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Korean truce Canada’s opportunity

It-is evident that Churchill’s
call for a meeting of the heads
of state of the Great Powers wis
intimately related to his convic-
tion that an armistice had to be
achieved in Korea.

The change in his approach to
world relationships expressed a
great deal more than the needs

of the British Empire, pressing ©

as they are. It expressed, also,
his recognition—belated, but an
advance of most of his class—
that persistance in the U.S. drive
for an atomic world war is
suicidal insanity.

Partners and political hench-
men of U.S. imperialism influ-
ential in the United Kingdom
and in the councils of the British
Commonwealth, may succeed in
defeating this present call for a
Great Power conference. They
may even write finis to Church-
ill’s actual leadership of the Con-
servative party, and therefore of
the government, as the only
means by which they can pre-
vent such a conference.

But, and this is the decisive
fact, they will not succeed in
stopping the growth of the world
forces for peace and the simul-
taneous growth of pressure for
settlement of the problems of
world relationships by ; negotia-
tion instead of by the insanity
of atomic war.

Churchill’s personal champion-
ship of the proposal for a meet-
ing of the heads of state of the
great powers was not the begin-
ning of that pressure; on the
contrary, his proposal did but
spotlight the growing support
for that idea throughout the sat-
ellites and dependencies of U.S.
imperialism.

Against the U.S.” obsession
with preparations for war, realis-
tie Europeans, including capital-
ists and their political represen-
tatives, are turning hopefully to
the prospect indicated in the
considered official declaration of
the 19th Congress of the Com-

munist Party of the Soviet
Union:

“At the present time there
is not one disputed or unde-
cided question that cannot be
decided by peaceful means, on
the basis of the mutual under-
standing of interested coun-
tries. This is our attitude to
all states, among them the
United States of America.”
For democratic men and wo-

men in Canada and all countries,

those words indicate clearly the
path to be preferred. Our aim
must be to make the armistice
in Korea a historic step. forward
on that path. The armistice in
Korea, in the political situation
characterized by Churchill’s call
for a Great Power conference
can mark the beginning of an
era of the peaceful co-existence
of the capitalist and socialist.
part of the world—provided only
that the forces for peace continue
to grow.
*

The peace loving forces whose
steadily growing strength was the
deciding factor in achieving the
armistice must insist now upon
continuing their advance.. They
must repel the attempt that will
be made to pretend that the arm-
istice is, to quote Brigadier Jean
Allard, commander of the Cana-
dian Brigade in Korea, “just a
pause in the fighting.”

Even worse, because more cal-
culated, is the misrepresentation
used by the political apologists

- for U.S. aims in Canada.

Hon. Lester B. Pearson, minis-
ter for external affairs, provided
an example of that technique at
Listowel, Ontario, three days be-
fore the truce was actually sign-
ed. Knowing that~an armistice
was going to be achieved, Can-
ada’s minister of external affairs,
who is also president of the Un-
ited Nations, devoted his elec-
tion campaign speech on _ that
occasion to belittling the armis-
tice and its significance.

HRISTIAN DIOR, the world-
famous dress designer, ex-
plains that his idea in rein-
troducing short skirts is to
“ereate a fashion for stepping
out in the streets. Dresses are
not made to be put in mu-
seums.”

He reacted calmly to the
storm stirred up by his win-
ter collection—which puts up
skirts from 15 to 17 inches
from the floor.

“A dress war—it cannot be
very serious,” he said with
a shrug.

In New York angry dress-
makers are saying that his
new line will not affect their
intention of showing — longer
skirts in their fall collections.

The truth is that once more
Dior has taken the initiative,
by putting across an entirely
new line, instead of continu-
ing with gentle modulations—
once more.demonstrating that
Paris is still the fashion cen-
tre of the world, despite U.S.
domination.

Dior creates furore

“Tf American women accept
knee-length skirts again
they’re crazy.” This is the op-
inion of one U.S. dress design-
er, Emily Wilks. “The flapper
silhouette can’t be flattering
to any woman, no matter if
she has legs like Marlene Die-
trich.”

Unfortunately nobody out-
side the U.S. has heard of
Emily Wilks, and everybody
has heard of Dior.

It all sounds very like what
women said so loudly in 1946
when Dior introduced the
“New Look.” Then thousands
pledged themselves to resist
that long, flowing skirt of his.

But in six months hems
were let down, bands inserted,
and every teenager felt lovely
striding along in a “romantic”
dress.

This time Dior will prob-
ably triumph more quickly,
because it is much easier to
turn hems up than let them
down or add to them.

The press reported that Pear-
son posed several questions that

the armistice would bring for-

ward—“to which he said he did
not have the answers.” The ques-
tions he posed were not unusual:
on the contrary, most of them
have been discussed publicly
ever since cease-fire negotiations
started. ~But that he should pre-
sent them as examples of the
type of question upon which he
is not prepared to take a stand,
was astonishing.

Pearson’s action at Listowel
illustrated exactly the issues
around which the struggle will
have to be waged to make the
armistice the beginning of an
era of the peaceful co-existence
of the capitalist and socialist
parts of the world.

