Page Iwo THE PEOPLE’S ADVOCATE THE PEOPLE’S ADVOCATE ‘Published Weekly by the Proletarian Publishing Association, Room i0, 163 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C. Phone TRinity 2019. One’ Year 22. $2.00 Three Months —.... $ .60 aif Wear $1.00 Single Copy ——~—-—-— $ .05 Make All Gheques Payable to: The People’s Advocate Vancouver, B.C. Friday, March 24, 193 Make Mackenzie Ming Act. ig HIS belated statement on Hitler's de- struction of Czechoslovakia, Prime Min- ister King gave expression to some high- sounding sentiment—but little else. After the vigirous lead given by President Roosevelt, ‘and the virtual recall of the British and French ambassadors, the people of Canada expected more from the head of the Canadian government than mere moralising. Tt is clear that in matters of foreign policy King is still hanging on to the coat-tails of Chamberlain and is awaiting “consultations” with the British government before he will decide what to say or do. According to his statement he is going to wait until bombs are falling on London or on Canadian cities from Wazi airplanes with bases in Iceland only 1500 miles away before he will declare against the fascist butchers. The Canadian parliament should have sent a vigorous and emphatic protest to Berlin, and the proposal of Woodsworth, CCF leader, for an embargo on the export of war material to and a super-tax on all imports from Ger- many should have had King’s support. T% is all very well for the Prime Minister to declare that totalitarian countries could not hope for “passive acquiescence in acts of international lawlessness,” but for all that King has ever done, or is doing, that is just what they can and do hope for; that is why they have been proceeding from crime to ever worse crime with impunity. The do-nethingism of King on this, as on many other questions was taken advantage of by the reactionary Manion in a demagogic speech designed to make him appear before the people as the outstanding opponent of fascist aggression in parliament. Herein lies the dangers in the King policy of “wait and see.” The people of Canada, thoroughly aroused over the ruthlessness of Hitler, must make their demands known to the King government for after all, King is not indifferent nor un- responsive to public opinion and protest if ex- pressed in sufficient volume and insistence. The AFL-CIO Meeting. TPIS weekend negotiating commitiees of the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations will resume discussions seeking a way to unite the American and Canadian trade union movements and bring an end to the factional warfare which threatens to smash both or- ganizations. In United States, ever since President Roosevelt called the two groups together, of- ficers of the AFI. and CIO and the White House have been deluged with letters and telesrams of approval from an estimated 6,000,000 trade unionists of both organiza- tions. As the US President himself stated, “The overwhelming majority of the AFL and CIO desire peace.” Here in Canada, where the unity sentiment is just as powerful as in United States, ex- pressions of support behind the efforts to ne- gotiate peace have not, however, been very extensive. The Toronto, Oshawa and Port Arthur Trades Councils and scores of local unions have forwarded unity resolutions to Washington, it is true, but the response is not nearly widespread enough. Canadian labor wants unity. The Canadian worker wants to see a powerful, united trade union center capable of going ahead with an organization program in the open shop indus- tries. All the more reason, then, why local unions and trades councils all over Canada should make this clear now to the CIO-AFL negotiating committees. If they have not already done so, unionists in BC should show their approval of Presi- dent Roosevelt’s efforts and their desire for an end to factional strife by wiring or mailing unity resolutions to Harry Bates, c/o AFL Building, Washington; to John L. Lewis, 1106 Connecticut Street, Washington; and to Presi- dent Roosevelt. You want unity? Then act on it now! 1t Won’t Work, Mir. Neal HE arrogant abuse of the British Colum- bia people and public ownership levelled by W. M. Neal, CPR western lines vice-presi- dent, may have found favor with the Board of Trade, but labor men and women, railroad- ers and farmers, were neither impressed nor intimidated. The fact is we're on to Mr. Neal and the amalgamation schemes of his chief, Sir Ed- ward Beatty. We know that these big shots have laid plans for one of the greatest swindles in his- tory—the stealing of the publicly-owned CNR from the people. And knowing this, we can assure our Mr. Neal, whose heart bleeds for the West’s sad plight, that he won't get away with it. The CNR belongs to Canada still, and if the people have their say, some day the CPR may also have a more appreciative owner. A Communist Interprets