THOU

.

THE PROCEEDINGS and de- ‘cisions of the 16th provincial con- vention of the Saskatchewan

ner the. profound popular desire -thrdughout that province for ac- tion to safeguard democracy at home and for foreign policies aimed to maintain world peace through the peaceful co-existence of the socialist and- capitalist states. :

The convention acted upon -the ' decisive issues of Canada’s for- eign policy, intervention in Ko- rea, our official national relation- ship with and attitude towards other countries, the right of Peo- ple’s China to take her place in. _ the United Nations Organization, U.S. prostitution of the United - Nations. Organization, the St. Laurent government’s war pro- gram and its move towards fas- cism by undermining pees 39 and civil rights.

- The convention’s decision on all! these issues were of major Significance. They were the more ‘significant because, considered as a_ whole, +the approximately 500 - ~ delegates at the convention were _ representative of a very broad cross section of the people of Saskatchewan and not of the leftwing.. Conclusive evidence of that fact is provided by their de- cisions upon issues of a strictly _ provincial character,

* P * STUDENTS OF Canadian. poli- tics who note a seeming contra- diction between the attitude of the majority of the delegates to- wards the two main groups of . questions coming before them, ‘should not assume that the con- vention decisions. cancelled each | _ other out.

A liberal daily boasted that the actual proposals in the conven-

_ tion were the sort which “almost any political party might be pleased to put its name.” For ‘Canadian © Supporters of democ- racy and peace, the truth of that _ Statement does not reduce the im- portance of the convention’s de- cisions on questions relating to Canada’s role in the struggle to decide whether this decade shall

World war. That they were made by a fee predominantly middle class con-\ vention. underlines: their signifi- _eance. The convention mirrored _ the vital fact that millions of : democratic Canadians who. accept © the profit: system are opposed to ~ the imperialist war policies of the St. Laurent government. That — Canadians with the most diverse : opinions concerning the source of the danger of war agree that the way to prevent war is by streng-—

_ erial preparations for an aggres-. _ Sive imperialist war. That peace-_ ful coexistence of the socialist — and capitalist systems, no matter what difficulties may be involved, is preferable and better for man- Kind than a world war oF mutual extermination. ‘atk For masses of Cannel) ‘to | take a stand against | the im- -perialist warmongers on. those” issues without breaking with <= capitalist ideology entirely, does _ but reaffirm the fact that unity | in defense of peace crosses class _ as well as national boundaries. : The convention demonstrated’ _ the unity in defense of peace which is growing: aH across Can-. ada. It established a political line of division between the CCF and the Liberals in praises

CCF illustrated in a striking man-_

tion’s program for provincial ac-

be marked by world peace or |

_ good line marked out

regularity with which militancy —

= ' on the decisive issue of peace or war. So far that is the only prov- ince where such a line of divi- sion has been established. That the mass popular opposition to St. Laurent’s program of making Canada a satellite of U.S. im- perialism as part of the drive to imperialist war has been given forceful official expression by a CCF provincial convention is a healthy and. portentous sign. What happened at Saskatoon “will encourage supporters of peace within and outside the CGF in other provinces. : The argument advanced in some quarters, particularly by right wing CCFers in Ontario, that several decisions of the Sas- katchewan convention were “mere beating the wind” because they run counter to national Ccr poli- cy, is itself “beating the wind. a The fact that several of the most important ‘and the most keenly contested decisions of the

Saskatchewan convention, were in ~

direct opposition to the policies pursued by the CCF group in the House of Commons constituted in effect a rejection of the main line of M. J. Coldwell, Cor national leader, who did not appear at the convention.

Implicit repudiation of Cold- well’s position does not in any way reduce the authenticity of the convention’s decisions, it only emphasizes the contradictions

between the policies of the right ~

wing of organized social democ- racy and the democratic aspina- tions of the masses of the people. ate x To ALL EARNEST Poretian® _ fighters for peace, the Saskatche- wan convention of the CCF has brought forward new tasks. The. fight to build rank and file in de- fense of peace must be developed on a basis as broad as were the decisions of that convention. That does’ not mean that members of the Labor-Progres- Sive party can accept or con-. done the erroneous CCF theor- ies, illusions and proposals con- cerning the nature of capitalist exploitation and how to oat, an end to it. - - On the contrary, some of the expressions of those false ideas in the Saskatoon convention

emphasize strongly the neces-/

sity to strengthen the LPP’s consistent and uncompromising tight for Marxist theory. In fact, the decisions of the, convention and press reports of the debates show clearly that the

sue of policies looking | to peace

against policies — looking’ ‘to. war ‘ will be hewed to, by the CCF, ; “even in Saskatchewan, only if _ the staunch advocates jof such _thening the basis of peace—not ~ by frenzied ideological and mat-

policies recognize the inseperable |

relationship between theory and -

practice and between foreign and domestic policies, and fight tire- lessly against the attempts of the right wing to ‘utilize © _ sounding declarations. as a ‘smoke- , screen to mask support for the

