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July 15, 1938

THE
PEOPLE’S ADVOCATE

Published Weekly by the Proletarian Publishing
Association, Room 10, 163 West Hastings Street,
Vancouver, B.C. Phone Trinity 2019.

Three Months__._._
Single Copy-——--—-—--- 3.05

Make All Cheques Payable to: The People’s Advocate

Vancouver, B.C., Friday, July 15, 1938

The Single Mien’s Victory

ID EVER a government so quickly turn-

about as did the Pattullo cabinet on the
question of the single unemployed men? Was
there ever a more vivid lesson in politics and
the efficacy of public indignation in the face of
official brutality and cynicism?

The fact stands out as plainly as did the re-
sponsibility of the governments for the events
of Sunday, June 19. The single men, because
of their magnificent discipline and organiza-
tion and the justness of their cause, have won
a victory.

Where is Pearson’s proud boast that the
government would not change its mind?
Where now Pattullo’s stubborn refusal to con-
sider the reasonable proposals of young Ca-
nmadians? Where now Ottawa’s marking time?

Real concessions have been made. Provin-
cial men are being given a chance to live while
they seek work. Non-residents are given re-
lief up to August 15 at Ottawa’s expense, fol-
lowing which they are supposed to return to
their “homes.”

It does not take away from the victory to
point out that no solution has been found for
the boys’ plight. No works program in BC,
and no federal scheme of projects for transient
workers has been proposed. Already prairie
government officials are alarmed at the pros-
pect of jobless men crossing the Rockies to
seek harvest work. They publicly say they
have already a surplus of harvest labor.

Young BC men may look for work, as they
definitely will, but work will not be found—
until the government of BC acts.

A vietory, yes! Action on the provision of
work? No! And if Victoria and Ottawa think
they can now remain asleep, they are mis-
taken. Unemployment and homeless men are
still here.

The Japanese Question in BC

HE JOINT resolution of the Dominion and
, BC Provincial Committees of the Com-
munist party published in our last issue is a
document which merits the serious study of
every BC citizen.

The special geographical position of this
province and the existence here of 90 percent
of Canada’s Japanese people bring to the
democratic people of BC a number of prob-
lems which are not found to the same degree
in other provinces. Much is being said about
the “Oriental problem.’ Each political party
takes a stand on the question. The Conserva-
tive party last week advocated the exclusion
from Canada of Oriental immigrants. Certain
politicians make excellent capital out of this
matter and succeed at times in dividing the
people on the issue.

The CCF at its Kamloops convention pro-
posed a popular vote on the question of the
franchise for Orientals.

The Communist party resolution, however,
goes into the matter in a much more realistic
fashion. Pointing out the position of the Com-
munist party towards the Oriental people,
it makes clear that it stands for equal rights
for all Canadian citizens.

Wevertheless it understands that the ques-
tion of the franchise for Orientals, and in this
instance particularly for the Japanese people
in British Columbia, is not the most burning
issue at the moment. The real issue in BC
arising from the peculiarities of this province
as a Pacific country, is the mobilization of the
great mass of the people for opposition to the
inroads of Japanese militarism. A great dis-
service is being done the Japanese workers,
farmers and little businessmen in this prov-
ince by the close working together of the
agents of Japanese imperialism in the proy-
ince and those powerful white interests who
are fully in support of the Japanese war ma-
chine for either trade or political reasons.
There is every evidence of a conspiracy to aid
the Japanese fascists—as witness the out-
rageous censorship, in some radio stations, of
every reference to the crimes of Tokyo. Only
this past week visiting speakers were cut otf
the air because they “dared” to mention
Japan’s name in connection with the rape on

China!

The sreatest service will be rendered the
Japanese people in this province, and unity of
the common people-of all races will be
achieved if only the espionage and economic
penetration of this province by Japanese im-
perialist interests is exposed.

In this way those in BC who cannot yet dis-
tinguish between antagonism to the Japanese
people and antagonism to the Japanese war
machine which crushes and terrorizes the
Japanese as well as the Chinese common folk,
will see clearly that the humble Japanese
worker and farmer in BC is far from respon-
sible for the crimes of his rulers, and the win-
ning of equality for Oriental people in BC
will become something which the majority
of BC people will support.

The CCE National Convention
A Momenteous Meeting |

By Leslie Riorris

“YEE eyes of all progressive Canadian people will be upon the CCF national convention

when it meets in Hidmonton at the end of

July.

