During the last few
months I spent overseas, I
‘found that nearly every
one of my buddies was
seriously concerned with
the problems pertaining to
his owh- personal future,
such as discharge, rehabili-
‘tation, employment, ad-
justment to his family and
social security.

Over and over again, I heard
One subject discussed pro and
con: “Are we going back to
the hungry thirties—or not?”

A few days ago, an ardent
CCF member asked me a
question. “Didn’t you find
that the boys overseas were
turning to Socialism for the
answer io their problems?’’
The fact of the matter is that
the voting overseas more or
less paralleled the voting back
home, proving that the major-
ity of servicemen and ex-
servicemen are more con-
cerned with Jobs, Homes ‘and
Security TODAY than with
Socialism TOMORROW. The
soldier returned from overseas
wants a job to support him-
self and his family ... anda
home to live in. Being a real-
ist, he wants to tackle these
problems immediately. So do
the vast majority of Cana-
dians.

Cowncernine the Fed-
eral rehabilitation legislation,
the consensus of opinion was
as follows: “It reads good on
paper, but when you start to
think it over you realise there
is room for improvement.”
This is what the organized
labor movement and such pa-
pers as the Canadian Tribune

and the Pacific Advocate have
consistently pointed out.

To list some criticisms I
have heard:

® While a veteran taking
up land under the Vet-
erans’ Land Act can get
a $6000 farm on down
payment of 10 per cent.,
no similar legislation has
been passed to enable
qualified veterans to get
into business or take up
a profession.

® Out of work benefits
should be based on rate
of pay at discharge and
continued till veteran is
placed in remunerative
employment.

® Grants paid to veterans
receiving university or
vocational training should
be raised from $60 per
month for single mensand
$80 per month for mar-
ried men to $80 and $100.
Books should be provided
free of charge.

@ The $6000 ceiling on
farms purchased under
the Veterans’ Land Act
is too low, and should be:
raised to $12,000.

® The proposed Veterans’
Charter should recognize
the government’s respon-
sibility to provide every
veteran with a good job
at-decent pay and a good
home to live in.

‘for veterans.
Billy Canuck in uniform are.

* patriots

Yes: This is 1945
not 1919! Look back across
the gap of years and you find
it strewn with the bitter mem-
ories of unemployment, pov-
erty, personal frustration and
appeasement. This genera-
tion of warriors is not looking
to the future with starry-eyed
optimism. No! Ive heard
many of my pals say: ““‘We won
the war all right ... but it
may be a harder fight to win

the peace!’ =

The fighters of this war are
looking into the future with
some concern, but also with
calmness and fortitude. They
realise that post-war Canada
is not likely to be a Utopia
Johnny and

carefully weighing their per-
sonal assets and_ liabilities
against the future. All they
ask is a fair chance to get on
their feet and make a living
... they want the opportunity
to lead decent, ordinary lives
- . . which means they want
Jobs at good wages, decent
Homes and social Security.
They do not want to return
to the hungry thirties
when the dice were loaded
against tens of thousands of
our finest young Canadians
who were condemned to relief
lines, relief camps and Wox
ears. This is not the kind of
Canada that 37,000 Canadians
died for, and their comrades
intend to see to it that they,
the fortunate survivors, enjoy
the fruits of victory.

True, a lot of soldiers, sail-
ors, airmen and veterans are
rather cynical about this war
so recently ended being the
last war in our time, and about
a high level of employment in
peace time Canada, but these
same lads were also cynical
about the invincibility of Hit-
ler’s armed legions. Our
armed forces may have lost
an engagement here and
there, but they won every
decisive battle . .. and that’s
what counts in the long run.

And if any glib-tongued
demagogues or  flag-waving
intend to take the
veterans for a ride. ..to use
them against organized labor,
to utilise them to lower the
wage standard won by the
trade unions of Canada, or to
win support for reactionary
Tory policies directed against
the interests of the nation,
they had better beware. Jerry
gave our lads a lot of dirt at
Dieppe in 1942, but we crossed
the Rhine and marched down
the ruined boulevards of Ber-
line in 1945!

Toumeptatrety after the
last war there was a mush-
room growth of veterans’ or-
ganizations. Later, several of
these group united to form the
Canadian Legion, which today
is the most’ authoritative
spokesman for Canada’s vet-
erans. Tens of thousands of
new veterans are joining the
Legion every day. Tens of
thousands are waiting the op-
portunity to join. These men
and women realise the cor-
rectness of the Legion slogan,

PAGE 10 — PACIFIC ADVOCATE

“In Unity There Is Strength,”
and they intend to strengthen
that unity. By joining the
Legion they will perpetuate
the comradeship of service
and immortalise the ideals for
which their comrades gave life
and limb. =
Every veteran of this war
should join the Canadian Le-
gion, and make it an organiza-
tion with 1,000,000 members,
embracing the heroes of two
wars. With*such-an organiza-
tion in existence—a vital, pro-
gressive organization respons-
ive to the needs and desires

Sgt. Jack Phillips

e

of the rank and file—no gov-
ernment, whatever its com-
position, would dare give our
veterans a raw deal.

