tefusing to serve under Speidel

tuese Danish students demonstrated in Copenhagen agai
Mer Nazi general now commanding NATO Jand fo:
inspection recently in the Scandinavian coun tries:

Norway and Sweden: The sign at left reads

“Go home,

nst General Hans Speidel, for-
rces in Europe, when he made a tour of
Similar demonstrations took place in
Nazi Hans.”

French jails filled with reservists

PARIS

Louis. Guillermet was 14

When his father was shot by

the Germans in June; 1944.

General Speidel was then
chief of staff to Field Marshal

Ommel, commander-in-chief
Of Hitler’s army of occupation
™ northern France.

Last month Louis Guiller-
Met, now a student and father
of two young children, was
arrested in his Lyons home
by French. police.

His crime? Refusing to serve
Under the orders of Speidel,
Once more in France, now as
Commander-in-chief NATO
and Forces, Central Europe.

No wonder the French po-
lice sent to arrest Guillermet
Were embarrassed as he em-

braced his young wife Jocelyn

efore they took him away-
Ven the. notoriously hard-

boiled; rough-handling gen-
darmes «showed shamefaced
Tespect for his courageous

Stand and calm bearing.

He is one of 168 young
Frenchmen who have refused
to serve under Speidel.

Their fathers — most of
them Resistance heroes —
Were martyred by Speidel’s
One-time henchmen. In com-
Mon with the others, Guiller-
Met has written the president
Of the French Republic:

’ “T regret that the dishonor-
able situation “in which the
French Army is placed by
the presence here of Speidel

Prevents me, for the present,

from doing my duty as a
French citizen.

“Those who approved or
tolerated the nomination of
Speidel must bear the res-
ponsibility.

“Loyalty to the memory of
my father, shot by the Nazis,
the memory ofall the victims
of Hitlerism as well as con-
cern for the national honor
and love of France, have com-
pelled me to take this de-
cision.”

Twenty-year-old Henri
Samson, who was. arrested
earlier this month, was held
incommunicado for several
days in the notorious Fresnes
Prison in Paris.

His lawyer, briefed by the
French working-class defense
organization Secours Popu-
laire, was refused permission
to see him.

The military justice code
under which these young men
are . being arrested lays it
down that the accused must

be-brought before an exam-

ining magistrate within 24

hours.

Fresnes Prison is, in fact,
being. filled. with. political
prisoners just as-it was dur-
ing the Nazi occupation. Es-
pecially with opponents of the
Algeran war. |

Close-to 300 conscripts who
have refused to join “the dirty
war” are incarcerated in Fres-
nes. :

One of its- prisoners is: a
brilliant young schoolmaster,

Antoine Pelletier, also father
of two young children.

He was arrested in the town
of Beauvais on September 6
for distributing leaflets in the
streets denouncing the _ tor-
tures in Algeria and calling
for an end to the war. The
leaflets have been distributed
all over France.

Pelletier has been charged
with “undermining the exter-

nal security of the state.’ One

of his brothers- was jailed,
then shot by the Nazis in
Fresnes on March 15, 1944.

Anger is spreading through-
out France at these arbitrary
arrests and legal violations.

Tens of thousands of sig-
natures have- been collected
from the jailed men’s work-
mates and townsmen demand-
ing their release. Money has
been collected to aid their
dependants.

In Beauvais, a number of
the town’s most prominent
citizens, including leading
headmasters and_ teachers,
have signed a petition de-
manding Pelletier’s immedi-
ate release.

The non-Communist League
of the Rights of Man in the
town has issued a declaration
saying:

“In distributing leaflets‘ de-
manding peaceful negotiations
in Algeria, Antoine Pelletier
‘was consciously using his.
rights as a French citizen to
express the opinions of. the
majority of the population.”

s

BCFL CONVENTION

Political

action,

jobless on agenda

When the British Columbia Federation of Labor opens
its second annual convention in Vancouver this coming Thurs-
day, October 24, questions ranging from political action to
workmen’s compensation will be on the agenda. Some 300
delegates from every part of the province are expected, repre-
senting almost every section of the trade union movement.

High on the agenda will be
the question of political ac.
tion. At the 1956 convention,
a committee of 14 was struck
off to make a political study
of the province, in order to
assess the possibility of a po-
litical. alliance involving the
trade unions, the farm organi-
zations and political parties
supporting labor’s legislative
program. -

In some B.C. circles, the
idea.of federated labor party
is being considered and the
question may be debated at
the convention. Claude Jodoin
president 6f the Canadian La-
bor Congress, who will address
the delegates, is said to favor
political action by the con-
gress through a separate or-
ganization including its af-
filiates.

- The strong condemnation
voiced recently against the

Workmen’s Compensation
Board is expected to be re-

flected in a large number of .

resolutions on the subject and
the demand for the resigna-
tion of chairman Edwin
Eades, former NPA school
trustee in Vancouver, will no
doubt be endorsed.

Eades is blamed for‘ the
sharp increase in the number
of injured workmen refused
compensation , on _ technical,
medical or legal grounds.

However, some union offic-
ials have told the Pacific Trib-
une that in their estimation,
Eades is merely carrying out
the policy laid down for him
by the provincial government.
They feel that while Eades
should be replaced, a way
must be found to expose the
hand of the Victétia policy
makers.

_-With William Black, pvesi-
dent of the B.C. Federation of
Labor, already on record as
predicting ‘that there may be
60,000. unemployed. in. the
province this winter and the
Building Trades Council mak-
ing a similar estimate, unem-
ployment -is: certain to occupy
an important place in conven-
tion deliberations, as will im,
migration.

There probably will be a
number of resolutions calling

for provincial and federal zgov-
ernment action for increased
public works, more money for
housing and for expanded
world trade.

On the development of nat-

‘ural resources, the stand al-

ready taken by Vancouver La-
bor ‘Council indicates that
there will be a strong demand
for public ownership and de-
velopment of hydro power
through the B.C. Power Com-
mission. Last year’s conven-
tion went on record in favor
of public ownership of the
B.C. Electric.

Internationally, the question
of peac®ul coexistence is the
largest single issue before the
trade union movement.

ince the last convention,
this has found its reflection in
the increasing world-wide de-
mand for an end to H-bomb
tests. Recently, the British La-
bor party and Trade Union
Congress came out in favor of
ending the tests.

It is likely that the question
will be debated at the Van-
couver meet.

B.C. labor has been outspok-
en in its opposition to rule of
local unions by appointed ad-
ministrators. There has also
been a strong consistent de,
mand in the province for re-
admission of independent un-
ions expelled on political
grounds. This should hit the
floor again, as it did last year.

Undoubtedly, the conven-
tion will be closely watched
by labor, business and gov-
ernment circles in the prov-
ince and across the country.
On more than one occasion
B.C. labor has set the pace for
the country.

Provincially, one of the main
purposes of the gathering is to
work out proposals for the an-
nual brief to the provincial
government. Whether or net
there will be a demand this
year for a labor lobby involv-
ing representatives of the af-
filiated unions remains to be
seen. But one thing is certain:
there will be many demands
for new policies and legisla-
tive- changes by government.

October 18, 1957 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE li