotting economic basis of capitalist society It is yaa me Sow ype] crisis of capitalism and the rise of socialism. Labor should enter with verve iia enthusiasm into this debate — and not teast of all the wft-wing in the labor movement. Such a dialogue in ach opinions are expressed and respected, and in which no one tries to take special advantage, but which has for its purpose the search for the truth, letting the chips fall where they may, can do much for our country, It should penetrate the CBC, the churches, the univer- sities, the theatre, the high schools, and most important, the trade union locals and the farm organizations where the Sess ee of Canada are, Oe. people who suffer not : See: MORRIS, Pg. sone pee SUPFORT GROWING ACROSS CANADA MARITIME CITY COUNCILS BACK FIGHT FOR MERCHANT MARINE The campaign for rebuild- ing Canada’s non-existent merchant marine is picking up steam. Besides key indus. trial unions, a growing num- ber- of Canadian towns and cities are expected to petition Ottawa to restore a merchant fleet of ships flying the Ca- nadian flag. As reported previously in the PT, joint representation to the Pearson government will be made thise fall by three separate labor badies, acting on behalf of workers on both the East and West _ coasts of Canada. The Marineworkers & Boilermakers union has an- nounced that it has received a letter from the Marine Workers Federation (CLC), of Halifax, in which the MWF states that the St. John, N.B., city council and the Halifax county council have both en- dorsed a resolution to this effect. The Halifax city coun cil and Dartmouth city coun- cil have also been requested to take similar action. The Mayor of Dartr vuth, I. W. Akerley, is also presi- dent of the Nova Scotia Federation of Mayors and of the Canadian Federation of Mayors. and Municipalities. He has indicated that he will _try to get both the provincial _and the nationa! bodies to en- dorse the resolution’s stand. In addition, it is expected that organized labor will seek the backing of city councils in Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto, New Westminster, Vancouver and a number of other municipalities which have a vital interest in sea- going vessels. native. ‘SACK WAC’ An appeal from the Communist Party YOUR DOLLARS can help defeat w. A. C. Bennett and his Socred sell out government on Sept. 30. YOUR DOLiARS can help elect a genuine people’s alter- YOUR DOLLARS can make certain that the real issues are debated on the hustings . . . the sellout of our na- tural resources and the threat to our peace and security represented by a nuclear dump at Comox, YOUR DOLIARS can ensure that the Communist message will come through strong and clear and provide a clear lead for labor and the people. ' ers & Boilmakers union that _ the YOUR DOLLARS can work for you in this important election. DON’T WAIT — DONATE TODAY Communist Party Room 502, Ford Building, 193 E. Hastings St., Vancouver. Here is my contribution of $ to defeat Big Business at the polls onSept. 30. Names 32 ee : Ae e Address = Town House of Commons statement Announcing... ‘PT’ Special Offer 3-month Sub for only $1 Dear Friends: I would like to receive your labor paper on a 3- month trial basis. Enclosed, please find my $1 payment IN AEE ee ADDRESS _._ (This offer expires on Sept. 30, 1963) i ae 2 SE ee ee “September 6, 1963— PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Pa The resolution noted tha “there are indications that th! proposed naval constructio program (of eight frigates may be cut back or disco tinued...” Asa result, ship yards should be kept bus} building vessels for peacefu commerce. It called for a federal sub’ sidy to the shipping industry listing the following reason for such a measure: : ® Additional employme? in Canadian seaports andé shipbuilding; @ Reduction in the foreign exchange drain; ® Control of Canadians 0 the shipping lines in dire tions best calculated to stimu late the growth of Canadian trade; @ Additional revenues 1 the federal governmen? through a higher level 2 economic activity . in ship building and shipping cen” tres. : Copies of the resoiution have been sent to Prime Minister Pearson, Trade Mit: ister Sharpe, Fisheries Mini ster Robichaud, New Bruns wick Premier Robichaud, the Atlantic Development Board, the Canadian Maritime Com mission, and other interested parties. The resolution agreed that the government of Canada “be asked to take immediate measures to establish a Ca nadian-owned merchant mal ine composed of moder® ocean-going vessels to be con structed in Canadian eo yards: s 2% As the struggle for a na — tional merchant fleet mount ed in intensity, indications pointed to hedging and gov” ernment backtracking on this vital question. An executiv assistant to the Prime Mini ster wrote the Marine-work- government had _ not stated it was prepared tO scrap the navy flea pro- gram. : The letter: from Benen ‘a office, dated August 23 and replying to a union wire of August 16, stated that the program had not been can celled, but was “still under review.” It quoted from 4 made on July 5 by Defence AVinisten Hellyer: . I did not say that the program would be cancelled. I said it was under review before proceeding ...m concern is primarily that the armed forces of Canada will have the very best equipment and the highest operational! capacity to carry out those tasks that are assigned 12 them.” Obviously, the government — is quite prepared to cave i? to Navy brass and go ahead with war preparations, but fears the growing dimensions | of the campaign for our ow? merchant marine, and a tur? to peaceful labor. : If this campaign is broad _ enough, large enough and dé termined enough in characte! the Liberal minority govern-— ment will be hard pressed tO — ignore it. Conditions now — exist to correct the crime committed against Canadiat seamen (and Taxpayers) i 1949.