INo matter what the special political

opinions of each progressive, he will be deep-y concerned about the decisions of the CCF,
the largest and most-iniluential national party oi workers, farmers and middle class people.

it goes without saying also,
that great numbers of people in-
Side or supporting the Liberal and
Wational Conservative parties will
watch with close interest the
shifts in policy and tactics of the
CCE leadership at this time, and
that the reactionary wings of
these two parties will be deeply
concerned with the steps taken
by the CCF to broaden its appeal
to the people of Canada in this
critical hour.

it is in this sense of the CCE
convention being a meeting of
national significance regardless of
party affiliation that these lines
are written, for it is clear that
the results of the Edmonton con-
vention will have a far-reaching
effect on the immediate and ulti-
mate future of Canada.

@
iW more than any past con-
vention of the CCE, the pres-
ent one is meeting at a time of
Browing national and interna-
tional crisis.

At home, the forces of reaction
are gatherings strength. In a hun-
Gred ways, and on all major and
even minor points G£ domestic
policy, they are consolidating.

AS an example, take two
throbbing national issues, unem-
ployment and civil liberties. On
these matters wide public senti-
ment has demanded action—in-
surance against unemployment
and a works program on the one
hand, and disallowance of the
padlock law on the other.

The first great public demand
has been frustrated by the re-
fusal of the Dominion government
to act on insurance and by a
mere gesture in the direction of
federal public works.

The second great demand has
been flouted by the refusal to dis-
allow the padlock law. GCapitula-
tion to the reactionaries on these
two great national issues
trates perhaps more than any-
thing else the danger which
strikes at home and liberty for
the vast majority of Canadians.

In its international relation-
ships, Canada is in a position of
growing danger from the fascist
aggressors. The plain fact is that,
far from doing its duty as a
Signatory of the League of Na-
tions Covenant, and in the face
ef public demands for an active
peace policy, the present govern-
ment has not only failed in its
duty as an independent nation,
but has given assistance to those
very forces in Britain which are
sabotaging world peace in the
class interests of British imperial-
ism. .

By its dilly-dallying and sheer
evasion of its electoral mandate
at home, and by its refusal to
take up its duties in earnest
abroad, the present government
is opening the floodgates to ré-
action and fascism at home and
war abroad.

Wational unity is torpedoed by
the Hepburn-Duplessis alliance,
the carrier of fascism; the social
and economic needs of the peo-
ple are refused consideration; the
agents of the fascist powers, Ger-
man and Japanese, are busy
among us without much inter-
ference; Arcand and his group
are blessed by the Ontario and
Quebec provincial governments;
world peace is threatened by just
that policy which is pursued by
Ottawa. Indeed, then, the CCF
convention is meeting in a time
when the full vigor and capacity
of the party is taxed to the. out-
most. its responsibility as the
majority party of the Canadian
workers, farmers and middle
class people is a heavy one- On
its attitude to policy and its re-
lations with other democratic
groups depends in large degree
whether Canada will remain a
democracy or become the prey of
fascism.

@
HE best indication of the suc-
cess of a party’s policy is its
mass strength. Judged from that
standpoint in its earlier years, the
CGE gave promise of great
strength. It gradually consolidat-
€d its electoral] strength in several
provinees. It elected many of its
members to local councils. Tt won
seats in the federal parliament.
It brought many thousands of
people into active political life.
But the delegates at Edmonton
would be well advised to subject
the partys present influence to
strict examination. There are
eertain alarming features of re-
cent elections which point to
weaknesses which not only hurt
the GCE as a party but which
weaken the whole popular move-
ment.

In the last Ontario election, not -

a single CCE candidate was elect-
ed. Right in one of the sitrong-
holds of Canadian reaction, there
is no effective challenge from the
side of the CCE.

In the last BC election, what
at one time appeared to be a
chance of geaining a decisive num-
ber of CCE members, if not a
majority, resulted in no appreci-
able gain.

In Saskatchewan last month
the CCE lost votes. While the
party did not contest the same
mumber of seats as in 1935, the
fact remains that it failed to take

illus-—

full advantage, both for itself as
a party and as part of the grow-
ing anti-old party movement, of
the great desire of the Saskatche—
wan people for progressive action.
in Alberta the CGE has neither
provincial nor federal seats. It
is perhaps in that province more
than any other, because of its
political peculiarities, that sec-
tarian partisan and pseudo-So-
Cialist criticism has found its
fullest expression—with the con-
sequence thaat the CCE is not
playing the role it should do in
the fight against reaction, while
at the same time its party
strength is not inereasing.

