ity

CLASS STRUGGLE

The Editor, Pacific Tribune:
isn’t there a law against it,
er is the law only for the law-
makers? Anyway, one still has
some rights as te private prop-
erty here in Canada, and I con-
sider my own gate post my pri-
wate property, therefoge entitled
to take a Union placard in sup-
port of the strike, and not have
some sneak come along under
cover of darkness (they haven’t
courage of their own convictions)
and rip that card off, as was
done to my gate last night.
Well, it just goes to show
yqu, that altho our boys fought
the fight over in Europe, guess
we all have to dig in and stamp
out the vicious beast that has
been doing a slumber act right
here in Caneda, till such time
as now when this IWA _ strike
creps up, and altho the loggers
are out to better their own liv-
ing conditions as well as a fight
fer Union Security, some stupid
teels of the boss class, cannot
see that in such a struggle we
better conditions of the worlk-
ers everywhere.
Willions died over
that we might live, not under
the yoke of tyranny and ignor-
ance, but in a Democratic world,
and right here in Canada, we
who benefit from those gallant
Sacrifices, must dig in and fight,
too, against the very, beast that
Hitierism created, for it dares
to spread its tentacles like unto
@ giant octupus, over all it sees
and covets. And ignorance and
hete and superstition are breed-

in Europe,

ing grounds for fascism, Ca-
_nmadian brand and we are
not immune.

My gate post is merely a

Warning along the highway of
the great class struggle. :
VERA A. PARSONS.

PERMIT

The Editor, Pacific Tribune:
The greatest solidarity and
enthusiasm possible prevails
among the strikers in this im-
portant centre of the Island log-
ging industry. Hiveryone does
his share on the Picket lines
and many £0 out picketing even
though it is not their turn, Pic-
kets are mraintained at Jos Za-
natla’s mill, the E.R-T. road
and the bus depot. All commit-
tees are functioning, the public-
committee particularly re
ceiving considerable praise for
it’s work, At the time of writ-
Ing it has been necessary to pay
enly $1.37 in transportation cost,
although

considerable running
around has been done.
The strike is receiving great

support amongst the local busi-
mess community. Everyone is
Carrying the Union support -card
in their windows. The taxis are
charging the strikers only - half
fare. Efforts were made to re
move a truckload of lumber
from Zanatia’s mill, but the pic-

Kets were on =the job and the
lumber did not go.

A boom of logs left the E.R.T.

booming ground on Sunday
night (for Centres Bay, accord-
ing to company spokesman.)
The pickets got a boat and
2nd went out and got a des-
cription of the logs and boat.
What actually became of the
logs seems to be somewhat
doubtful here at present. When
the strike started the E.8.T.
Was asked if they wanteu a
Permit for any essential work,
but were bluntly told that the
company needed no assistance
from the Union, but in less
than 24 hours, the Superintend-
ent, Pete WHarambourn, ‘was
down to get a permit for some
finishing work on the booming
@reund and he had to take
union men to do it. “Mr. Pete”
will probably never do the same
again. Half of the pay that the
men got went to strike relief.
ivor Johnson, who looks after
a tourist camp, has, on behalf
of the owners offered free
grounds to put a strike camp
if, and when the union finds it

mecessary.
E. M. PALMGREN.

UNITY

Zhe Editer, Pacific Tribune:

As a delegate to the Second
Annual Convention of the
UFAWU, I was very impressed
by the harmony between the
two sections of this vast organ-
ization, namely the fishermen
and the shore workers.

The interest shown by each
sroup in the problems of the
other, as well as in the prob-

lems of workers in general, -was
very marked and encouraging,
and goes to prove that when
the workers get together, unite
and cooperate, gains are regis-
tered in the interests of all.

At-this convention resolutions
were adopted on many things
in the interests of labor. The
union demonstrated its aware
ness of the urgent problems
facing all workers by resolutions
on housing and the stopping of
evictions of tenants in cases
where the owners are comfort-
ably housed pending a real
housing program.

In the international area the
convention registered opposition
to the forming of any military
elliances that would divide the
united nations into opposing

bloes and prepare the way to

another world war.

The convention also called for
the unity of the labor movement
to defeat the wage-cutting and
lay-off offensive of the employ-
ers, and for a program of jobs,
homes and security in a lasting
peace.

The convention closed with x
vote of thanks to the 1945 of-
ficers for a difficult job ‘well
aone.

