THE PEOPLE

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119 West Pender Street, Wancouver. B.C. Telephone: MArine 6929.

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Victory in 1943

WAS, in the opinion of the Daily Province, a piece of
impertinence for the Communists, at their provincial con-
vention this week, to send a wire to Prime Minister Churehill
urging the opening of a second front in Western Europe. This,
according to the Daily Province, ‘comes with singularly poor
grace from the members of a party which has long been in
the black books and is now seeking to reestablish itself in the
public confidence.” -

Aside from the fact that the Province, more than a year
ago, editorially demanded the lifting of the ban on the Com-
munist Party of Canada and by so doing indicated that to
a great number of Canadians, at least, the Communists were
not in the “black books,’ and indeed, enjoyed considerable
public confidence, we would like to hazard a sizeable bet that
within the next few weeks or months the Province will admit
that in this case the Communists were right again.

For the Province has been consistently behind general pub-
lic opinion on a whole number of issues surrounding this war.

The Communists were charged with impertinence in 1938
and 1939 when they stated that Chamberlain and the other
WMauinichmen were feeding the Nazi monster through their ap-
peasement policies. The Province presently admitted this to
be correct. The Communists were regarded as being almost
naive for their faith in the power and fighting ability of the
Red Army. The Province now outdoes itself in fulsome praise
for the feats of the Soviet Union’s land, sea and air forces.
In January of 1942, when the Communists in Canada and other
countries were the first to raise the issue of the second front
as the only way to an early defeat of Hitler, the Province pond-
erously indignant at this new ‘impertinence,’ rebuked the ‘sec-
ond fronters’ and other ‘armchair strategists’ who dared to ad-
dress advice to the leaders of democracy. Yet before the end
of that year its editorial writers were doing a little enthusi-
-astic predicting themselves about Hitler’s defeat, based on
the assurance of both Churchill and Roosevelt that a second
front would be opened to ease the burden on the shoulders
of the Red Army.

And now the Province, late as usual, thinks the Commun-
ists have committed another “impertinence” by insisting on
an immediate military offensive that everyone but a few ob-
structionists agree is not only necessary but the only strategy
that can defeat Hitler this year.

The Province argues that in any case there is a second
front in effect right now—in Sicily—while the air assault on
Germany by Allied bombers could actually be called a “third
front.” It is mere speculation for the Province to assume that
this air assault has already done more damage to Nazi striking
power than “any army of a million could do.” And im any
ease, such damage as has been inflicted by bombing will only
figure in any long-range program.

What is being debated, and this is what the Communists
maintain, is the probability that opening of the second front
in Western Europe now will bring victory in 1943. Even the
Eeovince’ front page headline of Wednesday conceded this
act. :

What is the relation of forces at present? The Red Army
is engaging some 211 German divisions. The Allies in Sicily
are facing only two Nazi divisions and several already-de-
moralized Italian divisions. The strategy of the second front
is to force Hitler to disengage at least a quarter of his eastern
divisions for action in the West. That would leave the Red
Army with such a preponderance of power that the Wehr-
macht could be driven in disorder back across the borders of
Russia. All this is not mere speculation. It is a sober estimate,
based on the opinions of our own Allied leaders.

Actually, it is a piece of impertinence for the Province to
suggest that Canadian citizens have no right to speak their
fears and their desires to their war leaders. It was Wendell
Willkie, speaking in almost the same connection, who once
declared that our war leaders “might need some public prod-
ding.” It is regrettable that “public prodding” for a second
front.should be necessary at this late hour. It is still more
regrettable that the Province should attempt to deny any
political party’s democratic right to express an opinion on the
best way to gain victory over Hitler.

Marshal \X/ho Can

No Longer Make War

ARSHAL BADOGLIO is exasperating the Italian people
by his delays and indecision in throwing the Axis pact

overboard and concluding peace.

One day he threatens to do

that, and the next day he retreats. He talks of continuing
the war but he is constantly thinking of the means of treating

for peace.

Badoglios game is that of
juggler which may take a bad
turn. For his government of po-
litical ineapacity, which repre-
sénts a mute and soulless buroc-
racy tainted by fascism, and for
his king as well, Badoglio is play-
ing a clumsy game. s

He was planning to take the
interior situation in hand te traf-
fic with Berlin and the Allies to
arrange advantageous conditions;
but this game of an old fox has
failed. The only real result ob-
tained was that Badoglio has end-
ed up by imposing new wars on a
people who were already tired of
them before Mussolini's fall.

Unfortunately for Badoglio and
his king the Italian people will
accept neither a little war nor
skirmishes, for they would take
place on Italian territory and no
longer at E] Alamein or in Tun-
jsia. The Italians chased Musso-
lini out to haye peace, to end
bombardments and destruction, to
stop the frightful and useless
slaughter from which only the
Germans profit.

Marshal Badoglio was victim of
the illusions that all he had to do
was to show his gold-festooned
uniform in order to change the
spirit of the people and the army.
But it has no effect. On the con-
trary, the civil population as well
as the military in Italy saw. above
all in Mussolini's departure a
chance to get out of the war.

In the peninsula at this moment
nothing is more hated than the
war party, woich for everyone is
synonymous with fascism. dic-
tatorship and disaster.

It would be unfair to Badoglio,
who is a realistic man, to affirm
that he nourishes illusions as to a

_ possible military redress and a

German victory. There can be no
question of that. Badoglio would
have been capable of continuing
hostilities for some time longer,
if for nothing more than to pre-
pare the ground for a more hon-
orable capitulation. To the men-
tality of a general who has been
touched by fascist doctrines, the
sacrifice of another hundred thou-
sand men to arrive at a dead end
would be an enticing spectacle.