The point is: Do the recent
electorial contests not show that
the CCE with its present poli-
cies is failing to live up to its
former-promise as a great third
party effectively challenging the
old line parties?

if this question is not answered
at Edmonton, will be the
opinion of many, including thou-
sands of CCE’ers, that the con-
vention has failed in its duty.

Ww" is not the CCF making
the progress it should under
circumstances which are admit-—
tedly favorable to its growth?

While there may be many ex=
planations forthcoming, they
seem to boil down to this: That
the policy and the tactics of the
CCF do not harmonize with the
objective processes of present-
day developments, with the con-
sequence that the appeal and the
organized strensth of the party
suffer. Quite clearly the policy
and tactics go hand in hand with
organized strength, and that the
party strength of the CCE in sey-
eral proyinces (Ontario and BCG
for example) is declining is fur-
ther proof that a critical review
of policy and tacties is needed.

When all the improvements in
CCE policy (the abandonment of
the isolation CCE position in
foreign policy, the improved at-
titude towards numerous Cana-
dian demestic issues, etc.) are
fully appreciated, as they must
be, the fact remains that the
CCF has as yet no simple ,uni-
fied, understandable national pro-
gram which will serve as a rally—
ing centre for its Own member-
Ship and immediate supporters.

The Regina manifesto is out
of date in many of its sections,
as for example on foreign policy.
Since Regina, fascism has grown
apace; peace is daily imperilled;
reaction in high places in Cana-
da has consolidated; the Hep-
burn—Duplessis alliance has erys-
talized; time is getting short.

Would it not be of service to
the CCF and to the entire labor
movement if a restatement of
the party’s position were made,
in the form of a short manifesto
on the immediate issues confront-
ing the Canadian people?

The Conservative party has re-
cently adopted a program of ut-
ter demogogy, with which reac-
tionary leaders are going to the
people to take full advantage of
the results of Liberal failures.
There is a grave danger that
under cover of a supposed ‘re
birth’ thousands of Canadian
voters will be swung to Manion’s
support in the next federal elec-
tion.

Tory defeats in Alberta and
Saskatchewan are encouraging—
but they took place despite the
absence of a united lead from
the labor and farm movements.
Remember that Ontario, BC, Que-
bec and to a lesser extent the
maritimes are still Tory strons-
holds and that the Tory party
can with sixill and in the absence
of a positive program from labor,
eash in on Liberal failures.

it is the duty of the CCE to
meet the Tory threat, and to
take steps to prevent any further
eoalition of reaction stemming
from the Hepburn-Duplessis al-
liance and including such WTLib-
erals as Pattullo of BC.

Se

UCH steps can be taken only

on the basis of political reali-
ties, and chief among these
the CCF leadership itself will ad-
mit are: The fight for economic
and political democracy; in-
ereased purchasing power for the
people; against railway amalga-
tion; the revision of taxation; un-

employment insurance and fed-
eral action to give work and
wages; a peace policy of collect-

ive action against the aggres-
sors; government action to crush
the Canadian fascists and the
agents of Japanese and, German
fascism here; the salvation of ag-
riculture; the protection and ex-
tension of civil liberties.

Unless these urgent problems
are settled in favor of labor and
the people, fascism will come and
the fight for the ultimate ob-
jective of the CCE, the coopera-
tive commonwealth, will be thrust
into the dim and distant future.

How, then, can amy socialist in
the CCE, understanding that so-
cialism can come only through
conviction on the basis of the
experiences of the masses in the
fight for economic and political
justice, think of counter-posing

the fight for democracy now,
and the fight for socialism?
in British Columbia, in On-
tario and other provinees, Trot-
skyist agents are worming their

“way into important positions in

the CCF. Where they have ob-
tained any measure of power and
influence, the CCE has declined
—for the simple reason that these
agents of fascism have as their
weapon “treachery reduced to a
sScience.’’

The CCH national convention
has as its duty the adoption or
an unequivocal decision= te root
out of its party organization any-—
one who holds allegiance to Trot-
skyism—at the same time taking

steps to educate its membership ~

so that none will unwittingly fall
prey to the Trotskyist disrupters
and splitters.

