6

American-Soviet F riendship Forged on Airfields

U.S. Planes Take-off ‘Somewhere

By R. A. DAVIES
MOSCOW

It was indeed a dramatic
moment, when, with other corre-
spondents I reached the enor-
mous landing field “somewhere
in the Soviet Union,” built by
the Russians for the American
air forces of the Hastern Com-
mand, just in time to see emerg-
ing from the murky horizon the

fantastic outlines of one of
America’s proudest weapons
against the enemy — heavy.

bombers. They came on( their
motors roaring, over the field,
filling the space of this luscious
-land about rebounding from the
ruins of a nearby city, squadron
after squadron, until their
shapes created’a. castlelike de_
sign in the sky. One received
the impression of great power.

Then gracefully peeling off
from formations, they ‘came
down one after another. I sat

in a tent opposite the one where
they flyers were briefed as they
were brought from the field by

trucks. And more than an hour
after the first plane landed, the
roar of oters still continued, as
they majestically circled the
field waiting for their turn to
down.

Appropriately enough the
first craft to land was named
“Yankee Doodle.’ As it rolled
to stop in front of the landing
apron General Dmitri D. Gren:
dal, assistant commander (in-
telligence) of the Red Army
Forces, walked up to the door
of the plane, smiling broadly.
As the roar of the motors. died
down, from this door emerged a
high ranking American officer,
who extended his hand for a
warm clasp and then, without
hesitation walked Straight up
to another Soviet commander,
Major-General Permenoy, whom
he had never met, and presented
him with a medal—the Legion of
Merit on behalf of the president
of the United States.

* * *

The raid over Detrecen in
Hungary, in which the crew of

Men and women who helped build her watch the launching

of the SS Westend Park,

300th freighter built in Canada

since the start of the war at a Vancouver shipyard.

Fergus‘ McKean Will Make
Extended Tour of Interior

Fergus McKean, provincial leader of the Labor-Pro-
gressive Party will leave Vancouver next week for an ex-
tended tour of interior points where he will address public
meetings on the subject of “A Liberal-Labor Coalition

What does it Mean?’

MicKean’s itinerary is as fol-
lows:
Kamloops, Sunday, July 16;
Malakwa, Monday, July 17;
, Revelstoke, Tuesday, July 18;
Enderby Wednesday, July 19
Vernon, Thursday, July 20;
Kelowna, Friday, July 21;
Trail, Sunday, July 23:
Nelson, Monday, July 24;
Wynndel, Tuesday, July 25;

Cranbreok, Wednesday, July
Michel, Thursday, July 27;
Fernie, Friday, July 28:
Kimberley, Sunday, July 30;
South Slocan, Mon., July 31;
Grand Forks, Tues., Aug. 1;
Osoyoos, Wed. August 2;
Penticton, Thurs., Aug. 3;
Copper Mountain, Friday,
August. 4.

this and of all other planes par-
ticipated, was a2 complete suc-
cess.

Only one plane was lost of
many hundreds that partici-
pated in this and diversionary
raids, some of them performed
by, Squadrons that returned to
their bases in Italy.

Coming to the Soviet Union
Was a great event for the boys.
There was searcely one of them
who didn’t feel he was partici-
pating in an important event.
But history is made in small
fragments. Said the young
Johnstown pilot: “History?
What history? Everybody says
we-ve made it, but I don’t see
it.” But just the same he ad-
mitted: “landing in “Russia is
something different.” “I have
never seen a more friendly at-
titude,” commented Lieutenant
Albert M. Jaroff from Portland,
Oregon. “Russian spirit to Am-
ericans,” he said, “is unequalled
anywhere in the world.” It was
Jaroff who made the following

interesting observations about
the role of American air force
men in the Soviet Union:

“We aren’t just here to fight
Germans,’ he said. “We're here
also to represent America like
diplomats, you know. And to
show what Americans are really
like.”