e=aib=siezsibze Usd Pad ea pages eee bed bee Baga xa =e xa =e Pe ae Pg ag =a baggage sd | b=qbz tise Excerpts from a radio speech delivered by Malcolm Bruce over Station CKMO Thurs- day, March 23, in which he declared that the defeat of Hitler must be preceded by the defeat of Chamberlain. RUE Fa Pa I as ds = a a fo gs ES FS Fg bg do dss es xa aga a a a a sas seg) Fellow Citizens: URING the past week the people of Vancouver, like the people all over the civilized world, have been eagerly scanning the newspapers and listening intently to the radios in a way reminiscent of the period leading up to the great Munich betrayal of Czechoslovakia last September. And this time, as it was then, the cause of the excitement and anxiety is fascist ageression in Hurope. ©f what value were all the as- Surances given by those respon- sible for the so-called settlement arrived at in Munich? Of what use were the promises of Cham- berlain about “peace in our time”? Of what worth is the policy of ap- peasement of the insatiable fas- cist ageressors? What is the re- sult of the abandonment of col- lective security for the policy of so-called non-intervention? It would be amusing, if the situation were not so fraught with incal- culable danger, to watch the men- ‘tal gyrations of the editorial writ- ers of the capitalist papers as their sophistries on the Munich settlement are exposed by events. After the humiliating flight of Ghamberlain to Hitler at Berch- tesgarden the People’s Advocate in its issue of September 23 said: “The greatest betrayal in his- tory is about to be consummat- ed; the last democracy in Cen- tral Europe is about to be de- stroyed and fed to the fascist wolves. The betrayers say that the existence of what will be left of Czechoslovakia will be safeguarded by an agreement with Hitler ... Not only is Hit- ler’s assurance worthless, no- reliance whatever can be placed en the promises of Chamberlain and his National government. For did not his National gov- ernment break its pledges when it brought about an agreement to rearm Germany? Did it not break its agreement when Ethi- opia was overrun, when Spain was attacked, and when Austria was swallowed by fascism?” Ss T THIS point it may be well to review briefly the events, at least their thishlights, leading up to the present situation in Hurope and throughout the world. Three and a half years ago a resolution of the Sixth Congress of the CGommuiunist International stated, inter alia: “The adventurist plans of the German fascists are far-reach- ing and count on a war against France, dismemberment of Czechoslovakia, annexation of Austria and destruction of the Balkan states.” Over and over again the Com- munists have issued warnings against the danger of fascist aggression and adventurism, and urging the unification of all progressive forces to combat it, while others were exhorting the peoples to “keep cool,’ to trust the Chamberlains and Da- ladiers, and lulling the people into a feeling of false security. In 1931-32 Japan attacked Man- churia. The policy of appeasement encouraged Mussolini to attack Ethiopia. Then followed the oc- eupation and remilitarization of the Rhineland by Hitler and the invasion of Spain by Hitler and Mussolini in cooperation with traitorous Spanish generals. Still adhering to the policy of appease— ment. Then came the further in- vasion of China by Japan, the an- nexation of Austria, the Sudeten- land, and finally the whole of Gzechoslovakia, and the latest, the annexation of Memel. Any one of these acts of ag- gression, from the attack on Man- churia to the swallowing of Me- mel, could have been stopped by adherence to the collective secur- ity and the application of sanc- tions against the aggressors. In- stead, Baldwin and his successor, Chamberlain, scuttled the League of Nations, rejected collective se- curity and followed a line of sSo- ealled non-intervention and ap- peasement of the aggressors. IND the fruits? Today Hitler is incomparably stronger than before Munich, while the democ- racies have lost a powerful ally in what used to be Czechoslovakia, with its great army, its large air fleet, its huge Skoda munitions works, and its almost impregnable forest-clad fortified mountains, a mighty barrier. And now Hitler has absorbed Memel and is threat— ening Rumania and the Balkan States, Holland and the Scandi- navian countries, in fact, every country in Europe, with world domination as the ultimate fascist aim. And, iet our shortsighted Ca- nadian isolationists note that Hit- jer has made demands on Iceland for bases for his air fleet — and Teeland is only 1500 miles away from the shores of Canada, and less than one-half that distance from the northern shores of Great Britain. Since Hitler wiped Czechoslo- vakia off the map there has been a marked change in the speeches of Chamberlain and in the tone of the press which justified his