This poison, which has destroy-—
ed the socialist party in the
United States, must not be per-
mitted te work in the body of
Canadian labor.

@
CCF convention will do a
Service to the whole demo-
eratic movement if it will review
the party’s tactics.

The governing consideration is
and must be: In what relaticn-—
ship should the CCF stand to
other anti-monopolist, democratic
groups? *

if the €CF continues its pres-
ent policy of refusing to cooper-
ate, or of cooperatine only on the
slimmest of issues and then with
great difficulty, then disaster will
befall Canada.

One can view the progress of
reaction in Canada as arising
only from the division which per-
Sists in the people’s movement
—between the CCF and the Com-

*“munist party; between the labor

and the farm movements; be-
tween the Social Credit movement
and the CCF; between the labor
movement and those masses of
Tiberals and Conservatives who
are swinging away from their
leaders and require only a firm
and hopeful lead to bring them
them into the camp of the demo-
eratic movements.

Aside for the moment from the
relationship between the CCF and

the Communist party, an object--

ive examination of the fight be-
ing waged by the CCF leadership
against the Social Credit move-
ment will show the disastrous
results of demanding full and
complete adherence to the GCE
program before any cooperation
is thought of.

The Social Credit movement
granted the unscientific nature of
its economic theories, is some-
thing which far transcends theory
—it is part of the breakaway
from the old-line parties, and
must be considered a portion of
the democratic movement. To
approach it in any other way Gn
the Manner, for example, of the
Alberta CCE leaders) means to
split the people and drive them
into the camp of reaction.

Tet the delegates contrast the
unity of the Mast Edmonton fed-
eral by-election in March with
the bitter disunity of the Sas-
katchewan elections: Does not
that contrast prove the utter fu-
tility of the present attitude of
the Alberta CCE to Social Gred-
it? Surely there were trumpet-
ing of joy in the reactionary
camp when the CCH emerzed in
Saskatchewan as the main en-
emy of Premier Aberhart!

eS

We Communists have a vision
of a democratic front in Gana-
da which can defeat the reaction-
aries. We saw it arise from the
depths of the people’s hearts in
the fight of the BC single un-
employed boys. We saw it gather
form and strength in a dozen
ways in the past year. Such a
democratic front does not mean
of necessity that the CCE must
formally agree with the CP on
a unity program. it does not
mean formal unity and: electoral
agreements in any hard and fast
sense.

It does mean that on the great
issues which are sinking deep
into the Canadian people, and on
which the forces of democracy
and reaction are dividing, the
CCF must take the responsibility
its great potential strength war-
rants, to jump into the fray and
to remove any narrow partisan
oer other considerations which
stand in the way of cooperation
between all democratic people re-
gardiess of party.

Only in this way can the labor
movement gain strength in the
legislatures. Only in this way
ean the labor movement be built
up and the CCE regain that
strength it formerly possessed
and promised. Only in this way
can the trade unions remain
united in Canada, and be in-
spired to come into independent
political activity jointly with the
CCF and all democratic people.

It is precisely because of its

great responsibility to the demo-_

eratic people of Canada that these
lines are written, in the fervent

hope that Edmonton will wit-
ness a new departure of CCE po-
licy and tactics in the direction
history demands. —

SHORT JABS

A
Weekly

Commentary

By Ol’ Biil

This week the bloody travatl of the Spantsh people
at the hands of the evil trinity, Mussolini, Hitler and
Chamberlatn, enters tts third year. As a fitting trrbute,
I am turning this colunzn over to @ guest writer, Louts

Guest Aragon, among the most brilliant of
Col 5 Stars in the Armament of contem-
GlumpMist porary French literature. One of the
Staunchest fighters against the fas-

cists plans to destroy civilization, Louts Acagon was the
tepresernative of France at the recent anti-fascist gather-
ing at Queen's Hall, London, organized by the Assocta-
tron of Writers fc Intellectual Liberty, which was
endorsed by almost every British writer of note. The
following tribute to the laundress-wife of an Asturian
miner, Who, tn Spain today, ts the symbol of everything
beautiful and promising, just as Franco is the face and
front of all that ts evil and teactionary, is an extract
from Louts Aragon’s “Appeal to French Intellectuals.”

