‘oibles, Fancies And Facts

_ Until the war is won, our yardstick in measuring political candidates is complete
pport to a progtam of winning the war. (Sidney Hillman, national chairman of the
(QO Politiac] Action Committee.)
: : E > 2 e ®  &

How True

It is reported from Nanaimo that Colin Cameron, CCF MLA for Comox, urges
Ecity tram workers to strike again. He thinks his party line is more important than
}y transportation line—Editorial Note in the Vancouver Sun).

The Mould of Lincoln and Cromwell

@he world today is full of dictators and would-be dictators.

i

A moments glance

is a man made in the mould of Lincoln and Cromwell, very simiple, very rugged, very
reat, fully conscious of his own importance in- the history of the world, but who never
zed at himself in the mirror of history, never in his life made a false gesture, played
heroics, or spoke hysterically. He had knowledge, intellectual power, vision; the pow-
~of swift decision and decisive action; courage beyond the normal: but yet the most
iking thing in his whole character is that he was a man like other men. No one could
ve more detested the idea of a stiper-man than did Lenin, or more heartily despised the
se culture and cheap philosophy that lay behind it. If in the world’s history there
ve been few men his equal, it is only because the great tragedy of that history has
jen that the talents of man have been wasted, mocked, suppressed, and vilely extinguish-
[ 2 the ferocity of human society—(From ‘Lenin: A Biography,’ 1933, by Ralph
yx.

: : e e e
All They Did Was Elect Roosevelt, Defeat Reaction, etc., etc., etc.

.. the bankruptcy and futility of the policies of American labor, socialist and near-
s-lalist elements in giving political support to individuals to whom the tag ‘‘progress-
t has been attached, rather than in building a new party committed to a definite set
f principles and policies.— (Not-eyen-near-socialist Colin Cameron in CCF News, ex-
ids €CF-Tory alliance into USA where a third party would have assisted Dewey-
© ction. )

e e e

War Just a Game to Some

Walter Reuther of the United Auto Workers proposes the no-strike pledge be
iapped after the defeat of. Germany and taat strikes be permitted so long as they don’t
rt the war on Japan. It seems that Reuther will personally examine every factory and
mmunications line in the United States and, if a strike does affect the war by mistake,
» Japanese government will be duly informed of that fact and will be asked to play
* war Over again.—(From “Point of Order’ by Alan Max in the New York Worker.)

The Payoff

Whence springs the devotion of certain interests over here to quisling groups in
rope? Here is one example, taken from In Fact: ““The British Colonel Bailey, who
~ year conducted a vast campaign in the US. for the Chetnick leader, Gen Mikhail-
‘tch, denying the latter was collaborating with the Italian fascists and Nazis and was
sally a quisling, is now revealed to be a ditector and large stock-holder of Trepca
‘per mining enterprises in Yugoslavia, which would be guaranteed under Mikhailovitch.”

There's gold in them thar traitors!_-(From ‘‘Footprints and Fingerprints’ in the

\aadian Tribune.)

bi a Fak ak Pak |b [5 [2 |e [2 |e a [ak [ae [ak [> ak bak aks ak [be

We invite you to drop in and have a look at our selection of
writings by Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin and for relaxation we
have many interesting and amusing books of the lighter kinds.
_ You will be welcome.

i >
aus

H

fi

LIFE ON AN IGE FLOE, Ivan Papanin ._____--__ 3.25
le PEOPLES OF SOUTH EAST ASIA, Juno Lasker __ 3.75
: PEOPLE OF THE USSR, Anna Louise Strong —— 2:75
ROAD TO THE OCEAN, Leonid Leonoy ___.___ «3.25

_  . PEOPLE’S BOOK STORE

_ 420 West Pender Street Phone MArine 5836

Be a || | a ae | ne [| ae

j any one of them is sufficient to convince one that Lenin was not such a ‘‘dictator.” He.