Typical of the questions posed
by’ Pearson are the following:

+ “Should we actively encour-
age every element of resistance
to the communist regimes in the

hope that they will be over-
thrown. . . .?
+ “Should we _— strengthen

Chiang Kai-shek and continue to
recognize his government, even
though the United Nations will
soon be dealing with the Peking
Communist regime?

+ “Should we let the Chinese
deal with communism in their
own way and accept as an ac-
complished fact that they now
have a Communist government?”

His questions as a whole and
his comment. upon them added
up to*the question: Should we
utilize the armistice and nego-
tiations with a view to a future
war against China and the Soviet
Union?

Now, if the armistice was ne-
gotiated in good faith its con-
summation should have provided
Pearson with the answers he
says he lacks. The very act of
participating in the armistice
should determine that his ans-
wers to the first ‘and second’
questions would be an unequivo-
cal No and to the third an equal-
ly unequivocal Yes. His refusal
to answer yes or no to either
one of the limited specific ques-
tions or to the general overall
question of world relations and
aims is in fact a refusal to com-
mit himself to the declared aim
of making the armistice the be-
ginning of a lasting peace.

The St. Laurent government
choose,"*deliberately, to remain
in the camp of would-be instiga-
tors of war.

“ie : /

The St. Laurent government’s
thinly veiled hostility to the arm-
istice in Korea reflects its poli-
tical subservience to U.S. imper-
ialism, its fear of expressing an
opinion before the Eisenhower
administration has laid down
the line.

But, and this affects every
Canadian even more imntediate-

ly, it mirrors also the fact that
successful consummation of the
political conference and the ne-
gotiation of several key issues
that the armistice makes possible,
will demonstrate how utterly
wrong, even criminally wrong,
those governments have been
which have geared their coun-
tries to their own insane hope
for a world war to destroy so-
cialism.

St. Laurent knows that suc-
cessful consummation, of the arm-
istice will expose the unCanadian
character of the national policy
he has foisted upon our country
during the past five years.

George Drew, M. J. Coldwell
and Solon Low share his fears on
that score because they shared in

his anticipation of an atomic war ~

of the capitalist world against
socialism and supported the gen-
eral over-riding aims of his poli-
cy without any reservations —
except the Tories’ insistent de-
mand that it be pressed more
aggresively.

All the promises by which the
Liberal, Tory, CCF and Social
Credit candidates are trying now
to distract the attention of fhe
electors away from the crucial
issues, will be meaningless un-
less adequate changes are made
in national policy.

*

Our country is approaching a
crisis of national policy. It was
realization of this that made St.
Laurent rush home as fast as
a plane could bring him and call
the elections for August 10.

In place of the national policy
which has geared our country to
the ghoulish anticipation of a
third world war, Canadians must

an end in Canada to the

now insist upon a truly Cana-
dian national policy to gear Can- -
ada’s economic development, for-
eign trade and foreign relation-
ships to the strengthening pros
pects for world peace—for an
era characterized by the peaceful
co-existence of the socialist an'
capitalist parts of the world.

That is the only national poli-
cy that will guarantee job securl -
ty, opportunities for our youth,
homes for the people, national
health insurance, old age pen
sions’ of $75 per month at 60 and
65, double the present family
allowances, a guaranteed mink
mum annual income for every ©
family and all round extension
and improvement of all socia
services. That is the meaning
of the Labor-Progressive party’
slogan “Put Canada First!”

The armistice in Korea is #
vital and pregnant step towards
peace. The change in worl
conditions which made it impos”
sible for the U.S. imperialist
warmongers to prevent it, am
its meaning for Canada, shoul
be the central questions subject .
ed to broad public debate in this
election campaign.

In spite of the combined ef
forts of the Liberal, Tory, cc
and Social Credit parties to Pre
vent it, the Labor-Progressiv®
party will bring knowledge °
these crucial issues to the Pe
ple of Canada. 3

The 100 Labor-Progressive cal

‘didates all across the countty

will fight to unite democrati
Canadians in a great nation@
crusade; for a new, Canadian, 1@
tional policy — to make the a
mistice in Korea the decisive ste?
to an era of the peaceful co-e*
istence of the capitalist and 5°
cialist parts of the world, to PU
«made
in U.S.” policy that has been 1
posed upon our country un er
the leadership of St. Laurent, to
elect to the House of Commont
a majority of members pledsé
to introduce a genuine Canadia?
policy. Pot
Misve this election the bea
ning of a great turn. Stop th
sellout of Canada. Stop spending
billions for war; spend instore
for people’s welfare in pen
Gear Canada’s economy to poe
ful trade with all countries."
Canada First!” That is cee
ada’s path to peace — to peorrrs
democracy, to socialism. He
armistice in Korea is conclusiy”
proof that it can be accomplis
ed. Av:
Make sure this Monday, tor
gust 10, to mark your ballot a
the Labor-Progressive candidal? —
in your constituency. :

HOME OF
UMON MADE
MENS WEAR
and
FRIENDLY
SERVICE

Z
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TRY THE HUB, My Boy, ANC T,
YOURS WITH EASY CREDM,

45 EAST HASTING?

VANCOUVER 4, B:©
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10
PACIFIC TRIBUNE — AUGUST 7, 1953 —-PAGE