10 Maintaining National Unity "7 °HE measuring rod by which political parties and individuals must be judged is whether they ad- vance or retard the unfold- ing of the Teheran agree- ments, Tim Buck, national leader of the Labor-Progressive Party, told a meeting of the partys national committee in Toronto last weekend: “We have a vital job to do,” Buck stated. “That job is to show the people of Canada the glowing possibilities opened up at Tehe- ran, the somber alternative Which faces us if we fail to carry through policies in accord with the Teheran agreement, and the measures upon which it is possible to maintain national unity. 2 “Qur members who have been elected to public office will bring this forward at every opportun- ity. All of us will strive to see that the job is done. _ Our fight today is for poli- cies. We will judge parties and individuals by their attitude to- ward such policies. When a do- minion election is held) we shall Strive to ensure that the govern- ment elected is the one which provides the best assurance that it will carry through policies in accord with the Teheran agree- ment, policies of social progress and full employment at home on the basis of international €0-Op- eration and mutual aid in re- Pairing the devastation abroad. “ele of the Labor-Progressive Party will fight for such a policy “and give support to any govern- ‘Magent which carries it through. We are sure that the overwhelm- ing majority of Canadians will realize, as a result of their own experience, that the path that Was opened at Teheran is the path by which mankind can marelr forward to lasting peace, postwar prosperity and demo- cratie progress.” The new perspective that has opened up since the Teheran conferences, Buck said, “will compel every political party to review its proposals for war and postwar policy.” “Each political party? he de- clared, “must accept part re- sponsibility for strengthening national unity now, during the erucial days of the war, and for enacting the iegislation indicat- ed’ in the speech from the throne. Rejecting any suggestion that the war must automatically be followed by economic Crises, Buck pointed out: “The test by which the policies of parties and the statements of their leaders will be judged in the period ahead is: “Do they strengthen national unity for vic- tory now, and do they offer reasonable assurance of jobs for all in the postwar reconstruction of the world?’ Domestic and foreign policies in accord with the agreement arrived at in Te- heran will ensure those objec- tives. ‘first essential for national unity in Canada was drastic revision of the federal govern- ment’s labor and wage policies, . Buck said, continuing: “The open opposition to poli- eles based upon the Teheran agreement comes from reaction- ary interests striving for narrow selfish advantage. These interests are powerful in the United States and in Britain and they have their supporters in high places in Canada .. .” These are the “powerful inter- ests seeking to secure control. of - Canada so as to get back to poli- cies similar to those which pre- yailed before the war,” which are behind “the widespread pro- paganda which misrepresents In this report of his speech to the national committee meeting of the eae sive Party, Tim Buck declares all parties and persons must be juage by their attitude to the Teheran Concord the labor movement—the propa- ganda which represents the CIO as a destructive force; the lying propaganda about a ‘Communist plot? to call a general strike at the end of the war; the propa- ganda which pretends that ‘free enterprise’ is in danger in Can- ada and strives to divide our people over the artificially cre- ated issue of ‘Socialism versus free enterprise’.” These interests also consti- tute the “political center of all the propaganda raising doubts and suspicions about relation- ships between the USSR and other allied nations and sowing distrust and opposition to the idea ef continuing co-operation with the Soviet Union in the postwar period.” Powerful groups, Buck said, “still base their attitude upon the aim of securing imperalist advantage out of the war. .. . This attitude is most clearly indicated in the narrow, jingo- istic, anti-foreign, anti-Soviet dia- tribes of a section of the press, exemplified: by the Toronto Even- ing Telegram and similar papers in French and English.” ECLARING that “it would be folly to ignore the obstacles” to international co-operation, Buck said: . “The conclusive -reason for SUCHEN PojylUM Fo UwoMenuTUOD unity and cooperation after the Axis has been defeated is the awful prospect of economic cha- os, civil war and a third world war which will probably engulf the world if the Tehéran agree- ment is not carried through. — “Irresponsible