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BRITISH COLUMBIA’S PROGRESSIVE HOM

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E NEWSPAPER

FOR PEACE, PROGRESS AND DEMOCRACY

VANCOUVER, B.C., FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 1939

ITALY'S TURN SEEN IN LATEST "APPEASEMENT

Nazi Conquests In Central Europe Made To Protect Rear Special to the Advocate PARIS, France-—With Euro-

pean tension again heightening

as Hitler was reported to be

massing troops on the Polish

border, realistic political circles in France who have watched Chamberlain and their own re- actionaries Maneuver im past erises were more than ever certain this weelend that the next major move would be directed against France.

Zt is generally agreed here now that the week’s events in Central Europe, including Hitler's appar- ent move on Poland, are an integral part of the Nazi preparations for saftesuardinge its rear in the east and southeast as one of the necessary conditions to launching a war against the west.

In other words, linits turn for “appeasement” France backed by Germany.

The Muncheers in Britain and France hoped to “lure” Hitler east ward and provoke war against Russia.

But those plans have gone hay- wire, as Russia’s Stalin so calmly pointed out, mainly because Hitler Inows he will break his neck against the Soviet Red Army.

Premier Dailadier himself con- firmed charges made here by the democratic organizations that he is prepared to negotiate a Mediter- ranean Munich in declaring France’s willingness to negotiate on

Tialy’s claims for Tunisia, Corsica, Djibouti and a share in the Suez Ganal administration.

Im this he is being pressed, and not too unwillingly, by Premier

Ghamberlain, who is quite ready to sacrifice French colonies m the mame of “appeasement.”

France’s danger from aggres- Sion has also been enormously in- ereased by the final defeat of the Spanish people, which Foreign Minister Georges Bonnett actively helped te bring about.

Both Hitler and Mussolini have been forced to lay off demands on

France until Spain was conquered, but with the French republic now almost completely encircled the ag- eressors are ready to go into action.

Meanwhile reliable reports reach- ing hére concerning General Goer-

ings recent discussions with the Ttalian general staff confirm state- ments often made that Germany is not prepared for a major war.

According to this information, Goering told the Italians that it is necessary to realize the following eenditions before launching 2 final

attack on the west: . (1) The axis powers must obtain

it’s now Musso- of

(Continued on page 5) See APPEASEMENT

Robert Coulondre, French ambas- sador to Berlin, recalled for an in- definite period as a gesture to the “Stop Hitler’ sentiment.

SEAMEN DEMAND EIGHT-HOUR DAY

BC Division of the Inland Boat men’s Union announced this weel the opening of a campaign to brine before the Federal government its proposals for an eight-hour day in all branches of the marine indus- try.

Union officials declared they would seek the support of the li- censed personnel in the drive to completely eliminate the prevailin= i2-hour day on shipboard. Mem-— bers of the masters, mates and en-

Conference Plans

May Day

Parade

Preparations for celebration

of May Day in Vancouver got

under way at the initial conference in the Moose Hall Wednes- day night, where 55 delegates from trade unions, fraternal and

political organizations set April cussion and planning.

13 as the date for further dis-

A feature of the parade this year, project workers besides ga climax

will be the Hote] and Restaurant

Employees’ Union entry of two-

floats followed by its members dressed in the uniform of their trade, a delegate from that union reported.

The conference was opened by W. Stewart of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees’ Union and chairman of the 1938 May Day con- ference, who gave the report of the initiating committee which sent out the call for the 1939 conference.

In the discussion to broaden out the conference and the advisability of inviting all trade umions, a dele— Bate asked that the Canadian Hed- eration of Labor and “independent” unions be invited, but the confer- ence decisively ruled that only bona fide unions and progressive organizations could be represented.

The RPWU section of the GP of G has arranged a big May Day dance in the Hastings Auditorium as a wind-up to the day's celebrations. The project camps are expected to be closed a week before that time and the dance will be in the nature ef a welcome home affair for the

to the days celebrations.

Relief Project Workers’ Union plans to take an active part in the May Day parade as it has done in former years and the union con- tingent is expected to swell the ranks of the marchers by several thousand. This organization’s floats, which have portrayed the actual Camp conditions, ‘have been a center of attraction for paraders and bystanders alike.

A committee of 25 was elected by the May Day conference to map out routes of march and many of the details attendant to making the day a symbol of labor’s organized power to retain and broaden Ca- nadian democracy.

George Miller, Salmon Purse Seiners’ Union business agent, was elected chairman of the 1939 May Day committee by acclamation; Sidney Zlotnik, city committee sec- retary of the Communist Party, was elected secretary, and James Wat- son, of the Inland Boatmen’s Union, was elected treasurer.

The retiring treasurer reported a bank balance of $122 carried over from the last May Day.

Large Number Prizes For Advocate Drive Announced

A new method of awarding prizes which is expected to stimu-

late competition among leading

committees was announced by

W. Ravenor as the Advocate-Clarion April Press Drive entered

gineers guilds are themselves af- fected by existing long hours, while the increasing use of Diesel-— powered craft on the BC coast is

resulting in the elimination of thousands of seamen from the in- dustry.