In suth a powerful, non-
partisan organization, includ-
ing men and women of all
races, creeds and democratic
beliefs known in Canada lies
the guarantee that the heroes
of yesterday and today will
not be the forgotten men of
tomorrow. Your average vet-
eran is no sucker or Simple
Simon. He likes the social
life of his Legion club room,
but he realises that every
member must take full share
in the deliberations and policy
making of his organization,
and not allow it to become the
pet preserve of Tory minded
brass hats. It is not enough to
be a card member. A Legion-
aire must be an active mem-
ber. As one fellow put it to
me:

“Once the war is over, we’ll
have to put more rank and
filers on the executives of the
Legion, and less senior offi-
cers. This war has proven
that it takes a lot of intelli-
gence to be a first class pri-
vate.”’

Six years of war and sev-
eral years abroad have added
to the social awarenes of our
veterans. Tens of thousands
of them joined up before they
were old enough to vote, and
reached adulthood in the hard
school of war. To young men
such as these, schooled by
discipline and tempered in
battle, the future can be a
great adventure.

World events have left a

hat The War Veteran

by Jack Phillips

deep impress on their minds.
The unity achieved between
Socilist Russia and the capital-
ist democracies—the rebirth
of militant democracy in lib-
erated Europe—the speedy de-
feat of Japan after Germany
folded up—the terrible, des-
tructive power of the atom
bomb—all these facts have
convinced them that human-
ity is standing at the cross-
roads. We must advance to
higher forms of national and
international co-operation or
face annihilation.

Whether the returned
veteran can see'eye to eye
with you on the question of
“Socialism Today or ‘To-
morrow,” or “The Foreign
Policy of Soviet Russia” is not
the yardstick with which to
measure his social and poli-
tical development. The fact
“remains that great. social
forces for good have been set
free because he and his com-
rades dared to risk all in the
fight for liberty. An instru-
ment of destiny, or retribu-
tion ...as you wish -.. but
not a blind, unthinking in-
strument.
The determination is grow-
ing in his mind that wars
are fought and paid for by
little people, and that little
people must prevent wars.
Further, he can see no rea-
son why we cannot find
millions for Jobs in peace
time, even though we can
find billions for Destruc-
tion in war time.

One chap I know was club-
bed in 1936 for taking part in
an unemployed demonstration
that demanded an increase in
relief of fifty cents a week.
On the beaches of Normandy,
in June, 1945, he was a tank
driver. Three tanks that he
drove were put out of action
by the enemy, in rapid suc-

cession. Next day he drove
his fourth tank . . . and those
tanks cost’ the Canadian

people the princely sum of
$100,000 each. Just try and
convince that soldier that
there is no money to provide
a low rental home for him
and his English bride, and
their two year old child!

T HE Canadian Legion can
become a vital, constructive
force in the affairs of the com-
munity, the province and the

nation. It can do more than
protect the immediate inter-
ests of veterans as such. By
progressive, non-partisan poli-
tical action it can join with
organized labor and progres-
Sive political forces to make
Canada “A Land Fit For
Heroes To Live In.” Includ-
ing as it will in its ranks, tens
of thousands of workers, em-
ployees and farmers, the
Legion must give every sup-
port to the just demands of
organized workers, employees
and farmers. Every Legion
member who is a worker
should belong to aé_§ trade
union; every Legion member
who is an employee should
join his appropriate union or
association; every Legion
member who is a farmer
should join his local co-op or

._ her Union Veteran —

SATURDAY, OCTOBE

progressive farm
Further,

who is a veteran ss]
the Canadian Le
creating a blood -
between these. dif
of the people’s moy4
Every member oj |
who is a veteran, e |
veteran who beliey, |}
constructive policy |
sincere Canadian,
his political convictic |
join the Canadian I, |
help to make it a.
spokesman for the y
two generations anc:
foree for progress. “|
Having experien ¢|
wars, its members “3
every i®ducement ¢:_
ate. with all peac 4}
groups and element
ada. ai
Desiring to crea fi
tions that will prov; {
ity and happiness +.
members, they are} -
allies of organized }
those popular politic
who are leaving no ;
turned to create su |
of affairs in Canad }
Canadians.

@ i

"Tuere will be 4
Homes and Securit;
erans unless we ca {
these necessities for “|
dians. There will b |
rental homes for vet {|
home front. worke |}
public pressure fore |
sponsible authoritie:}
once. .. and if they |
we'll have to replae j
the first opportun 4}
erans taking up land |
Veterans’ Land Act ,
likely go broke if th
government does r 4
tain adequate - legi 4
protect all farmer.
the veteran takes he {!
standard wage pack: })
will have just as hz if
to manage as the w'l#
workmate who serv }
home front during > {4

The ‘building. -[
schools, hospitals
munity centres; the
of rural electrifica 1}
roads and social am‘;
the countryside; thr
ment of unexploite
resources and seca 4

23
4

' dustries; the careful 4

ing of forest resou :
overdue measures my
vide work, wages a 4
ties to ex-servicemeE-
war workers alike. ' q
The Tory reaction =
ize this, and they: 4
to play the war 3
against the home ir §
ers—but our veterar |
fall for such shabby |
B.C. proved this |

sion Committee mo #f
Mackenzie King. ~
rally of 10,000 ¢
Maple Leaf Garden
onto, at which me &
this delegation and |
tatives of the For |
spoke is striking pr: |
fact.
ORGANIZED
“ORGANIZED Fi

AND ORGANIZE
ERANS MUST

SIDE BY SIDE FC
HOMES. AND SE
THE SLOGAN ¢
CANADIAN Lig
POINTS THE W
THE FUTURE: “It
THERE IS STRI