Va

OPEN FORUM

Appeal for justice

LEONA THOMPSON, 609
West 17th St., New York 33,
N.¥.: You have no doubt re-
cently read in the American
press of the James Kutcher
case and the appalling action
of the U.S. Veterans Admin-
istration in depriving this leg-
less veteran of his pension be-
cause of his non-conformist
political views.

I wish to call your attention
to another act of flagrant perse-
cution against a veteran, win-
ner of the Distinguished Service
Cross, whose war record both
as to valor, leadership and in-
tegrity is listed in the annals
of the U.S. War Department as
“superior, excellent and ‘with-
out equal on field of battle.”

My husband Robert Thomp-
son, was notified that his pen-
sion for 100 percent disability’
incurred in front line service,
was to be discontinued because
he had allegedly violated Pub-
lic Law 144. That law permits
the Veterans Administration to
deprive a veteran of his pen-
sion if he is “guilty of mutiny,
treason, sabotage, and giving
aid to an enemy of the United
States or its allies.”

These allegations are in fun-
damental contradiction to the

‘facts. The high calibre of my |

husband’s service record is a
matter of public record describ-
ed in news dispatches across

. the nation.

If the Veterans Administra-
tion is persecuting my husband
because he is a Communist and
as such is now serving a sen-
tence under the Smith Act, I
would like to point out two
facts: First, his political affili-
ations were well known at the
time of his induction into the
Army. Secondly, if the perse-
cution is based on the fact that
he was convicted under the
Smith Act, and the Veterans
Administration says it is, none

‘of the aforementioned offenses
cited, entered into the Smith 4

Act trial. -

This is true with respect to
the charges made in the indict-
ment, the evidence introduced
by the government prosecutors
and the various statements of
the presiding judge (who, in-
cidentally, took two years off
his sentence because of his ex-
cellent war record).

Robert Thompson was never

accused or convicted in .a court
of law for mutiny, treason, sab-
otage or giving aid to an enemy
of the United States. This is
only a strained and illegal in-
terpretation of the Veterans Ad-
ministration.

‘These proceedings instituted
against my» husband are. not
only outrageous in terms of my
husband’s war record but have
proven ominous in that they al-
ready have created a dangerous
pattern as evidenced by Kutch-
er’s case and the case of several
old age pensioners and: social
security receivers who have ex-
pressed publicly,e differences
with the present administration.

Here, in the United States,
we are appealing to public
spirited citizens concerned with
the civil liberties of all. We
have received wide support. .

Letters of protest are being
sent to the Veterans Adminis-
tration, Washington, D.C., and
to Representative Olin Teague,
Chairman of House Committee
on’ Veterans Affairs, to ask that
the Veterans Administration re-
instate the pension of my hus-
band who justly earned it when
he was giving his life for his
country.

I urge you to write to Rep-
resentative Olin Teague, Chair-
man, House Committee on Vet-
erans | Affairs, House Office
Building, Washington, D.C., and
to Peyton H. Moss, Chairman
of the Committee on Waivers
and Forfeitures of the Veterans
Administration, Washington,
DX.

I would appreciate hearing

Sapyright Labor beaters Syndieete

Mi me D sing
Quigley! If 1 catch you watch-
ing that clock (again, you're
fired ! .

what your reaction are to my
husband’s case and also of any
actions you may see fit to take
in reference to it.

Women and peace

ELAINE JOHNSON, Vancou-
ver, B.C.: The Vancouver Sun
editor added a note to a corres-
pondent’s letter, saying that
“Western women can, did and
will méasure up in any world
war.”

We are not overly impressed.

Of course the women (and
men) of any country will “meas-
ure up” when bombs are fall-
ing, or threaten to fall on their
homeland. But the real test of
the metal of men and women is
not shown in their fighting “of
necessity,’ when they have to
fight to live, but in their desire
and actions in preventing such
useless wars from ever occur-
rnp? :

But how do our women and
men measure up on this point?
Many are “not interested in poli-
tics,” the thing that.is respon-
sible for wars and the daily
bread they live on. Most peo-
ple know little or nothing about
running “their” country and
care: less, yet a country’s
strength depends on such “gov-
erning” of the people, and no
country can truly progress with-
out it.

And just what does occupy
our Western women’s time,
when war is not ravaging their
homeland? Unfortunately they
nearly all “let someone else run
the country,” and their valu-

able time is used up going to

teas and parties, beauty salons,
beer parlors — and _ trying
diets. =

The kind of women that

stand out in peace and war are
not those who keep trying on
Dior creations, but those who
are busy trying (with their
men) to “open new doors to
creation,” the kind who are
willing to do without such
things as Dior creations until
their country is truly strong
and prosperous.

For every hospital or school
that is built for the nation’s
future there are 50 banks and
service stations built “for today.”

Until we fight for peace on
earth we will never “measure
up.”

Now hear
this eee

Say it with flowers: If ex-
Vancouver Police Chief Wal-
ter Mulligan, now a salesman
for a Los Angeles nursery,
would be happy to come back,
why did he leave? And was
there a threat or a, promise
in his statement, “If I ever
do open up, I'll have plenty
to tell them ... that many
people would never expect
to hear’? To us it sounded
more like a warning to the
big boys not to press too
hard for his compulsory re-
turn to Vancouver.