STELLA NICOLLETTE

STREET SALES

fhe Editor, Pacific Tribune:

Business Manager Ivan Bir-
chard deserves more than 2a
word of praise for his editorial
page article on the completion
of the financial and circulation
Grive. We were very pleased to
read his fine acknsjwledgment
of the work done by those com-
rades who contributed so much
to the success of the drive and
to the week-by-week technical
work.

In my opinion, the most sali-
ent aspect of the drive was the
inauguration of the systematic
street sales in the city. Far too
lithe emphasis has been placed
on this method of circulation.
New thousands can be reached
and won to the progressive
point of view. It is a task that
every new, and many old, mem-
bers who are not too heavily
engaged in other fields can
tackle sgeccessfully. Up to now

“we have concentrated on down-

tewn sales, but with many new
Reople involved, local commun-

ity sales should be established.

With but a score of people

now active in street sales, 2000
copies are sold each week in
this manner. An objective of

5000 weekly to be reached by
September ist, is both practical
end an absolute necessity if we
mean Seriously to tackle the job
of rallying a people’s coalition
and building a mass Marxist
party.

Our paper is improving rapid-
ly in content, but it is up to
us, party and non-party read-
ers, to forge it into the power-
ful weapon for peace and so-
cialism we will need in the big
days ahead.

JACK HOWARD.
1804 Cotton Drive, :
Vancouver, B.C.

BOOSTER

The Editor, Pacific Tribune:

I think the Pacific Tribune is
a good paper. It states the facts
without mincing words, and in
these times we need some me-
dium of clarification to brealc
through the confusion and mis-
leading propaganda of the pow-
ers-that-be.

I believe, however, the paper
could be improved with a bit
less editorializing and more news
features. As a weekly it can
hardly be a newspaper in the
strictest sense, but it can give
a weekly condensation of news
without continually reverting to
a polemic style.

This sometimes has the effect
of scaring off the timid people
who are afraid to read news
with a definite political content.
Anyhow in our part of the pro-
vince the Tribune is doing a
good job, so keep it up and
more power to your arm and
your constant readers. Z

TRIB. BOOSTER.

Kelowna.

A Sturdy Oak Of The Workingclass

By CARL PALMGREN

The ovation was tremen-
dous. Every delegate to the
2nd WNational Convention of
the Labor-Progressive Party
Was on his feet cheering.

The chairman finally tried to
end the ovation. But the con-
vention refused to be _ silenced.
Quiteness came only after that

freat workineclass leader, W. Z.-
Boster faced the convention and
motioned the delegates to their
Seats. Foster was the next speak-
er. He is the leader of the Com-
munist Party in the USA.

This was the man that after
a long and bitter struggle won
the battle against the bourgeois
illusions that Browder attempted
to impart to the -workingclass
movement on this continent. Fost-
er, after spending the best part
of his life at the service of the

workingclass, as a erowning
achievement, now. leads the
struggle for the rooting out of
revisionism within the ranks of

Jabor. z 3

He spoke to the convention with
the sturdiness of a worker—and
he is one. But every delegate
sensed the greatness of the man
as he outlined,

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — PAGE FIVE

in clear perspec-

tive, the coming battles against
the reactionary attempts of Am-
erican monopoly capital to fo-
ment another war. In calling upon
the workingelass to stem reac-
tion Foster spoke for peace.

And when he referred to Tim
Buck as one of the sturdy oaks
of the workingclass movement.
it became crystal clear to
everyone present that here was
a forthright reply to the ant-
labor ferces and traitorous ele—
ments who tried to attribute a
revisionist ideology to Tim
Buck, Foster left a lasting im-
pression with the Canadian
workingclass.

Short Jabs by Ol’ Bill.

The of the

British and
American impeuiatists in the sign-
ing of the agreements with the Soviet Union during the war, be
come more apparent the more speeches they make—expedience.
Churchill admitted that about Yalta in his Fultén speech. Attlee now

motive

Expedients Im History

has practically admitted it about the Botsdam agreement
House of Commons. Their press openly recognizes it in
torials as it discusses it without shame.

in the
its edi-

Attlee’s claim that the Soviet Union wants the signatories to
stand by the letter of the agreement rather than the spirit, as Bri-
tain and the United States desire, is a tacit admission that these

imperialists have no intention of abiding by the Potsdam agree-

ment, either in the letter or the spirit.

it was a common saying once, that “a Roman’s word was his
bond.” Of the native Indians of thas continent, the same thing was
Said until the missionaries taught them ‘to break their word. But
the word of profit-mongering Mmoneygrubers even when they are
members of a Labor government is no good. until it is written.
down on paper, signed; witnessed by two fellow-Christians, sealed
and delivered in true legal fashion—and then it is no good either.

