ae = ‘a ‘Must never be war’-- Peace Assembly call : Asserting that “we may sign against the atom- bomb,” 6-8: Text of the call, as released to the press by ‘the Canadian Peace Congress, follows: This call, issued as the peace of the world trembles in the bal- ance, is an appeal to you to take art in a National Assembly for Peace. It is a call for nationwide discussion on how to get peace, culminating in the holding of the Assembly in Toronto, April 6,7, and 8. The existence of the United Na- tions is threatened, its crisis seen in’ the barring of China from its rightful place therein. The blood of men, women and children drenches Korean, soil. Rearmament of Germany and Japan descrates the beloved mem- ory of Canada’s war dead. The armaments race takes food from the mouths of children, even as war propaganda poisons their ‘minds, conditioning them for atro- cities and death, ‘'rade shrivels. Taxes mount. The cost of living soars. Natural resources. and _ social security dwindle. Our cities have been told to prepare against atom-bombing and -the Minister of Defense’ says’ we must go on a war footing for a generation. War preparations threaten to de- vour our way of life. War would devour life itself, ; There must. never be war. Though dark ctouds gather on all sides, each threat is being met by the people’s will to peace. ~ When, last November 30, the immediate threat of atomic war faced the horror-struck world, the combined will to peace of millions of ordinary people pulled us back from ‘annihiliation. The voice of { every signer of the world petition against the atom-bomb, of every organization which condemned horror ‘weapons, shouted “No at- omic bomb.” We may well be alive today because 450 million people dared to sign against the atom bomb. On that horrible but glor- ious day, history showed the power of the common people, united for peace. At the Second World Peace Con- gress, held in-Sheffield and War- saw last. November, 2,055 delegates from 80:countries, in the name of humanity, placed before the United Nations proposals which can end war for all time. These proposals, nine in number, and constituting a world peace program, are offered as the basis for that national dis- cussion and action which will be _ crystallized by the Assembly. The foundation of this Assembly is that proposition proclaimed by the United Nations Charter — that. the people can banish the scourge of war, that differing social sys- ‘tems can find must compete in peace, not perish in war, | Canada—neighbor of the United States and of the Soviet 'Union, _member of the British Common- _ wealth, and facing the awakening ie es very W ell be alive today because 450 million people dared to stayed the hand of warmongers who threatened to use it and “showed the power of the common péople,” the Canadian ‘Peace Congress has issued a call urging all who want peace to support the National Assembly for Peace to be held here TORONT ‘0 April half of mankind across the Pacific ——can play a unique role in bring- ing peace to the councils of na- tions, The National Assembly for Peace will be heard around the world. We do not ask your politics, your religion, your national origin, your color, or the way you earn your living. We do not stipulate that you adopt any set program. We ask you. to agree, or dis- agree with any of the points sub- mitted, but at least to discuss | jority, them. Considering free discussion to be-a condition for peace. We ask you to come so that we may find a peace program acceptable to Canadians in their great ma- so that we might consider means to acomplish such a pro- gram, and so that we may join with all people in ridding the world ,of the near and ‘terrible horror of war. Yours, the job to do. Yours, the profram to shape. Yours, the life to win. Endicott rapid rise in finds peace sentiment A capacity audience of nearly 1200 Vaticouver citizens packed Pender Auditorium on Friday last week to hear Dr. James G, Endicott, chairman of the Canadian Peace Congress. who is on a nation-wide tour for peace. People - -jammed the back of the hall, carted chairs onto the stage behind the speaker, and stood in the corridor outside the auditorium to hear Endicott’s mes- ‘sage. “There is a growing interest in the fight for peace all across Can- ada,” said Dr. Endicott. “On my first visit to the Ontario mining town of Sudbury two years ago only 25 people came to our peace rally. The second time 100 turned out. On this tour I had an aud- ience of 500. It is quite clear that the Canadian people resent being railroaded into war against China and are searching for a way to maintain peace.” Terming the Warsaw Congress and the peace committee set up by it “the greatest international peace movement the world has ever seen,” Endicott remarked that peace and a genuine United Na- tions will come “by the organized will of the people, and probably ‘not by government ediet,” ; He spent some time emphasizing the importance of the ment proposal endorsed as one of the nine points at Warsaw. “The Soviet Union has accepted the proposal for planned, propor- tional disarmament with genuine ‘inspection,” said Endicett. “To the sceptics who say we can’t trust the Russians, I reply that we don’t have to trust BAGH SHY carry out the proposal.” Recognition of China and ene unrestricted trade with* all coun- tries would ease any economic strain Canada might. face in the. changeover from .war-preparation disarma- !