Members of the ITBU point to the fact that while ali other industries in the province enjoy the eight hour day, higher wages and better living standards, seamen as a whole have made very few ad- vances in the past few decades.

Fishermen’s Request Gn Traps Deferred

OTTAWA, March 30.—Request of Pacific Coast Fishermen’s Union for a representative to meet the marine and fisheries committee of the House and state its case on fish traps was deferred pending the commiuttee’s discussion.

An amendment to the Fisheries

Act by A. W. Neill (Independent for Comox-Alberni), which asks that “after the calendar year of

1939, no one shall use a salmon trap net in any of the Pacific waters of Canada off the south- westerly shores of Vancouver Island,” will be considered.

Nazis Prepare To

Take Over Gibraltar

LONDON, Eng.—Sensational details of the plans of the fas- cist axis to seize Gibraltar from Great Britain are revealed in the latest issue of The Week, authoritative news letter published The Week quotes a dispatch, officially authorized by

Hranco’s Burgos authorities, by the@are installed at Cadiz, Malaga, Tet-

here.

correspondent of the leading Japanese newspaper Wichi Nichi, who early this month went on an officially conducted tour through southern Spain.

Under the heading, “Gibraltar is no longer impregnable,” the Japan- ese correspondent reported:

“Germany and italy, in collabora- tion with Spain, have created at Gibraltar a line consisting of a series of military bases arranged in zig-zag formation on both sides of the straits of Algeciras, extending to include Ceuta, Tarifa, Arzila and Cadiz. :

“German enignmeers have estab- lished air bases at Lospapacio and Villafranca, while italian air bases

uan and Mellila. “The new forts just behind Gib-

raltar are almost finished. They are already equipped with power- ful batteries capable of bombarding the inner harbor at Gibraltar.

“@ther forts are under construc- tion at Ceuta, La Linea and other points.”

Though for obvious reasons it has not been very convenient for London or Paris to draw attention to the fact, it has mot escaped any— one’s notice that General Franco has repeatedly declared his deter- mination not to permit “the aliena- tion of a single foot of Spanish soil.”

the second week.

A handsome trophy will becomes the permanent possession of the| committee taking the banner for

the highest score in BC, while small communities not listed will have an opportunity of competing for spe- Cial prizes of books.

in addition, leading committees for the districts of Vancouver, Fras- er Valley, Vancouver island, Oka- nagan, Quesnel-Prince Rupert and the leading committee among the national groups will be awarded valuable sets of books.

Method of computing efficiency for the purpose of awarding prizes has also been changed, and will be based on the number of points scored. One point will be tallied for each percent of the total ob- jective reached plus four points for each percent of the subscription quota.

Drive Manager Ravenor believes the above system will stimulate the Sale of subscriptions, one of the most important objectives in the present April campaign.

Pledges from committees now reach $2360. Wancouver MTIsland’s first pledge comes from Alberni where a committee of nine has pledged to raise $50. Quesnel, pro- vinecial winner last October with a quota of $50, has boosted it to $75 and chosen Ginder Lindstrom as drive leader.

in the Fraser Valley, Surrey aims to reach $100 and Mission $30, while in Vancouver, Burrard-Point Grey With Harry Asson as drive leader has pledged to raise $235. Grand- view is out for $225.

South Vancouver has injected a novel scheme to bring greater reve- mue from collection cards. Every donor whose name is on the card will have a chance on @ prize draw- ing irrespective of the amount do- nated.

In the first four days of the drive $86.90, made up of 35 subscriptions and $42 in donations, was received. The project workers lead with 40 percent of their objective, while Grassy Plains comes second with 23 percent.

Drive returns in Vancouver show the Victory Square committee lead- ing with $11.25 or 22 percent, fol- lowed by the seamen’s committee of Grandview with $7.75. but the seamen have seven subs against Victory Square’s three.

Denmark Menaced By Nazis

SO Air Bases

Directly Cover Danish Border

LONDON, Eng.—More than 50 great German air bases directly threaten Danish territory, accord- ing to Joachim Joesten, author of Denmark’s Day of Doom, pub- lished here recently.

One half of tnese air bases, he Says, can serve no other purpose than to cover Denmark, Sweden and the Baltic, while the other half is pointed obviously at Great Britain.

Since one airport ample to keep Denmark in awe, clearly the Nazi general staff regards Denmark much more as a potential battlefield in a clash great powers than

would be

between the as a possible adversary.

An entire German army corps fuards the tiny border between Germany and Denmark and ex- cellent new motor roads have been pushed toward the interna- tional line, linking Berlin with unimportant fishing villages, un- dGoubtedly for military purposes.