‘imperialist policies being support- —

ed by the national leadership. — ROCA Te ie ‘ THE FACT THAT the peace - ideals adopted by the convention.

will be fought for only to the ex-

tent that a consistent ideological and organizational : struggle is waged for them, is illustrated: DY;

and evasion replaced each other as the dominant note in the -con- vention according to the type of - ‘Political: issue that was before it, . The demands that the conven- ~Hon placed upon the federal “ZOv-

BOUL UEUT TTY TUTTE TE TTD) By TIM. BUCK

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CCF in Saskatchewan

ernMent concerning amen prices, family allowances and. old age pensions, correspond with -the general economic and political

_ situation and will command wide -

popular support. The convention

condemned unequivocally the St Laurent government’s recent am-.

endments to the Crimindl Code which ‘reversed a fundamental principle of British law to provide that if it ‘suits the leaders of the

party .in power, a Canadian can —

now be declared guilty of treason in relation to countries with whom Canada is not at war.

For example, today, for calling .

for an end to Canadian interven- tion in Korea, or for advocating récognition of People’s China. .The convention condemned those amendments as “a direct and ab- solute threat to civil rights in Canada” and demanded their re- peal by the next session of the House of Commons.

‘The convention called for: a stop to the. war in Korea and settlement by mediation. It called for “the termination of all interference by foreign pow. ers in Formosa” and the seating ‘of People’s China in the United Nations. It opposed rearma- ment of ‘Germany and called upon CCF MP’s at Ottawa to. give leadership in action to mobilize world opinion for “the peaceful coexistence of the east- ern and western blocs.” The convention called upon the Un- ited Nations “to return to its

\

original intention of working .

for peace through negotiations rather than attempts to enforce So-called peace through Jearm- ament and war.”,

An amendment , conten wound”

have replaced the demand “re- turn to its original intention of working for peace” by a clause endorsing the present policies of the United Nations Organization envoked a sharp debate which re- vealed the growing opposition to CCF ‘support of the policies of United States” . “Against the national chairman of ‘the party, Percy Wright,, MP, who seconded the amendment, delegate after delegate spoke in tones typified by the following: = D. E. McLeod of Moose Jaw: “The United Nations was not or- ganized for the purpose of mak- ing war on an ideology, however

imperialism. £

much we dislike it. It was not or-

ganized to make war on the Ko- _-rean people, devouring Korean

_ towns and villages with gasoline

jelly bombs. The United Nations is being used by the United States _ for purposes with suntCR We can- not agree.” —

‘Another delegate debiaxed that in his opinion the real function of the United Nations has become “to maintain monopoly capital- ism.” He added that it is “evi-

dent that the UN is being used

- by the Dnited States as serve its,

purposes.” we “In. the fa

~ pressions of- those and ‘similar opinions, the argument advanced

"

‘for the ‘amendment, that all the

A _ SOvialists ” in the’ United States are supporting the ‘United States, be those socialists,” It is noteworthy, "however, that the vote by show-

_of-hands was inconclusive and a _ standing vote had to be taken.

; Tt is very significant that. it was

‘the standing vote ged | defeated , the amentment. ‘ rs

ok x ie Pe y THE: UNREAL ‘manner. in which the | convention separated — the issues of. foreign and domes- tic, - and federal and Provincial,

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tae

v7 Boe numerous © tex?

the ‘aim. of its sponsors and the _ » majority of the delegates : accept- ; ed that point of view. The pre- dominantly middle class” charac- me in effect an ‘indictment of $

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reaching ultimate aims. - ent

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policies: as though each were in an idea-and-economic-proof com- partment, is illustrated by the contrast between the delegates’ vigorous condemnation of mon- opoly-capital and of the St. Lau- rent government for committing (Canada to its predatory imper- ialist aims, and their failuré to commit their CCF government to

' the _ development of Saskatchew-

an’s oil resources under public ownership.

It was illustrated also in the premier’s address to the conven- tion banquet. Premier Dougles advanced several cogent argu- ments in support of the idea of peaceful coexistence of the social- ist and capitalist countries. But, illustrative of the compartmental- ism by which “ideals” and “ac-

tion” are separated, the two sug-.

gestions which stood out in his Speech were (a) that the great na- tions of the world should ‘take’ 25 percent of their war produc- tion to help the backward na- ” and that (b) the West “must. fight or feed the impover- ished and hungry nations of Eur- ope and Asia.”

