Red lape Slashed, Old Hotel Will Be Opened -
Veteran “Occupation” Gains Quick Action On Hos:

Lease Signed, As Ottar
Bows To Demonstrati

. Action to force a solution of the deadlock.

Vancouver witnessed the most dramatic serie
happenings seen in Vancouver since unemploye
young men of the city moved into the Post Of

in 1935.

The Citizen’ Ss Rehabilitation Council executive

Presence of Ian Mackenzie in
Vancouver was assured by the
unanimous decision of New Vet-
erans’ Branch 168, Canadian Le- s :
gion, to move into the hotel on| lowing occupation a com
Saturday last. Disgusted with|W@S established which exp
the web of red tape that has| ‘determination to hold the
snarled up proceedings, and pro-|282!mst any moves which x
testing against procrastination | develop to oust them, and
on the part of civic, provincial fying responsibility as Square |
and federal authorities, veterans placed on all levels of gover
moved six hundred strong on the|™ent. The committee issued _
hotel, creating a situation which | 7esolution on Sunday 0

° ° demanded instant action by au- which stated in part:—

The City Ceuncil said it ‘could - not be done, Ottawa - was adamant, the CPR frostier than | thorities and assuring the per- lan veterans occupying
5 . , isi inister, Hotel Vancouve :

Vancouver in January. These boys just marched in and the picture changed overnight. i Me ce, chess arene the problem of opereune t
from. many-quarters in the past| building as a hostel is the:
for his seeming disinterest in the | Sponsibility of
plight of homeless Vancouver bodies of all levels, civic, |

Red Baiting Attack Fizzles, Veteran |" 2 °sccwe nove eximinay en ee.

ed a campaign in which Labor-! settle down to wait for sig

* © Progressive Party veterans and : a, ee }

eaders Give Support [fo Austin Delany |i:ci sic tact en moor | eich, ean, ee |
Y played an import-| quickly came when a represen |

ant part, while responsibility! tive from the Department

An attempt by Lewis MacDonald, red-baiting organizer of the Mount Pleasant New | WS passed between the CPR and | Veterans’ Affairs, George D
Veterans’ Branch, to disrupt and sabotage occupation of the Old Hotel Vancouver on| ‘iit; Provincial and federal au- i
Tuesday this week, was sharply repudiated by spokesmen for all veterans’ organizations thorites ane. eon a the was informed that the Minis).
|taking part in the occupation. Charges were directed at Austin Delany, LPP city organ- hotel “stood empty “public in. Tan Mackenzie, would aia
izer, who was a member of the top committee of the occupation forces, and whose leader- | dignation prodded by the grow- he would we 1 cea
ship and initiative were recognized by all spokesmen as a contributing factor to the| ing discontent at government in- senting ine, prc

he occupation. = ; i i i
success of the occup lack of political tie-ups, the New | carried out, every problem in Can- action, rose to Soar Hin one ian j;and the Canadian Legion :
Jack Henderson, Provincial| Veterans’ were prepared to with-| ada could be solved in twenty- the hotel increased & vincial Command.

President of the Canadian Le-| draw. four hours. What I wish to ask HOUSING CRISIS
gion, condemned MacDonald,j Jack Purcell, Executive com-| Lew MacDonald is, is he, or is| ORGANIZATION FORCED ACTION

ti that “ cannot take too mittee member, stated that “if The occupation force of vet- Sst
stating “that “we », | the example of cooperation shown (Continued on Page 7) erans which took over the hotel, | ,, ements to the press S
much cognizance of MacDonald.” | in occupying the hotel could be See MacDONALD efficiently proceeded to organize e Executive Committee of»

occupying force indicated t
Restaurants Gladly Aided the Invaders the move was the dirett

of general displeasure at
conditions under which vyeter
have been forced to live 8
their return from the servi’
Cases were cited of veteE
leaving unheated rooms wi
sanitary facilities to jein
invading force of veterans.
were made to call a meeting
organizations representing e

He pointed out that MacDonald

himself had planned a march on
the Hotel Vancouver which had
not received favorable support
from Legion officials. Paying
tribute to the initiative and lead-
ership shown by Delany in the
early stages of thé hotel occu-
pation, Henderson said: “Any
young man of such character and
determination as young Delany
ought to be supported for such
action and not condemned.” He
charged that Lewis MacDonald
“soes off the deep end quite
“frequently.”

in the eventuality of furthi
crastination.

. QUICK FEDERAL ACT
B. Isman, president New Vet- ~
erans’- Branch, addressing the
meeting made a sharp rebuttal
of MacDonald’s charges stating
that “this is a movement of vet-
erans with no political tieup with
any group.” He scored MacDon-
ald’s outburst as “the cheapest
trick in the ranks of the Le-
gion,” stating that anything
which tended to smash the vet-
erans in their determination to
hold the hotel constituted sabot-
age, and indicated that the New
Veterans’ Branch should take ac-
tion against MacDonald. Isman
invited a public inspection ‘of the
Hotel stating that if adequate
proof ‘could not be “given ofthe

PACIFIC ADVOCATE—PAGE 2 "FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, e|

information was released i
press that arrangements |
been made to transfer the li! |
of the Hotel from the arm}
the Vancouver Citizen’s Rehé
itation Committee. The Az!
lease on the hotel was due t |
pire January 31, and the se
of the hotel not used by the
partment of Veterans’ 4
| would have been ‘without 4.
light, or water. Arrangem
were made, however, bet
the Veterans Committee and

os _ (Continued, on Page De
See OLD HOTEL