actions at Munich. They are won- derins where he will strike next. The people of Britain will no longer stand for the policy of eapitulation to the fascist ageres- sors and Chamberlain is bending to the storm of public condemna-— tion that his policy has brought down on his head. He is talking now about a return to the collec- tive security which he wrecked. Wo longer does he turn the cold- shoulder to the Soviet Union nor exclude that country from consul- tation to effect the front he is at- tempting to form. No longer do we hear the falsehoods of a Lind- bergh about the weakness of the Soviet air force. Instead we hear something of the truth — that the Soviet Union has the mightiest army in the world, well-trained and reliable, with its Russian Francos and other agents of Hit— ler effectively removed. N TRYING to bring about a front of the democracies, in- eluding the Soviet Union, Cham- berlain is not motivated by a fear that Hitler will overrun Ruma- nia. He would gladly throw that country to the fascist bandit if it meant that Hitler would press on to an attack on the Soviet Union, for that is the cherished dream of British Imperialism. What Cham- berlain fears is that Hitler will join with Mussolini in making de- mands westward, against France, and Britain, in the Mediterrane- an. In such a Situation the friend- ship of the Soviet Union would be well worth while. If the next act of aggression of the Rome—-Berlin axis is in the Mediterranean area it will constitute a real danger not only to France, but to the life- line of the British Empire and Britain’s possessions in Africa, the Near East and above all, In- dia. And now that Chamberlain’s non-intervention policy of assist- ance to Franco, Hitler and Mus- solini has brought a great part of Spain under the control of the Rome-Berlin axis, the danger to Britain is even more grave. In this efforts to draw Poland and the smaller nations of Hurope into a common understanding with Britain, France and the Soviet Union, as he says, to stop Hitler, he is finding that the chickens hatched at Munich are coming to roose in London. Even the pro-Chamberlain press ad- mitted after Munich that the be- trayal of Czechoslovakia by her treaty-bound allies (with the ex- _The Crisis Over Europe ception of the Soviet Union), had destroyed the confidence of the smal] states in the present goy- ernments of Britain and France. And that is not at all surprising. They fear that in order to pre serve their existence at all their only chance is to throw them- selves on the mercy of Hitler withy out resistance. This explains the news in the press two days ago that Chamber— lain is not meeting with much suc— cess in his efforts to draw in those sniall] states. Even Poland is hesi- tating. The “Stop Hitler’ group, if formed, may therefore comprise only Britain, France and the Sov- let Union. Combined, these small states (excluding Poland which has half the population of Ger- many) in themselves constitute a powerful moral, military and eco- nomic force. Apart from Poland, their combined armies are larger numerically and in morale than the German army, while their eco- nomic resources are far greater. @ ETER all the publicity that has been given to the latest moves of Chamberlain, it must be remembered that he is not ask— ing for more than a mere pious declaration against the march of Hitler. TDhe Soviet Union is de- manding a real military alliance, with consultations of the general staffs, to halt Hitler. The Soviet Union demands that Chamberlain and Daladier show that they mean business, that they make definite eommitments and preparations. Furthermore, the Soviet Union, which itself suffered in its infan- ey from interventionist attacks by the forces of British and French imperialism, remembers that at one time during the September erisis Chamberlain declared that Britain would stand by France, the Soviet Union and Czechoslo- vakia if the latter were attacked, only to see him repudiate his pledge. is it any wonder, then, that the Soviet Union, which always hon- ors its pledges, demands that in the event of Hitler attacking Ru- mania and war is forced upon the democracies by continued aggres- sion, Simultaneously with the Red Army going into action, the ar- mies of Britain and France would attack Hitler on the West; other- wise the Soviet Union would be eertain to be abandoned as was Gzechoslovakia, isolated, and left to fight Hitler and this satellite states alone. Se T CAN readily be seen that any real anti-Hitler effort by Brit- ain demands the removal of Chamberlain and his so-called Wational government, which, ever Since it came to power in 1931, has been consistently pro—Hitler and pro-Mussolini,—that is, pro- fascist. There are many genuine democrats in Britain, not only in the labor movement, but in the Liberal Party and even in the Gonservative Party, who, if unit- ed, would and could