* * * +
American bomber crews have
become the sensation in the city
near. which some bases were lo-
eated. And boys are learning
fast. : :
In the town one evening we
passed a statue which had been
blown up by the Germans. In
front of it stood two very younge
machine gunners who looked at
it with puzzlement. “Now, why
do you suppose the Germans
destroyed this statue?” I heard
the younger one say to his com-
panion. His friend shrugged his
shoulders. “I don’t know,” he

said. “I don’t see any reason for _

it.
We deliberately stopped near

in Soviet Unio

these two to tell them whs
Germans did to Soviet citie
why they did it, and we
actually see the boys wer
eredulous that such #
should happen. f

But Bombardier Sy
from Glendale, Long Islan
take but one example, soon
things in their proper light
ter observing some ruins ar
the city, he paid: “You kn
really believe these Ger
aren’t people at all?

it is quite possible, fre

‘purely military point of -

the American bases in the
viet Union won’t be decisiy,
the achievement of victory.
they wall contribute greatly
doubted. But their gre:
service of all lies in the
that they are bringing A
ican and Soviet people ¢
together, and laying fi:
foundations not only. for |
work of destroying ith
Germany, but also establis
the basis for a secure and pe
ful postwar world.

Librarians Cone: Union Affiliation

White Collar Workers Organiz

While trade union membership in basic industries
surged upward since the beginning of the war,
among wihiuite collar workers who, noting gains
steps to organize their own unions and to affiliat

recognized trade union councils.

North Vancouver civic em-
ployees, members of the North
Vancouver Civic Employees Fed-
eration, have won a union shop
agreement with North Vancou-
ver Municipality, it was an-
nounced last week.

According to William Black,
president of the B.C. Joint Coun-
cil of Public Employees, this is
the third union shop contract
to be signed with a municipality
in British Columbia. The other
two centers with such agree-
ments of- Burnaby with a
closed shop and Surrey with a
union shop.

Vancouver civic employees
have been fighting for a closed
shop agreement for more than
a year, but have met with little
co-operation from WVancouver’s
non-partisan city council. Ap-
plication has been made by
workers for a conciliation board
to argue its claim that all its
present members, or those who
join in future, must retain their
membership as a condition of
employment. :

Among: the earlier groups to
consider affiliation to labor
were school teachers, organized
into the B.C. Teachers Federa-
tion, who, in several stormy
convention sessions, finally de-
cided to recommend to all af-
filiates that they consider af-
filiation with the Trades and
Labor Congress of Canada. This
was a long step forward for the
teachers for, by making such
a decision, they repudiated a
minority viewpoint which had
long prevailed that teachers, as
professional people, should hold
themselves aloof from the rest
of the community.

Many younger teachers leaped
to the convention floor in pro-
test last December against suct
opinions, declaring that “the
greatest ally of the teaching pro-
fession is organized labor .. .
we need the help the unions
offer us.”

Then, too, teachers compared

their wages with the much high-
er paychecks of organized
skilled workers in industry. Or:
ganization, they agreed, brought
higher wages and higher wages
brought higher standards to the
profession.

The advantages of the step
are already apparent, for the
school teachers have been able
to enlist the support of other
unions in their program for
higher salaries and improved
educational standards as a
result of their having a di-
rect voice in labor’s councils.

Folowing the lead of the
teachers, an even more cautious
group of white collar and pro-
fessional workers, the librarians,
have turned their attention to
the question of affiliation.

At the recent convention of
the British Columbia Library
Association librarians listened
with interest to speakers from
the Teachers Federation and to
Birt Showler, president of Van-
couver Trades and Labor Goun-
cil, E. S. Robinson, Vancouver
librarian, who has consistently
fought for improved library
services, also addressed. the
meeting, and the convention
passed a resolution recom-
mending that the matter of af-
filiation be voted upon by mem-

bers within the next three
months.
Organization among office

TIE RY OT OO

throughout British Columbia
a similar upward trend is notices
made by industrial workers, are tak
e white collar groups already set up vi

workers, strong in the Un
States and growing here, is.
new to the labor scene.
the latest group to organize
seek affiliation with CEO of
workers are the insurance sa
men here, who have now org
ized their own union and rey
that it is growing: quickly. ¥i
a large potential membershiy
is campaignins among of.
unionists for their support,, °
urging the slogan, “Buy y
insurance from a man wit!
union button.”

Impetus has been given
the drive for organizat
among the white collar gro
on two points:

First, the profession
groups have watched orga
ized workers in other fiel
boost their wages to dece
levels and improve their li
ing conditions, while wag.
and conditions for professic
als often remained at pi
war levels.

Second, préfessional grou
have seen that the organizi
strength of workers on #
production front has enabli
unionists to take a fuller pa
in the winning of the war.

Through unions, professio.
people can organize their efto:
much more efficiently, they fé
both on their own behalf a
in their support of the war.

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