Bach summer for the past three years the Nazi fleet and airforce hhave been maneuvering in the waters around and the sky above Scandinavia. There seems to be only the vaguest idea in Britain and other countries of what a nuisance these Nazi “ex plorers” have become. Airplanes “lose their way’ and are “forced to land” on a strategic point, just to steal another opportunity for spying.

And the Nazis invariably hang areund every time a military or naval exercise takes place.

©

| The

| STANDS FIRM

Viad-

Minister imir Hurban, who bas refused to Surrender the Washington lega-_ tion to the Nazi government on the grounds that Hitlers acqui- Sition of the Czech nation is un- constitutional.

Czechoslovakian

LECKIE FACTORY REDUCES WAGES

Workers in the J. Leckie Com- pany shoe factory were moving to- ward organization this week fol- lowing a 10 percent reduction in wages imposed by the company on Monday which brought wage scales in many cases down to re- lief levels.

Majority of the i150 employees es been working on a piece worls

basis for several months, with no definite weekly suarantee. One employee, who had worked for the firm for six years and is capable of operating several machines, is reported to have averaged $10 weelly during 1938, while another experienced operator had earned as low as 50 cents for a day’s work.

The employee who gave the in- formation to the Advocate stated the prices paid for piece worl are fairly good but the men lose out when they change from one job to another with varying prices.

4 union was estableshed in the Plant about two years ago, but was never pushed to include ail workers, with the result that the company was able to put over the present reduction without opposi- tion.

Considerable sentiment for union-— ism exists, however, and with Charlies Stewart, chairman of the Trades Council organization com- mittee, informed of the situation, it is likely that organizational steps will be taken shortly.

MLA T0 SUE TRAIL TIMES ON LIBEL CHARGE

Action Result Of

Anonymous Letter, Says Colin Cameron

Colin Cameron, CCF MLA for Comox, will take action in the courts against the Trail Daily Times for misrepresent- ing his position and party af filiations unless a retraction is made by April 5, he informed the Advocate yesterday.

The intended action arises out of publication in the ‘Trail Times, mouthpiece of the Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company, of an anonymous jetter declaring the CCF legislator to be a “known member” of the Communist Party.

The letter appeared In connee- tion with Cameron’s recent visit to the smelter town, where he Spoice Gver Station CJAT and at mass meetings in support of the current unionizing; drive of ithe Interma— tional] Union of Mine, Mill ana Smelter Workers.

“As a public representative in the province and as a member of the CCF TI feel that to allow such state— ments to go0 unchallensed would tend to create confusion,” Cameron told the Advocate.

“In any case,’ he Said with a smile, ‘the constitution of my party prevents my beins 4 memiber of any other political sroup, and if fhe Trail Times is right, then 1 would have to resign.”

He said action would be taken through his attorney, John Stanton.

Trail Times Distorts Coai Mine Vote

TRAIL, BC, March 30.— An at- tempt by the Trail Times to create the impression that the ClO United Mine Workers of America had been rejected in a pithead vote by Cote- man miners was exposed here by HH. Evans, metal miners’ or- ganizer, who produced a telesTam from UMVWA officials in Calgary denying the charge

The story was carried by the Times on March 25 under a Ga_ nadian Press wire Stating the real facts. In a comment under the dis- patch, Times writers inferred that the vote, which was actually to ap—

prove a new workine agreement, had been on rejection of the UMWA as the bargainins- agency.

Evans immediately wired Robert Livett, head of the UMA District 18 at Calsary and received the fol- lowing wire from B. B. Sifton, of the Calgary office:

“Replyine to your wire, President Livett out of city. Vote at Colenran was On local wage agreement which included increases secured by our union ‘through district. Last vote taken at Coleman on question of

(Continued on page 5) See LIBEL

Assize Court Jurymen Condemn Slums In City

Court jury last weekend as thus provided Ald. Helena

chairman of the indictment of Hogan’s Alley and other slum areas as breeding places of crime and disease, and should bring more forcibly to the attention of other aldermen that

terrible conditions exist in the city, she said.

At a meeting Monday in Hotel Vancouver Ald. Gutteridge ad-

dressed the Home Improvement Association on the question of a low rental housing plan and defin- itely stated that the one percent taxation would not add further tax- ation burdens onto the ratepayers mer would the scheme discrimin- ate against ordinary Homeowners.

Such places as Hogan’s Alley in the heart of downtown Vancouver !would eradually disappear under

Slub conditions in the city were condemned by the Assize “deplorable and disgraceful’ and t ; Gutteridge with more arguments in her campaign for a low rental housing program for Vancouver Civics a Housing Committee welcomed the /

comprehensive housing plan which would tend to raise the pen- eral living standards of the peopte, Ald. Gutteridge stated.

Vancouver’s oly women alder manic representative has been campasnning energetically fer in- auguration of the housing scheme as provided under the terms of the Dominion Housing Act where by the city can borrow $1,328,000

for constructtion of homes for wage earners in the low ineomese bracket.

Two and three meetings are

held weekly by the civic housing chairmen in order to inform the public and win more support for the project when it comes up again in the City Council, probably

‘in May.