When it comes to making treaties or agreements between na-
tions or groups of nations, history provides a mass of evidence to
prove this, but one case will be enough here. The Treaty of West-
phalia, which wrote finis to the Thirty Years War, was made in
1648. That was the treaty that put the boots to that nebulous “im-
perialismus” known as the Holy Roman Empire which Voltaire
Said was neither Holy nor Roman nor an empire.

It was made in two sections, at Munster in Westphalia and at
Osnabruck in Hanover. At Munster, the Holy Roman Empire and
the Catholic church were faced with the representatives of France
and at Osnabruck by the Sweden and the German Protestant States.

New boundaries were drawn and the first measure of religious
tolerance established between Lutherans, Calvinists and ~Catholics.
Qne of the provisions of the treaty was that“ all protests or vetoes,
no matter who makes or pronounces them, shall be null and void.”

The treaty was signed by representa-

The Breach Occurs tives of all the warring factions, Gath-
oli¢ and Protestant alike. The Papai Nuncio, Fabio Chigi (after-
.wards Pope Alexander VII), signed on behalf of the Pope. WNot-
with standing this sworn undertakimg of Catholic Europe, for every
country in Europe with the exception of Britain, Russia and Tur-
key, was involved in the treaty, the Pope, Innocent X, issued a
papal bull against the treaty within two years after it was ratified.

Part of that bull read: “That all the articles and instruments
of both these peace pacts and everything therein contained, are,
and forever will be, null, void, invalid, iniquitous, unjust, damnable,
reprobate, inane, and altogether lacking in force; that no one is,
or, ever will be, obliged to observe them even if sworn thereto by
cath; that no right for action, or color of a title has thereby been
acquired by anyone, or can ever be acquired by proscription after
Possession for any length of time, even for time out of memory .. -
they must therefore, be held forever as if they had never been
issued, never existing, and as never made.”

Had Prime Minister Attlee lived in the i7th century, that is
how he would have said, “The Russians do not want to treat the
Potsdam agreement in the spirit, but rather demand observance to
the letter.”

When reaction is confronted with progress, the progressive
being the stronger, they always resort to “expediency;” they stall,
hoping to improve their position later when they will be able to
recover any ground they lost when they were at a disadvantage.

If you have read Rabelais, you must have come across this
passage: “When the devil was sick the devil a monk would be;

- when the devil was well, the devil a monk was he.” That describes

admirably,
Potsdam.

the maneuvers of Churchill at Yalta and Attlee at

They could not defeat the Nazis without the help of the Soviet
Union. They were willing to promise anything for that help. The
Russians gave it and at what a price to their country—Russian
dead 7,000,000. British dead 300,000.

Now, like any racetrack welcher, Attlee wants to deny the
Sworn agreement he made to save British imperialism, like his
ancestors in the 17th century. That places him, and his government
in the ranks of reaction, doubly so, since the points in dispute
relate to the disarming of the fascists and allowing them centers
for possible reorganization. te

The Oldest

Trade Unionist
year, greater and greater numbers of Vancouver workers connected
with the Labor movement make it a Red Letter Day in their cai-
ender to foregather with the cream of the movement on that day-

The program staged at that picnic is easily ahead of anything
in the picnic line that takes place in this part of the world.

The committee in charge of the arrangements are, like good
showmen, alwayS on the alert for new items for their program.
This year they intend to find and recognize by some suitable prize,
the trade unionist with the longest record of service to the move-
ment.

They are asking for nominations from all parts of the province
for this honor. Unions or individuals may nominate candidates.

There are many old war-horses in our movement, men who have
donated years of their lives to the betterment of their fellow-
workers, who have taken part in the hard-fought struggles fer the
eight-hour day——aye for the nine-hour day—and are still in the
movement.

There are others whose services to the movement have been
recognized by their fellow-workers with honorary life memberships
—lots of them.

The picnic committee wants to know who has the longest term
of service and invite him (or her if it should be a woman) to the
picnic. 5
if the winner should live outside of Vancouver, the committee
will pay his expenses to the picnic so he can take Part in this, the
greatest labor picnic in our history. Ifyou think you know the
unionist who is most deserving of this honor, get “busy immediately
and nominate him. Of course some proof of any claim should be
accompanied by membership cards or other records upon which
the committee may base its judgment.

Address communications to Labor’s Jubilee Pieniec Committee, ~
Room 209, 119 Pender St. West, Vancouver, BCG.

The International Labor Picnic has become

an established institution in Vancouver. Hach

: EREDAY, JUNE 14, 1946