P. A. Features, February 3 — Page 11

Book Review

PAC: CHAPTER ONE
By BRUCE MINTON

The First Round, the story of the CIO Political
Action Committee, by. Joseph Gaer. Duell, Sloan and
Pearce. $2.50. :

| he the long ascent from loose and amorphous
associations of skilled craftsmen to huge internationals in

the mass-production industries, the American labor movement has
been restricted by an apolitical tradition stemming from a multi-
tude of causes—tactical consideration in the early days of the
American Federation of Labor, opportunism, faulty analyses
of the needs cf the labor movement, and the theory that workers
could not and should not act independently in the political arena.
‘Only during the last twelve months has American labor finally
thrown off such self-imposed limitations. Only with. the founding:
of the Political Action Committee at the CIO convention in 1943
did American labor reach maturity, its effectiveness in the 1944
elections, and the test brought results beyond the mosf fervid
expectations. :

In the First Round, Joseph Gaer tells the important story of
the CIO-PA€ from its inception. Mr. Gaer has accomplished sey-
eral valuable functions: he has wisely reproduced the pamphlets
published by PAC during the campaign, both to document the
record and to preserve material which in a few years will be
recognized for its immense historical import; he has reviewed
the history of PAC’s formation and consolidation with lucidity
and directness, weighing the account with well-selected facts and
statistics; he has written his story in a way that compels the read-
er’s interest and attention, and at moments transforms his account
into a gripping drama. Above all other merits, Mr. Gaer has
insisted on PAC’s most important aspect—its continuity, its
promise of growth and increased effectiveness in the future—
for “what has been won so far is just the first round.” ‘The most
telling: estimate of the success of The First Round is its importance
in equipping labor for the future, its stress upon the need for PAC
te sink roots ever more widely into other sections of the popula-
tion—the unorganized, the farmers, the church, school, middle
class, and professional organizations of all descriptions.

_Of course, the price of a “quickie” book. is the inevitable —
inadequacy of some sections that demand longer and more thought-
ful consideration. Mr. Gaer has been surprisingly able in keeping
these inadequacies to a minimum. But he skims over the place
of PAC in the development of American labor history. His dis-
cussion of the developments and opportunities around the National
Citizens’ PAC remains insufficient; and his remarks on the PAC’s
accomplishments in winning joint or parallel action with the
AFL and the Railroad Brotherhoods during the campaign are far
too brief. The greatest weakness of The First Round reflects
the weakness that characterized PAC throughout its formative
period:. a failure to face up squarely to disruptive and Nazi-in-
Spired Red-baiting. Whereas Mr. Gaer is clear and decisive in
his ‘attacks on these who spread the filth of anti-Semitism and
of those who raised anti-Negro and anti-Catholic prejudices in an
attempt to destroy the PAC, in ‘his references to the Red scare he
limits himself to defensive denials that PAC is Communist. Of
course, PAC isn’t Communist, but there is need to recognize that
Communists play a constructive role in the labor movement and
are making a valuable contribution to American political ife.

Despite these weaknesses The First Round is an indispensable
record, timely and preceptive, which should be given the widest
possible circulation. Mr. Gaer has a sense of ‘history in the mak-
ing; he is master of a simple, convincing style. He has provided
a handbook for all who understand that labor’s coming of age
politically is the most exciting and promising development in the
fight to preserve and expand our nation’s democratic heritage.

Continued from Page 9

was given a suspended sen-
tence for this exhibition of
“premature anti-fascism.”

Again in 1940 he was ar-
rested and convicted of the
charge, which he proudly ad-
mitted, of being a member
of the illegal Communist
Party. He served one year
in Oakalla for his “crime,”
and in August, 1942, joined
the army to continue the
struggle against fascism.

He suffered a broken Jeg in
a collision shortly after the
events he describes below, and
was hospitalized in France
and England. He returned to
Canada just after the New
Year and is at present on
debarkation leave.

munist League in 1934, he
participated in its anti-Nazi-
activities including the de-
monstration against the Nazi
prepaganda film “Germany
Awake” which was shown in
Vancouver that year.

Again, on March 15, 1935,
he spoke to a meeting of 3,000
citizens who met in protest
against the nearby civic re-
ception conducted by the then ,
Mayor Gerry McGeer for the
officers and crew of the Nazi
training cruiser Karlsruhe.

He was arrested in 1938 for
picketing the German consul-
ate in Vancouver in protest
against the persecution and
massacre of Jews in Germany
then at a prewar height, and