But his great misfortune comes
from the fact that in the country
of Italy nine persons out of ten
see clearly that the war cannot
be continued. On the one hand
the Germans cannot reinforce the
Italian front, and on the other
the army and the people have
struck against the war. A decree
or saying “I wish” is not suffici-
ent to line up Badoglio’s troops at
the risk of being the first target
of his little war.

The government of the king and
Badoglio has tightened the noose
too much to risk breaking it “at
the first move. To be set against
fhe Allies makes the Italians
angry and gives courage to the
Germans. One of these days, if

this comedy of double play does
mot come to an end, Badoglio will

= wake up between three fires —

attack on the south from the Al-
lies, invasion on the north by the
Germans and popular revolt
within the country. In that case
the government and monarchy
would be interred with a first
elass funeral, without too many
fancy speeches. Mussolini’s suc-
eessor and the sovereign father
and protector of a fascist regime
for 20 years would never be able
{to prevent this debacle.

Is Marshal Badoglio inclined to
try this game? I doubt it. It weuld
be useless for one to reach his

. venerable age only to act like a

child who has just received a
spanking from his mother. No!
Badoglio would at least want to be
shown as controlling the interior
situation in order to treat with
the Allies for the purpose oi at-
tempting the redoubtable task of
saving some of the remnants of
the fascist regime, certain chiefs
like the adventurer Dino Grandi
who stabbed Mussolini in the
back; and of fortifying himself
against the popular demand for a
constituent assembly to which
would fall the task of deciding the
type of state best suited to the
interests of the Italian nation. In
short. Badoglio is a conscientious
liquidator who would like to be
able to save the housefurnishings
and the building.

The dream of a scatter-brain! A
popular democratic revolution is
ripening in Italy which will de-
stroy the root of the fascist re-
gime and pose the problem of a
truly democratic constitution. The
first phase of this great move-
ment is nearly ended, but neither
Badoglio or the king will be able
to prevent the second.

Italy, and this is indisputable
to all civilized nations, is mareh-
ing toward real democracy as the
guarantee against a return of the
War party and adventures in con-

-quest which have dragged the
country to the edge of an abyss.
And that is what Badoglio and
his king should understand, not
only in order to give the country
a quick peace but also as a sub-
stantial guarantee that the recon-
struction of a free Italy is un-
qualifiedly wished even by high
circles.

Badoglio’s delays are then but
the consequence of the reaction-
ary Italian clique’s feelings at
seeing the people put into effect
their sacred right to take in their
own hands the national flag
which has been trailed in blood
and mud by fascism with the com-
plicity of the king. But the fears
of a few dozen parasites who de-
livered Italy to Germany do not
constitute a valid reason for pre-
venting the awakening of an ar-
dent people who have the right
to resume their place at the side
of the free nations.

W ar Industry Grows

MOSCOW.

Tank production in the So-
viet Union has increased by 38
per cent since last year, and is
still increasing.

Disclosing this in an article,
Emelyon Yaroslaysky, famous
Soviet publicist, re-affirmed
that the Soviet home front is
“frm and unshakable.”

“A gigantic programme of
essential war industries has
been successfully carried out,”
he says.

“In addition, new railway
lines and canals have been
built to facilitate the gigantic
trafffie of troops and arms to
the front. Production on the
land is also very satisfactory.”

my mind many laugha’
dents in the labor history «
province. There was ;
calling itself the Soci
party and only those who
gifted with a sense of | j
eould appreciate its antics
the working class, howeyer, }
were tragic. The letter rel
to was written by a man
labelled himself “Press Ce
tee—Socialist Labor Party.”

A party is generally sup
to have a following. Not so,
ever, the SLP. Followers o
self-styled party are about 2
as the proverbial snowfial
hell. Its members never a”
time numbered more than —
hundred out of the 130 milli
more people who live ij
United States and Canada.
of these members, howevyel
followers; they are all leadei

The head and front of the —
in its heyday, when it had —
four members in Vancouvel
Dan De Leon. Under De i
suidance it diverted the |
movement from reyolutic
helping to orgarize ‘revolub.
unions,’ like the Socialist T
and Labor Alliance which
into the IWW, which in tur
came anarchist.

“The SLP, like the Englis
istocrats, has a crest whic
pears on all its literature, ar
and hammer, like a well-k
brand of washing soda. The
mer is well selected. It 7 |
knocking. And this is the ©
function of this alleged }
knocking all other worki
organizations and the *&
Union.

It claims to be a revolute
organization but its concep
a revolution is a very St
one; the revolution must 00)
ate any commotion. It mu
noiseless: in fact, it shoul
wake the baby.

Years Late
ACCOR as to the SLF
the revolution will ste
the United States, that bein -
most highly developed capi
country in the world. The
apparently never heard of
happened in Russia 26 year
or what has happened anys
else since. ,

Tt is only natural then, tha
1embers of the SLP, jealot
the self-proclaimed virtuosi
their principles, do not deig
argue with other bodies of%
ing class thought or spoke
for them. Their whole arsent
assault on others consists 0:
uperation, villification_ and
der, in line with their
knocker hammer.

This was the whole tenor 0
letter which dealt with what
probably a printer’s error in
nection with Salsberg’s nol
tion in Toronto. ae

Nor are they above indu
in a little voluntary stoolpi
work on the side. The “press
mittee” responsible fer the !
(which calls itself Paul Debr
indulges in this pleasure ©
it writes: “The Communist |
(wearing a ‘popular front |
of Communist Labor Total
Committee).”

If there was anything tc
SLP we might reason with ”
but it is not even a sect
about as Consequential as
Seven Tailors of Tooley Sit