The terms in which Premier Dougles spoke, in the setting of

his laudatory remarks about the

Marshall Plan and his strongly implied wish that a Marshall Plan for Asia be established, made the political content of his suggestion - that 25 percent of present war

production be taken “to help the-

backward nations” support for President Truman’s plan of U.S. dollar domination of poorer coun- tries. The premier’s “Feed or Fight ”. declaration smacked

strongly of the false and danger- “ous suggestion that if we don’t

feed them the peoples of Europe and Asia will compel us to fight. Such double-edged declara- tions may “turn the edge” of

Liberal attacks upon the. CCE:

but they don’t contribute to an understanding of the causes of the danger of war; on the con- trary, they can only confuse _ thousands of sincere people. Another example of the use of ideals as a political garment was provided by an amendment to a series of proposals described as a “Social Planning Resolution.” The nine points of that document were proclaimed as the essential fea-

_ tures of the platform upon which

the CCF will fight the next pro- vincial election. ie

It is a very modest program, characterized -by point 6 which calls” for: “Such security measures as will meet*most pressing needs.” There is nothing in the platform about public © ‘ownership; not one point which suggests. action on behalf of the workers and poor farmers at the “expense of the

‘monopolies. Not even av ‘point to (

suggest that its elementary | ‘pro-' posals are related to BONS tes

‘As one delegate. stated, not even a Liberal. could ‘question an item gun it.’ That, precisely, was.

ter of the convention ‘is empha- sized. by the fact that the plat:

form proclaims, as_ loudly and

clearly as if it had been an-

nounced. by the premier, ‘that in —

_ the’ formulation of the provincial

program, the influence of. well-to-

do supporters” of the institution of

“private property in ‘the means ‘of

‘production: is dominant. Wie,

united electoral action to con- ee the defeat ‘of the two old

partie® of monopoly-capitalism would suggest that the Douglas government must go to the peo- ple on an electoral program ee the immediate building of socialk ism in Saskatchewan. Anti-caP- — italist workers and farmers C20 and will fight for the most ele mentary reforms, even reforms which are acceptable to the CaP" italist class, if they are organic parts of a program and a process

directed to the eventual elimina — we

tion of capitalist exploitation.

But, instead of calling upon the workers and farmers of Saskat-_ chewan to make its election planks stepping stones to more

3 ve n-3 far-reaching advance, the conve —

tion adopted the technique of Pt@ — ‘tending that its program of ele mentary capitalist reforms is, to quote the words of its most erlBce cal support in the convention, a

socialist program. iM ae

To overcome the difficulty cre- Ri

ated by the fact that “not even © a Liberal could question an item on it,” that delegate moved to add a clause stating that the program © will be carried out “in accordance with the high principles and ob- jectives as set forth in he Ree Manifesto.”

The political consequences. eae must follow systematic substi ae tion of expedients for principle

vavovinuail -

j

4

5 : “were indicated in the convention iis

treatment of a resolution from Moose Jaw urging the 40-hour . week in Saskatchewan Cities win no reduction in take-home Pay: The resolution was opposed by #

delegate who argued that 40-hour

week legislation “would be- poli- : tically unwise for a CCF govern ment.” He moved non-concur rence,

Debate on the question was end-

ed by Hazen Argue, Ccr MP for — Assiniboia,, who explained, cording to capitalist press reports

that’ he was in favor of the ee

ciple of a 40-hour week but oe did” not favor implementation ° a shorter work week immediate-_ ly. He urged that the resolution be amended to call for a shortel -

work week in the event of wide

spread unemployment.

Ley de A He THE FOREGOING and nu

erous other examples. that CO es

be quoted, emphasize the midd

class character of the CCF and —

-of its Saskatchewan provincial “It is a social demo

convention. he cratic party in the government of-an agricultural province. It ideology is quite definitely stamP~ — ed with private property. in thé. means of production concepts stirred by the natural and laud-— able desire of all except the very _rich farmers to improve tele 4 positions by uniting the agricul

; ‘tural community against the ruth- i ‘less —

depredations — ‘of monopoll =

capital. © f The educational anus organiza

tional struggle by propaganda an

day by day action, to’ replace that

_ bourgeois: ideology, by the igeok 3 “ogy of. ‘scientific socialism, OF - Marxism-Leninism, by the poli-

_ tical viewpoint of the LPP, . the — ‘party of the working class, of so- - cialism,

must goon. The sole ‘guarantee of success in the fight

to make the forces of peace su-

preme, in Saskatchewan as else-

where, lies in the systematic PtrO ~~

. secution of that struggle as 4? Now, no serious advocate of |

essential part of the fight to

build rank-and-file unity, in de is fence ‘of peace, te CK pee

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