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p rogressive Americans and around the world were deep- ly saddened at the death on Aug, 22 of Benjamin J, Davis, a lead- ing member of the U.S, Commun- ist Party,

In a tribute, the national ex- ecutive of the C,P,U,S.A, said: “Benjamin J, Davis was a dedi- cated fighter whose devotion was always matched with brilliancy and militancy, He was a fighter for the full citizenship of the Negro American,

“He advocated unity of Negro -

and white on every front, He advanced the cause of the work- ing class on the path to social- ism,”

Though Georgia-born (Dawson, Sept, 8, 1903), Davis was “one of Harlem’s proudest sons,” said the Communist Party tribute, From Harlem he was elected a councillor in New York with 40,000 votes in 1943 and re- elected with 63,000 votes in 1945,

“As the Communist city coun- cillor, a title he shared with Peter Cacchione until the latter’s death, Ben Davis initiated one campaign after another for hous- ing for the low income classes and for the levelling of the slum lord’s rat-infested properties,”

A graduate of Harvard Law School, Davis first set up prac- tice in Atlanta, Georgia, His experiences, including the de- fenses of Angelo Herndon, charg- ed with leading an unemployed

1

Hea ae ence pero eer eros pee Lillian Green

Lillian Green, wife of national US. Communist leader Gil Green, died recently in Chicago,

An advocate and fighter for socialism since girlhood, Lillian courageously endured for more than 13 years the enforced ab- Sence of her husband who was persecuted under the infamous Smith Act, During that time she reared their three children and worked tirelessly for the release of her husband and other political prisoners, . :

BENJAMIN J. DAVIS Devoted fighter

for freedom

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demonstration, brought him to join the Communist Party,

Coming to New York in 1935, Davis became editor of a week- ly newspaper, The Liberator, and a writer for the Daily worker,

Along with Gus Hall and other leading Communists, Davis serv- ed a shameful five-year sentence under the Smith Act, Again, on March 15, 1962, Davis and Hall were arrested under the notor- ious McCarran Act, Ben Davis said then;

“Before we register, before we answer falsely that we are witches and traitors, before we expose a single citizen to the pains and penalties of this act, before we cooperate to destroy political freedom in America, we will sit in jail until we rot,”

Ben Davis held the post of national secretary of the Com- munist Party when he died, fol- lowing a long illness,

In a wire to the U.S, Commu- nist Party, the Communist Party of Canada said: “Untimely death of Ben Davis, outstanding Com- munist, leading fighter for Negro rights and the social emancipa- tion of the American people, is a great blow to the working- class movement of the United States, We extend our condolen- ces to his family,”

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Parliament mustend | delay on a new flag :

By JOHN BOYD

ow much longer is Parlia- ment going to fiddle around with the flag issue?

This is what millions of Can- adians, from Newfoundland to the Yukon, would like to know.

For months now, off and on, our elected representatives have

* been studying, arguing and debat-

ing this problem. In the beginning the people went along with this and anxiously fallowed reports of what Parliament was doing about it. They understood that this was an important, and by no means easy, decision to make,

But it also became clear early in the debate that far too many of our politicians were using the flag issue for their own partisan ends, They weren’t interested in advancing the cause of national

Harris in the Wall Street Journal “Surely there must be SOME peaceful use for these intercon- tinental, guided, nuclear, mega-

ton, overkill missiles.”

unity’ rather they seized on the flag issue to widen the already dangerous rift between our two nations, to aggravate an already dangerous crisis.

For.“much of this situation the Pearson government itself is to blame. When early this summer Prime Minister Pearson submit- ted his proposal for a distictive new flag, he won the support and approval of the majority in both French and English Can- ada. Had he acted decisively at that time, he would have won the majority in the House and

in the country and we would have

celebrated Canada Day witha new flag.

-Instead, he decided to play politics, to see how the flagissue could bring him more votes: he brought in a motion for two flags and two anthems, then had it divided; he permitted speculation and debate about a national re- ferendum, then vetoed it; he threatened to make the flag an

election issue, on which his gov-

ernment would standor fall, later announced he wouldn’t; he called on his own members as well as others to vote for his proposed flag design, now he is suggesting

_a “free” vote.

It isn’t surprising, therefore, that amid all this vacillation and confusion the Tories decided to play politics with the issue for all its is worth. For two weeks now they have been carry- ing on a virtual filibuster on the flag, making a decision onit more difficult than ever.

China says ‘no’ to

T he Chinese Communist Party,

in a letter to the Soviet Party published recently, has rejected the Soviet proposal for a world Communist conference in mid- 1965, Next December 15, the date proposed by the Soviet party for a meeting of a drafting commit- tee of 26 parties, would go down in history as “the day of the big split,” the letter said,

(The Soviet proposal was for the Chinese party to be one of

the 26 to-start meeting in De- cember,)

The Chinese letter said: “We have already warned you that the

ing will be the day you step inte your grave,

svour letter .<- shows that disregarding all consequences,

day you call a schismatic meet-

you have taken another long step toward this grave, ... We hope you will weigh the pros and cons and choose carefully between continuing on the road to doom and turning back to safety,”

Referring to Chinese wishes for an international meeting on the basis of Marxism-Leninism, to be held after “ample prepara- tions,” the letter said:

“We will never be taken in by your fine words, never submit to your threats, never be accom- plices in your devisive activities and never share with you the re- Sponsibility for splitting the in- ternational Communist move- ment,

“If we were to take partin your schismatic meeting, it would be tantamount to legalizing your il-

Greetings and Best Wishes Labor Day, 1964

} EDMONDS CLUB GPG

Greetings to all readers and workers on the North Shore North Shore Club CEG:

Labor Day Greetings to all our friends on the Island

Nanaimo Club.

Labor Day Greetings fois All Our Friends from

Federation of .

Russian-Canadians 600 Campbell Ave. Vancouver 4, B.C.

We greet all our friends and supporters on this Labor Day, 1964 Broadway Club CPG,

September 4, 1964—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Pag?

It is little wonder that the people are fed up. The issue has long been clear: the majority of Canadians want a distinctive neW flag and they want it quickly.

It is time to bring the entire three-ring circus to a close Parliament must heed the will of the people, It must stop play- ing political football with this matter, adopt a new flag and get on with the numerous other important items of the nation’s business.

Since Parliament seems 10 have reached an impasse of itS — own making, there is only one way it can be moved forward: the people must prod it into ac- tion, A. flood of letters and tele- grams to the members of Pat- liament, particularly the Con- servative M.P.’s, would settle the question very quickly. Our ele¢c- ted representatives have show? themselves to be pretty callous about public needs and desires but they are still quite amel- able to public pressure — if i is applied in sufficient volume

Procrastination on the f1a8 issue is dangerous to national: — unity. We cannot, dare not, allow it to continue. A distinctive flag: even though it will not at first have the approval of every Call- adian, will take us a step forward toward a new democratic unity of our two nations. This in turn will make it easier for us to go ahead in seeking solutions to the many other big problems facing ou? country and our people.

parley

legal activities ... to accepting { the Communist Party of theSovié Union as a patriarchal fathe? party.”

The letter described as i “whopping lie” aSoviet claim th? in calling the international meet ing it sought “things in comm? which will unite all the fratern? — parties,”

The most urgent common task — of the movement was to oppos U.S. imperialism andits lackey> — but the Soviet Union was * bent % : collusion with the U.S, imperl® — ists and on seeking comme { ground uniting you with them, the letter said.

Labor Day 3 Greetings

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