—— ee
1 +

Demand for cross - examination
of PUC experts gains support

gern

i
diss

" if ee
“ul m7 \e
Nas.

ve Te ttltrsrnaars | et

tee i

FRIDAY. MARCH 14, 1952

BU ET

Pentagon admits
diary authentic

WASHINGTON

An official military spokes-

man has admitted to the Wash-

ington Post the authenticity of
General Grow’s diary.

The spokesman merely dis-
putes the way in which the
diary fell into the wrong hands,
claiming that an investigation
proves it “was lifted by a Com-
munist agent in Frankfurt last
duiy.”

An article in the Washington
Post says that U.S. army inves-
ligators obtained a copy of the
book and Grow was questioned
about it. When it' was deter-
mined that the published photo-
stats Were authentic, the gen-
eral was called home.

Pare ee

CONTINUED

DIARY |

In the diary he wrote 'that the
real purpose of the trip was to
look for ack-ack stations.

When the and a British col-
league drove to look at a fac-
tory he did not speculate what
was manufactured there. He
thought only of how to ‘blow
it up.

And when he walked through
the crowded streets of Moscow,
fhe noted, “We must use every
subversive method to destroy
the people’s confidence in their
leaders.” :

To this dignified-looking gen-
eral “every kind ‘of below - the
belt blow” is justified so long as
it is against the Soviet Union.

He wrote that 1951 was the
time for the United States to
launch war against the USSR.

One evening on the day the
American diplomatic pouch had
arrived he noted his. satisfac-
tion at the news that the shares

he held in an arms factory had
increased in value.

Espionage, terrorism, subver-

sion—these are the secret
thoughts General Robert
“Rverybody’s Friend’ Grow

committed to paper.

War, bombing, destruction—
were the longings he cherished
as he methodically completed
his diary.

‘Grow left Moscow for Frank-
furt at the end of 1951 meaning
to return to give a farewell
party to those who-.had found
him such a jovial companion.

While the was away the veil
of secrecy was torn off his
warmongering and General
Grow’s farewell party now
seems unlikely to take place.

VICTORIA, B.C.

Refusal of Public Utilities Commission chairman Percy George to allow cross-examination of
PUC experts at the fare hearing being held here this week prompted Victoria assistant solicitor

Terence O’Grady ‘to label the whole affair “half a public hearing or less.”

He contended that it

was “only fair that evidence which will weigh so heavily on the commissioners’ minds” should be
examined, but George stubbornly clung to his position that ‘the PUC is not on trial.”
(In Vancouver last week, Elgin Ruddell and Effie Jones walked out of the hearings on the

same issue, and flew to Victoria to ask the cabinet

to over-rule the PUC. This week Ruddell was *

advised by provincial secretary W. T. Straith that “the cabinet must await the final decision of

the PUIC before the executive council

TOP: A unit of the well-trained, highly disciplined Vietnamese People’s Army. In six years
of fighting against French colonial armies to secure the independence of their country, the Viet-
namese pecple’s forces have grown from guerilla groups to regular army formations supported by

partisans.

Most of their heavier weapons have been captured from the French. Lighter weapons

and munitions are manufactured in small arms fac tories deep in the territory liberated from French

rule.

BOTTOM: Vietnamese people’s troops cross on a river bridge constructed by their engineers.

French defeat at Hoabinh

spurs demand to end war

PARIS
Victory of the. Vietnamese
People’s Army in liberating

the provincial capital of Hoa-
binh, southwest of Hanoi, has
frightened the French ruling
clique in Indochina, which is
now looking increasingly to
the United States for military
aid.

The Vietnamese victory has

also spurred the demand from
all sections of the French peace

movement for an immediate
end tto the imperialist war
against Viet Nam, cost of
which is bringing France to fin-
ancial ruin.

The war has ae cost
France upwards of 100,000
casualties and the equivalent
of $72.80 for each of her 42
million people. since French
troops re-entered Indochina in
1945, with British connivance,
after the French government
refused to honor its pledge of

independence ‘for Viet: Nam.

French dispatches represent-

ed loss of Hoabinh as an order-
ly withdraiwal.

Actually, Vietnamese forces
fought their way into the city
on February 23, routing French
troops ‘preparing to evacuate
and compelling them to aban-
don vehicles and arms. Three
months of bitter fighting
around
French some 20,000 casualties.

Hoabinh cost the

would have the jurisdiction to hear an appeal.’’)

A boost in transit
would automatically. increase
the earnings of the BCElectric,
O’Grady said at the hearing
Monday this week. “On each

previous occasion (of rate in-’

creases) the effect has been
to increase ‘the ratte of return
to. thle company, despite a de-

“erease in passengers.”

(At the Vancouver hearings,
Emit Bjarnason
BCElectric experts ‘to admit
the company’s yearly wage
bill had decreased, due to ex-
tensive operation of one-man
cars, reduced service and other
factors.)

Cross-examining Dr. H. L.
Purdy, BCE representative,
O’Grady asked several ques
tions on methods of company
financing, because, he said,
“the alffairs of the BCElectric
are somewhat mysterious to
the outsider.”

Mrs. M. Ralston, represent-

ing tthe Cost of Living Com- °

mittee, argued that another
‘fare hoist would not achieve
the objective for which the
‘franchise was granted, “that
of providing cheap and effi-
‘cient public transportattion.”

Pointing out that an increase
would mean a drop in passen-
ger traffic, followed by, a cut
in service, Mrs. Ralston stress-
ed tthhat the first ‘to
would ‘be old age pensioners
and workers with low incomes.

A cynical reply was given
by BCE spokesman A: B. Rob-
ertson, who expressed his
“sympathy” with these groups
and then declared ‘that “the
commission cannot tailor its
rates to the ability of one sec-
tion of the community to pay.”

Mrs. Ralston answered that
there “is a growing feeling
among the public that these
hearings are merely a férmal-
ity preceding the automatic:
granting of increases.”

In the final sessions of the
Vancouver hearing last week,
these facts came out:

@ An increase iin ‘fares will re-
sult in 8,000,000 fewer fares
rattling into BCE boxes next,
year.

'@ A drop in fares will be fol-

lowed ‘by drastic cuts in
service.

@ BCE figures presented as
evidence of the need for a
fare’ boost contained a
$3,000 “arithmetical error.’

-® BCE’s wage bill has dropped

in the past year, despite
Wage increases.
® BCE symphony  ¢éoncerts

last year cost the company
(read public) $9,483-and the
PNE exhibit cost $6,325.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — MARCH 14, 1952 — PAGE 12

rates >

forced the ©

suffer —