- viet, SJ. G. ENDICOTT “A growing interest in the fight for peace all acréss Canada.” cott believes, ee Chidna is making, giant strides forward to a better life, Endicott stressed. Two of the government's greatest achievements are in soh- , ing the food problem and bringime inflation under control. There is no famine in China today. On his journey westward, Dr. Endicott attended a peace confer- ence in Saskatoon, and addressed large peace rallies in Winnipeg and Edmonton, On his return trip he will visit Calgary, Swift Current, Moose Jaw and Regina. to peacetime economy, Dr. Endi- $60 FOR TWO ROOMS IN $40 HOUSE By BERT WHYTE Three policemen, an auctioneer, some women from the West End Tenants’ Committee and a repor- ter from the Pacific Tribune: ar- rived almost simultaneously at 858 Burrard Street on Tuesday after- noon this week, in response to phone calls from tenants who were threatened with eviction from the weather-beaten, dilapi- | dated frame house. Landlord Wilfred Doucet wasn’t anxious for the Pacific Tribune ‘to interview his tenants — there were 22 of them, all living in cramped quarters — until he had told his side of the story. “It’s not my fault,” he protest- ed, dragging me onto the sag- ging verandah. “I’m being squeez- ed out. McLachlan Motors, right next door, see, want to tear down the place and use it for an ex- tension of their parking lot. I’ve been renting the place for a room- ing house this past five years, but I havent a lease and have to get out by January. 31. The fur- niture is mine and I sold'it to an auctioneer. I have no money to buy fuel, and that’s why I had to cut off the heat last Saturday. IT have’ my own home which I bought with borrowed. money, but I haven’t any money to buy saw- dust for the furnace here. Any- way, some of the tenants owe .me rent and I gave them all three weeks’ notice.” ~ When I spoke to the tenants they. told a different story. ', J. Alexander, a middle-aged, solidly-built man who lives with his wife in a single-room “flat” on the second floor, said bluntly: “I’ve found another place and I’m moving Thursday. But if Doucet \ thinks he’s going to have the auctioneer take away this furni- ture he’s got another think com- ing. I’ bounce him down those stairs. We pay $6 a week for this dump, besides paying for our own gas. Besides, I’m paid up, to February 8 and the landlord won't give me my money | back.” “That’s not so,’ protested Dou- cet, “you owe me a’ week’s rent.” _ “You’re a liar,” said Alexan- der. “If these cops weren’t ‘here I’d bust you in the nose. You know you always refuse to give your tenants rent receipts.” | Mrs. Margaret Wilson, mother of seven children — the youngest a baby just 10 days old—invited me into her two front rooms and told me her troubles. “My husband is sick in Esson- dale,” she said, “and the house is so cold that a neighbor had to take my baby and look after her. I'm not feeling too well. myself, but luckily we've found a place to move to on Sofia and we're getting out tonight. It’s been ter- ribly cold here; we've nearly fro- zen to death these past few days.” Wilfred and Iris Towers, a nice looking young couple, ‘pay $40 for two .very small rooms on _ the second fioor. Wilf has been un- employed lately and they don’t know where to turn for help. (Mrs. Florence Dorland, of ‘the West End Tenants’ Committee, has offered to help | them get! emergency aid. and is searching for a suitable flat.) “My mother ‘is looking after our li-month-old baby, Chris- tine,” said Iris, “but she’s not’ well, and has to look after grandma .too. Besides, she’s on welfare and the welfare people | said she couldn't keep the baby, Evicted tenants victims of squeeze between landlord, auto company so we had to borrow some Money and pay room and beard for the baby. The baby’s got a cold; I want to take hér back \ but we have no place to go.” Downstairs I talked to another couple with four children, who pay $60 a month for two rooms— a combined bed-room living room and a small, narrow kitchen. The husband said sharply: “Don’t use my name in the paper; I like to fight my own battles. “You know the score as well as I do. The motor company wants the place for a parking lot, so they put the Squeeze on the landlord. And the landlord put the squeeze on us.” His wife, lying ill in bed and waiting for a visit from her doc- tor (she ‘only recently returned from the hospital) pointed to the fireplace and said: “We tore up boards from the back walk and verandah to heat the room. This is the only fireplace in the house and we had more than 20 people in here trying to get warm yes- terday.” “You. pay $60 for these two rooms?" I. asked incredulously, looking around at the shabby fur- niture and the paint scaling off the walls. “Plus cockroaches,” said the sick woman, bitterly. “Fhe pee is crawling with them.” I went into the hall again, where more tenants were watching the auctioneer and his men strip the meagre furnishings from a room which the landlord claimed had been vacated. “You’re not going to take beds or essential furniture from any of the tenants?” I asked the auc- tioneer. PACIFIC TRIBUNE “No,” he. said; “I haven't got any right to do that.” Landlord Doucet agreed, “I won’t take any beds,’-he said, “but they’ve all. by tomorrow.” got to get out “Look here,” I said, “you told me, before that you pay only $41 rent for the whole house, yet you charge $60 for two rooms, $40. for another two-room suite, and so on. You must. have an in- come of more than $200 from the house. Why did you cut off the heat last weekend? Do you know that you could be prose- cuted?” / r he protested, ‘I am not to blame. It’s my only source’ of livelihood. I ran out of fuel and had no money to buy more. Most of the tenants owe me rent.” “You tried to cut the gas and electricity off,” interrupted Alex- ander. “Don’t say you didn’t, for — you did. Well, just try and move anything out. of my room until I’m ready to leave. Just try!” ~ “No, no,” “There doesn’t seem to be any complaint here,” observed the po- lice sergeant. “We got a phone call to come up because there was supposed to be some trouble. But as long as the people are moying out and'‘you aren’t going to take any beds away .. .” ‘T’ll be around in the morning to help you get some emergency relief and try and find a place to live,’-Mrs. Dorland promised the Towers. ‘Meanwhile, don’t let anyone touch yee furniture tonight. a “T won't touch it, Tm only do- ing what I have to do,” gaid the landlord, unhappily, as we left. — FEBRUARY 2,.1951 — PAGE %