elements, in- cluding several spokesmen and publications of the CCF, mis- represent proposals for national unity based upon the Teheran agreement as a betrayal of so- cialism. Their assertions are ab- solutely false. They reveal a failure to understand the his- toric, all-sided, world-embracing character of the struggle for secialism. ~- “The reconstruction of Europe, with the people of all nations enjoying the right freely to elect governments of their own choice, will be the immediate decisive - need when victory is won. With- out that there can be no hope for durable political advance in the discernible future. Studied in the light of facts the Teheran agreement stands out as the sole basis for durable peace and con- tinued progress after the war. “Domestie policies based upon the perspective of world progress through socialist-capitalist coop- eration in aiding the liberated nations as envisaged in the Tehe- ran agreement, can be assured only by a large measure of na- tional unity. This imposes solemn obligations upon all classes, all political parties and all sections of Canada’s people. ~ Stating that it “will be neces- sary to fight for national unity in Canada after the war, Buck observed: “The leyel of economic activity and national income necessary to provide reasonable assurance of a job for every man, woman and youth who wants work; prosperity for farmers and ur- ban middle class people; and Social security for ali—this can be maintained only through poli- cies deliberately based upon the cooperation and possibilities en- visaged in the Teheran agree- ment. Such policies will be car- ried through in Canada only if national unity is maintained on the basis of a frank recognition of the fact that the prospect is for continuation of capitalist relationships during the postwar years. “To frankly recognize and em- phasize that the post-war pros- pect is for continuation of capi- talist relations in Canada does not mean to give up our ultimate objective of socialism. On the contrary, the first requirment of a serious approach to the struggle for socialism is the abil- ity see the objective political realities of the existing situation and to grapple with those reali- HON TAA W hat Do Opinions contained in these columns are strictly those of the writers: We welcome correspondence, but ask that letters be held to 300 words. _ LTC Out of Line P. CG. Munro, 1060 East Avenue, Vancouver, writes: Amazing things are happening these days, but the most amazing of all is ©’ Bill’s column regard- ing recent accidents on the street cars! It is very evident: that the policy of The People (in allow- ing such an article to be pub- lished) is completely out of line with realities. If the workers’ paper wanted an authentic article on the above question, they would do well to ask for the facts from some member of the Street Railwaymen’s Union. One of the greatest men now living said that theory without 11th practice is barren: that is the proper word for that article and proves beyond a doubt that people who sit in an office have not the faintest idea of what the motorman of a streetcar has to contend with in these trying times. I hope you will see to it that these statements are retracted. ABW Issue Ken Richards, member of New Westminster Local, Amalgamated Building Workers of CGanada, writes: The question agitating the minds of members of the Amal- Samated Building Workers these months past—that of affiliating You Think ? LETTERS from OUR READERS CAAT with the Canadian Congress of Labor and participating in the Shipyard and General Workers Wederation, has at last reached a stage where only the members can render a decision. They not only can make the decision, but they must. The action of the ABW execu- tive board in expelling Brothers Anderson and Smith has actually been a service to the members, for now the choice between pro- gress and unity, on reaction and disunity must be made once and for all. The question is not a new one, but is as old as trade unionism itself. History is full of examples of reactionary lead- ers entrenched in positions, pre- ferring to ignore the fact that an idea has been reached and must be accepted and dealt with, and turning instead to wornout theories of “patriotism”—of “all- Canadian unionism”’”—always the last refuge of those who have no case. Whether Brothers Anderson end.Smith are, have been or will be Communists, seems to be en- lirely beside the point. I fail to see that political prejudices should be allowed to cloud the issue of building a stronger trade union in B.C. and eventually in Ganada. It has never been a erime for a local union to cen- sure delegates sent to a conven- tion to support resolutions en- dorsed by that local and failing to obey