“In the days of the great fight for bread and lib-
erty, Paris, who pretended to see nothings in Spain

- but its dances and castanets, was deeply moved by
the voice of a Spanish woman. And it seems in-

credible that after all the
La Pasionaria names which Spain - has
= placed in the sun, the re—

Sources of popular genius should find a name for
this admirable woman which would bring poetic
freshness even to the names of women which men
have muttered from the cradle to the grave. Yet it
occurred to the people of Spain to call this Dolores
among the other Doloreses by a word which excels
the imagination of poets—la Pasionaria, who is the
embodiment both of the land of Gervantes and of
the workingclass; this inspired woman who derives
her inspiration not from the clouds but from the
living and martyred flesh of the people, the brown
earth where the living rise among the dead.

“Hail to you, Pasionaria, the passion flower of
your people! Greetings to you, who combine the
two meanings of the word passion, the meaning
of sorrow whose name you also bear and the mean-
ing of ardent love which is the meaning of life
itself! HElail to you, whose name eyokes the death
of a god and the life of men! Paris did not hear
your app2al in vain, image of all mothers, image
of the only struggle which is worth liying for! it
was not chance that this woman who is a burning
flame, that this woman with a name so lovely that
I cannot help returning to it, from being a mother
among mothers, became a leader among men, a
leader of men who is charged with saving a bril-
llant dream of men, all that there is of the poetry
of the Cid and the grandeur of the Romanceros,
the heritage of Lope de Vega, El Greco, of the songs
that Columbus’ sailors took with them to America,
that sounded from behind the rocks when the armies
of Bonaparte passed and which blend today with
the accents of that song of the Siberian partizans
which has become Spanish. For the cause of Spain
is the Same cause for which one may die even on
the shores of the Pacific.

“tt is not by chance that this woman should be
the leader of the struggle for bread, waged by the
men who make the bread and who are tired of being
deprived of this life, which leaves their hands golden
and warm. It is no accident that the most beautiful
ame in the world should belong to this woman,
leader of this vigorous and prudent, heroic and
serene section of the Spanish proletariat which fol-
lows the example of Marx, Lenin and Stalin.

“It is not by chance that Pasionaria should be the
symbol of Spanish communism. This name, like the
woman who bears it, like the party who bore this
woman in its first ranks, was forged in the struggle,
it is the carbon of the struggle which the strugele
has transformed into a diamond. This passion is
not the sudden flare of revolt, it is the lizht of the
eyes of a people which rises in the fields, factories
and mines, with the long history of centuries in
their eyes. It is the passion of a people which has
overthrown its kings, its police, its parasites, which
has more than once broken the yoke in the course
of a century, which stood the test of Asturias, and
which nothing has been able to subdue, and which
nothing, even though it should require another
eentury cf blood, nothing will subdue, regardless
of the forces which press down upon it and the

hideous alliances of the militarists and foreign
powers.

“They cannot kindle a bonfire large enough to
consume fhis passion and reduce it to ashes, though
they were to set fire to the whole of Spain; this
passion was born in the furnace and derives its
strength therefrom. - - Spain on whose account
we wake in the night as though we could hear in
the distance the shells of fascism and the new song
of the popular paladin, of Rolland beyond the moun-
tains, whom we shall not allow to perish unarmed
with nothing saye his songs.”

A
Woman’s Diary af

By Victoria Post

I HAVE repeatedly asked for problems in thig
column, and this week I got my deserved re-
ward! The writer, Maria Vergne, says, “Your
readers might have an answer to this particular
dilemma. And the answer might help me.”

The problem she presents is that of thousands.
The endless trudge around offices and buildings
looking for a job, only to be told, “INo, we’re not
taking on new giris” or, “We hire only experienced
girls.”

“Experience! How are you to get expérience
without work,” Maria continues. “I wonder how
those nice young ladies who breathe efficiency fot
work. Did they tramp the streets unceasinsly too,
or were they lucky in having some relative or friend
to put in a good word for them? Are there so many
more girls now, or just fewer jobs?

‘What is the outstanding quality one must have
to make a big enough impression on the rock ex-
terior of those bosses to make them hire you?
Why can’t I meet them calmly on their own
ground?”

There are answers to all these questions. Many
of you will have ideas of your own which should
be aired through this column. This is an issue
which affects thousands of unemployed girls from
all professions and we should help them all we
can to find the answers.

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