defend de- mocracy against the fascist ag- gressors and save the world from being plunged into universal war and the destruction of civilization. From those united forces could be formed a government for the stopping of Hitler, that agent of ruthless German imperialism, who is not a madman any more than Chamberlain is stupid and inept, aS Many naive persons think. Communists are the stoutest and sincerest defenders of de- mocracy against fascism, even if democracy in capitalist countries falls far short of the democracy we aim to achieve, namely, social- ist democracy. Communists have shown this in their support of Spain, of China and everywhere where democracy was threatened by or engaged in armed conflict with fascism. But bitter experi- ences of recent years show that to achieve anything worthwhile in the defence of democracy and peace, and to stop Hitler, the Chamberlains, the Daladiers and the Fifth Columnists of reaction in all democratic countries, in- cluding the advance agents of Ca- nadian fascism such as the Du- plessis’ and the McCullaghs — all must be exposed and ousted by a solidly united democratic front of all lovers of democracy and peace. Comments From Our Readers Mie. SUN YAT SEN THANES THE ADVOCATE Friends who contributed to Ol’ Bill’s fund for the 8th Route Army Training School will be interested in the following letter Just re- eeived from Madame Sun Yat-sen by the People’s Advocate. e@ Editor, People’s Advocate: We beg to acknowledge that your letter with accompanying draft for $460 in national currency to the 8th army university fund is to hand, for which we thank you and the Canadian and Chinese friends who gave us this splendid support, We are sending you our receipt at the present time. The money has ben forwarded to Gen. Lin Pao, principal of the uni- versity at Yenan in northwest China. You will receive an of- ficial receipt from him later. Regarding the Canadian nurse Miss Jean Bwen, we can assure you that she was absolutely sate after the fall of Hankow and Ganton last winter. She came to Hong Kong on her way to Shang- hai after the fall of the two cities, and called at our office for some financial assistance. She told us she intended to go to the new 4th army (the new 4th army is or- ganized by the 8th army people and operates in the Shanghai- Nanking region, behind the enemy’s lines) to do some hos- pital work there. We do not know whether she made the trip er not, but we will inquire for you. We expect to hear from Shanghai soon. With National Freedom Greet- ing, (Signed) Soon Ching Ling (Madame Sun Yat-sen) Hongking, China, Feb. 16, 1939. BC ELECTRIC SERVICE Editor, People’s Advocate: I would like to Know how the streetcar conductors would lke to exchange places with people who, like myself, have been left standing at a streetcar stop, and give us a chance to pass them up for awhile and see how they appreciate it. The streetcar men have been writing to your paper on several occasions, but never once have I seen any of them make any men- tion of the poimt I am raising. @©n one occasion three of us were left standing in the safety zone at Carrall and Hastings by a conductor on a Hastings East ear who, perhaps thought we did not want to board the car which was nearly empty, as a result we were forced to take a full car. Most likely there is a reason for such actions, but it would appear to certain people that they were mostly concerned about moving while the traffic light was in their favor. T am not blaming the men. Many have been kind enough to hold up their car in order to al- low an old person or cripple, and in several instances others who were not at the zone, to board the ear. These little acts are ap- preciated by not only the ones as- sisted, but also those who are witnesses of the deed. J. W. DAVIDSON. SHORT JABS A Weekly Commentary By Ol’ Bill In another column you will read a letter received irom Madame Sun Yat-sen, which proves that this column is not entirely worthless. I am saying this because we have now entered on another Press Drive and are expected to do our share as we have done in other drives. Press Drive I think we may safely undertake again as we have on previous occasions (although we only made the grade once), to raise $100 in this column- In the last three drives we touched the ninety-dollar mark but with a little push we should make it the century. The drive is only a day old as yet, but already the boys from the relief project camps have turmed in $40 in donations. Jobless, chivvied around from pillar to post, short-changed on wages for the work they do in the project camps, these boys recognize the value of their own press. Surely our column will not be behind them in that. Let’s get that hun- dred dollars this time! I picked up a paper to light ¢ No More the fire this morning. The War’ headline caught my eye, “Peace in our Time.” The man the nation trusted