One thing the British Col-
umbia centenary in 1958
promises to accomplish is re-
vival of the historic rivalry
between New Westminster
and Victoria. ,.. This week
there were loud protests from
New Westminster that no one
from that city had been ap-

pointed to the official “cen-
tennial committee, although
the names of five New West-
minster residents were sub-
mitted. Mayor Fred Jackson
who, as a loyal resident of
the Roya! City has never been
reconciled to the seat of gov-
ernment being at Victoria,
reminded the provincial gov-
ernment this week that New
Westminster was the first in-
corporated city and the first
capital of British Columbia.

The bite’s at the tail end:
From telling the provincial

legislature about her cure for -

cancer, Mrs. Lydia Arsens,
cult-cultivating Social Credit
MLA for Victoria, proceeded
last weekend to give her cure
for ulcers to Vancouver Is-
land Ratepayers Association.
(It’s a diet. of raw milk and
oranges in case her remarks.
give you ulcers.) Criticizing
her government for including
compulsory pasteurization in
its new milk act, she said, “I
was raised on raw milk and >
porridge and until I was 28
I never saw a dentist.” The
sharpest — and unkindest —

full equipment — including

have been cast for leading

3

comment of all was that made
by the reporter who ended
his story with these words:
“She now wears false teeth.”

And adding insult to in-
jury, in the window of the
RCAF recruiting office at 102
Street near 100 Avenue in
Edmonton there are two life-
sized dummies, one dressed
as a pilot, the other as an
airwoman. Until recently, at
least, the pilot was wearing

a flying jacket with the red,
white and blue star of the
U.S. Air Force on the shoul-
der. :

Civil defense officials here-
abouts should resign them-
selves to the fact that they

roles in a farce. They will
never convince anyone who
has to sit through a Pattullo
Bridge traffic jam on a Sun-
day that this city can be
evacuated in a hurry. ...
Most of us are more concern-
ed about not having to play
a bit part in a tragedy —
that’s why we’re clamoring to
get the H-bomb banned.

/

FOREIGN
OFFICE

POLICY
SCHOOL

TRAINED GRADDATES
SENT TOALL PARTS.

/
f

» “Do you think we ought to have an agonizing reappraisal?”

i

By WILLIAM KASHTAN

Merger constitution
needs close scrutiny

N active trade unionist has
drawn my attention to the
draft constitution of the new
Canadian Labor Congress, In
the hands of federations, coun-
cils and unions, although not
available at locals.

The constitution, while it
speaks about “an autonomous
Canadian labor centre” coming
into being, is nevertheless a
duplicate of the AFL-CIO con-
stitution. In fact it doesn’t even
make the pretense of being
written by Canadians to suit
the interests of the Canadian
labor movement, for its wording
is practically identical with the
U.S. document.

This is not to suggest that

there is nothing valid in the
U.S. document, which could be
useful in Canada. But what was
supposed to be drafted was a
Canadian constitution, not an
American one. ~

* * *

It is all very well to present
a brief to the Gordon Commiss-
ion and speak up in the national
interest. Those who drafted the
brief are to be congratulated.
But the same essential qualities
should have found reflection in
the writing of a constitution for
the Canadian labor movement.

That this is not so is to be
seen in the preamble which de-
clares its opposition to “cor-
ruption and totalitarian. ideol-
ogies in all forms.” But no-
where is to be found “the free,
independent Canadian nation”
declaration as expressed in the
brief; there is no opposition to
U.S. domination, no word
of peaceful coexistence, dis-
armament or international
trade union solidarity.

Are these mere oversights ?
Is it the purpose of some of the
top leadership to make the
trade union movement a vehic-
le of a bankrupt anti-communist

policy, or to advance labor’s
interests ? passe

Despite agreement to use both
the TLC and CCL constitutions
as a basis for the new constitu-
tion, only the AFL-TLC consti-
tution formed such a_ basis.
From this one can only draw

ie RIOR Tt cen eee eae a

the conclusion that, as on some
other major questions of policy. .
the CCL leadership capitulated
to the AFL-TLC bureaucrats.

True, the constitution declare?
that “both craft and industrial
unions are equal and necessary.”
It declares itself also in favor
of maintaining the integrity of,
all unions and in opposition te
industry mergers, except by vol-
untary agreement. But. oP
democratic procedures it re-
treats even from the weak posi-
tion of the CCL constitution and
adopts the TLC’s worst points.

HET Heeb SR

The present draft constitution
takes away the right of unions
and union locals to elect whom-
ever they wish as delegates to
conventions.

It violates the right of work?
ers to hold and advocate politi-
cal views of their own choice:
In the name of “anti-commu-
nism” it interferes with unions
autonomous rights.

Futhermore, despite wide-
spread opposition throughout the
labor movement and pledges
made by the top leadership, the
draft constitution restricts rep-
resentation’ and conventions:
Both these restrictions are aim

at the rank and file as well a5

at industrial unionism.

_ The draft constitution de-
finitely needs close scrutiny bY
all active trade unionists.

* Progressive trade unionists, .
particularly CCF’ers, would d0
well to remember that if today
the constitution is . directéd
against those who “espouse
communism,” tomorrow it co!

be used against them and

others who hold progressiv€ —
views on questions. '

The fact is that the bureaU-
crats are not so much concert
ed with “communism” #2
they are wary of all those trade
unionists who want the meré
to represent a new quality, ie
great step forward in labor’
advance on every front. |
should not be overlooked.

McCarthyism must not be in
corporated into a trade unt
constitution.

a a FAS Tee

Sa