their instructions. If fhese reasons are to be used by the executive for a purge, or heresy hunt, then it is evident that the ABW will decline sharp- ly in membership in the next few ‘months. “The Wartime Wage Control Order, which is being fought so hard by trade unionists these past few weeks, is no more dic- tatorial than the behavior of the ABW executive, and both will serve the same end of weakening the trade working class and pay- ing the way for a return of the “hungry thirties.” The leadership of -the ABW have a splendid opportunity to raise. the name and prestige of the union to new levels and put us in the vanguard of progress and unity, but the sands of time are running fast and soon they will have lost the chance to be labor statesmen and become just labor “bosses,’ and our union will drift from a healthy condi- tion to one of stagnation, exist- ing only at the sufferenace of the employers who will use it for their own ends. Mrs. Rolston Edith Franklin, Victoria, writes: One could hardly credit any woman in this enlightened age with the statement “‘woman’s place is in the home’, unless that ‘woman was knowingly or un- knowingly echoing the purpose of reactionary elements in Can- ada. The only other alternative would be to put the statement down to ignorance or unintelli- gence and yet one would hardly expect a woman of Mrs. Tilly Rolston’s position to be either. Remarks in this trend are warnings to women to bestir themselves; to realize before it is too late that we can achieve our complete freedom, but only if we voice our protests to such reac- tionary poison in a voice that will swell and echo from one end of the country to the other. Only when we, as individuals, make ourselyes heard both indi- vidually and collectively will we achieve our freedom, taking our rightful place in the political and economic life of our country. ties in the manner that is ealculated to strengthen working class. & “That is the answer alsc : those who imagine that to | vocate national unity is to § vocate class collaboration.” NE of the major obstacle: National unity around cies calculated to solve the lem of jobs and security in i spirit of the Teheran agree ‘socia: 999 versus free enterprise’, is the false issue of Said, peinting out that this % issue is seized upen by reac: ary forces to cloak their op) 4} fion to social security and © vancement of the people. “The CCF leaders play intc hands of the reactionaries | econ: | their prophecies of chaos, their description of { Cwn program-of reforms as cialism, by their that they will introduce ‘soc; planning’ if they are elected, § their supposed plan to ‘soci the country’ province by tif ince.” ers “that when the war is Canada will, almost automai ‘} ly, revert back to the condi 8 Their ‘ff tude and proposals would be | tified only if capitalism wer |} the verge of collapse in Can: is But “it is not on the verg j; of 1939—or worse.” collapse, and there is no evid to suggest that it will be ai jy end of the war.” The CCF leaders’ “practic |B placing every proposal in — setting. of their supposed to introduce ‘socialist plan § weakens the popular pre @ for reforms. It tends to is # the minority, whereas what f needed are policies and pr ® als which will help to unit #@ those who are for democrati forms and isolate the rear aries.” Boos declared that “estaj. {8 ment of socialism in Gz is not the immediate issue.’ ebjective conditions for a s ist transformation of the : *¥ system “have not yet develo and the majority of Cana “are not yet ready to supp fundamental transformatior the national economy.’ The LPP leader that “the issue of national ¢ in Canada is ‘social progress sus reaction, not socialism: sus capitalism.’ And “dex tions that we are going to ‘socialist planning’ after the Dominion election divide the forees which s; be united in the struggle for © ocratiec progress.” Facts such as these, Buck i “make it necessary to give to frank criticism of some o | anti-unity, anti-United Na anti-Soviet propaganda sprez © some spokesmen of the CCE “We have tried consistent bring about a measure oi operation between ourselves | the CCF,” he said. ‘“We shall tinue to do so. the left-wing to exert some ocratiec influences upon CCE f icies by mutual discussion grettably, the leadership o CCF rejects all proposals ir # declaraj © ters Such rele ships would make it possibl Hu The position of the CCF } / emphe {& direction. They tend to mak flai CCF an anti-United Nations # as well as an anti-unity for Canadian polities. “We must eall member upon come a constructive force i 8eneral struggle for human ress, to do what he or shi @ do to bring about a chan; these policies expressed bY Bic} tezders of the CGF” of the CCF, who Reis cerely desires to see the CU {i