had made peace secure for all time. Chamberlain, “that knight of peace, who deposes hatred and envy, whose glory is greater than that of all conquerers,”’ was thanked in the editorial for his success in settling the Czecho- slovakian question. On the front page also, was a statement, “Never to go to war again,” signed by Chamberlain and Hitler. On the back page for a tailpiece spread-head was the slogan, “You can sleep quietly.” It didn’t seem to make sense. [I thought maybe I had overslept like Rip van Winkle, for a couple of years, but when I took a look at the date that solved the question. It was Qctober i, 1938, and the paper was the Daily Sketch, published in Lon- don, England ~~ Then I compared that October news with what is happening today. I read of Chamberlain confessing that he did not know that this last week’s happen- ings would be the outcome of Munich He admitted he had received a great shock. What the shock was he did not make clear. We must figure that out for ourselves. A h The press which published nother the nonsense which opened Smokescreen the above paragraph is again helping Chamberlain to throw a smokescreen over the peoples of Europe who are awakening and getting hep to the tricks of Britain’s wiliest of Statesmen. Just as in the days preceding the Munich betrayal they helped Chamberlain to work up a fake war scare, today they are endeavoring to make believe that he has discarded his umbrella for a gun and is preparing to stop Hitler. No such intention is in his mind; far from it. In September last he prevented the demonstra- tion of power proposed by Litvinoff on behalf of the Soviet government — the mobilization of the British navy in the North Sea and the flight of 4000 war planes from Paris and Moscow to Prague —a show of force, the only argument Hitler knows, which would have kept the Nazi dogs in their ken- nels and have saved the Czechoslovak Republic without the shedding of a drop of blood. Today Chamberlain is again working to prevent the adoption of any proposals made by the Soviet Union—the conference of the democratic nations and the parleyy of the general staffs—knowing as he does that they will stop Hitler and that is no part of his plans. The capitalist newspapers, even the rankest Tory ones The Pitch among them, try to defend Chamberlain on the ground that he didn’t know Munich was going to have such a tragic outcome. If he didn’t Know he is a fool, is not qualified for his job, and should quit. Queering The Communist press throughout the world foretold what would be the result of “appeasing”’ the fascist and Nazi wolves. If Chamberlain did not listen and give consideration to their views he has no right to be the policy-maker for the British people. On the other hand if he did know of the fate that was to befall Czechoslovakia, even though it fitted in with the interests of his Tory class in Britain, he is a scoundrel and should not be tol- erated as head of the British government. _iIn his last speech Chamberlain the umbrella man professed great indignation at the evil course of his Munich boy-friend. Hitler, so well-meaning at Munich, has become “a thrice-perjured traitor.” But Chamberlain is indignant, not that Hitler has dismembered and despoiled Czechoslovakia, but that it was done without Chamberlain being made privy to Hitler’s plans. “Surely,” says Britain’s peace-bringer premier, “I was entitled to consulta— tion. Instead of that he has taken the law into his own hands.” This is the sore spot; for by so doing, Hitler has shown to the people of Britain the kind of allies with whom Chamberlain has linked them and their brigand purposes. And it is almost impossible for Chamberlain to offset the bad effects of Hitlers madhouse movements. In the language of the side- walk peddlars, Hitler is ‘queering the pitch.” This is what Chamberlain is sore at Hitler for, not for the rape of democracy. This is why the reactionary press must try to save Chamberlain’s face. The London Times, so-called Conscription independent, but through = Gol. J. J. Astor and the Coming Cliveden set, an official organ of Chamberlain, was the first paper to ad- vance the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia as a means of appeasing the Nazi wolves, and as a policy of the Chamberlain government. Old re-— tired naval and military nobs refer to that paper as the Thunderer. It has been spoken of as the Blunderer, but it has not been blundering when it advanced as feelers what afterwards became the government policy. Today the Times indicates Chamberlain’s next step in the smothering of de- mocracy in Britain, conscription to fight for Cham- berlain and his support of fascist bandits and thugs. There is only one answer: out with Chamberlain and no support for his policies from Canada. Bring: all the pressure we can on Mackenzie King to com- pel him fo cut loose from the Chamberlain orbit.