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Facts About Science In Readable Form

MEN, MACHINES AND MICROBES—By Dyson Carter—

Contemporary Publishers—39 Cents.

SCENCE IS FUN! Dyson Carter, alert young Canadian sci- entist and writer of Russia’s Secret Weapon and the novel

Night of Flame, proves it conclusively in this little book.

Pick it up, Death,” and before long

absorbed, as if it were the latest mystery

in your hand, rather than a treatise on the use of two chem- jeals called allantoin and penicil- lin, and ®a couple of diseases mamed osteomyelitis and septi- cemia.

The reason for this is readily apparent. Young Mr. Carter has several revolutionary ideas that shock more conservative men of science. He believes, strangely enough, that it is in the best in- terests of all concerned that lay- men learn aS much as possible about new scientific discoveries.

Perhaps the most interesting parts of ‘Men, Machines and Microbes” are those which deal with scientific discoveries closely connected with our job of winning the war. “Measuring Hitler's Coffin” is one of these. Here we are introduced to the “small, se- lect and devoted band of men and women, working at the strangest job of all the thousand duties of this war,” the pepole who are *enstodians of industrial measure- ments, the inch, the ounce, the pulsebeat of light, throb of elec- tricity, shimmer of heat.”

The growing superiority of Am- erican, British and Russian war planes is largely due to these peo- ple, whose work it is to make sure that vital parts are fitted with accuracies greater than a ten- thousandth of an inch. The in- struments required to feel such

tiny measurements, explains Carter, are marvels of engineer- ing, and among our valuable

secret weapons.

Another section, “Pushing Back Death in Subs” points out that men going down to the sea in sub- marines take far fewer risks to- day than when the war began— and all through the courage of a famous English scientist. Because of his work escaping from a dam- aged sub is no longer a matter of luck alone.

Tt all began in June, 1939, when the submarine Thetis began her

open it at the first section, you will find yourself absolutely

“How Dirt Cheats

thriller you held

fateful maiden voyage. On her trial run she submerged on sched- ule. But she failed to come to the surface. When salvage vessels finally raised the hull all on board were dead. The Admiralty ordered a full investigation.

‘Dr. J. B. S. Haldane, interna- tionally famed as a scientist and champion of democracy, was asked to attend the enquiry on behalf of the Amalgamated En- gineering Union and Hlectrical Trades Union, both of whom had lost members when the sub went down. Listening to the evidence Haldane was painfully aware that the sinking mystified all wit nesses, simply because they were guessing about what goes on in sunken submarines. Mechanical troubles they had down in black and white, But no one knew for sure what happens to men try- ing to escape.”

Haldane made up his mind to find out. He assembled a little iron chamber, big enough only for three people to squeeze into, and fitted with every gadget needed to imitate deep sea condi- tions.

“Often, during the tense sci- entific dramas that were acted in this chamber,” continues Carter, “this famous man came face to face with death in hor- rible forms.” However, navy ex- perts were able to re-design equip- ment according to his findings, leading to greatly increased safety for Allied sub crews. On May 23, 1939, when the US. sub Squalus came to grief below the surface of the Atlantic, six naval officers, 51 crew members, four navy yard workers and one civiilan were rescued. Without the contribu- tion of one scientist these men would have lost their lives.

Contemporary Publishers list “Men, Machines and Microbes” as 4 “must” book. They are right!

—Cynthia Carter,

New Books On Hand

SLAVS TO ARMS By Tim Buck By Dyson Carter

By Clara Zetkin

119 West Pender

CANADA IN THE COMING OFFENSIVE,

MEN, MACHINES AND MICROBES, cee eee oie LENIN ON THE WOMAN QUESTION,

THE TRUTH ABOUT JUGOSLAVIA INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE No. 5 and 6

S Open to 6:30 p.m.

The People Bookshop

105 Shelly Building MA. 6929

Vancouver, B.C.

‘Unite And Fight For }

A DARK, thick veil of censorship overhangs India. Meagre and fragmentary are the reports from which the real conditions inside the “brightest jewel of the empire” can be established. But despite all this, every report asserts the great role played by the Indian Communist party in organizing a genuine people’s anti-fascist fighting front and in combating

the fifth-column elements.

Late in September of last year the central «committee of the Communist Party of India met in Bombay. The meeting was of the greatest historic significance.

The party was meeting openly for the first time in its history. The young party of the Indian working class had struggled against the most brutal repression all throughout the fourteen years of its existence. But at this mo- ment, the Communist Party: was the only mass people’s party that was wholeheartedly supporting the war measures of the British gov- ernment.

Secondly, the party was meeting at the most crucial moment in the Indian history. A ruthless enemy was massing on the east- ern borders of the country, ready to enslave the people for all time te come, while at the same time the country was torn with anarchy and chaos. The task facing the party lay in organizing the peo- ple for total resistance against tremendous odds.

main political reports were

delivered by G. Adhikar, and

P. C. Joshi, general secretary of the party.

The main resolution adopted condemned the repressive policy followed by the British govern- ment in India, which it describes as an incendiary flfth column policy driving the Indian people to the tragic fate of the Malayan and the Burmese people, and places the responsibility for plunging the country into a grave and perilous crisis on the should- ers of the government. The reso- lution described this policy as “stabbing our Chinese, American, British and Soviet allies in the back,” and declared the continu- ation of such a policy can end only in a colossal disaster for both the Indian and the British peoples.

But, the resolution points out, the situation can still be re- trieved. The three favorable fac- tors are cited as follows: First, the failure of the government to ereate any widespread opposition to the Indian Congress. Secondly, the existence of a mighty poten- tial basis for the creation of na- tional unity. Finally, the demand for Indian freedom and national government is gaining growing support from the peoples of Brit- ain and America.

Joshi pointed out that the In- dian Communist Party has be come a mass people’s party -He said that at present the party stands third strongest in the coun- try, coming after the National Congress and the Moslem League. And in the international sphere the role of the Indian CP will in importance be overshadowed only by the Communist Parties of the Soviet Union and China.

N showing that the party has

become g genuine people’s

party, Joshi gave some interest- ing facts.

An old peasant woman from Malabar donated her only cow to the party. The cow was her sole possession.

A British soldier now stationed in India gave all his savings of 500 rupees to the party.

Comrade Namboodripad, lead- er of the provincial party unit in Kerla, gave away all his prop- erty worth 30,000 rupees, to the

* party.

The above facts speak for them- selves to prove the mass popular- ity of the CP of India.

In aiding the defense measures of the country the party has strained every nerve to assist the war effort and to organize the people for total resistance. In Cal- cutta alone twenty defense com- mittees were organized by the par- ty. These organizations aid in ARP, first aid and rationing prob- lems, etc. Red Guards have been organized in Bombay to aid the people faced with countless war problems.

Li this has been accomplished

despite tremendous obstacles created by the bureaucratic reg- ime. All sorts of meetings and demonstrations are prohibited in the big cities. Repression and per- secution of anti-fascists still con- tinues. In the big industrial city of Cawnpore, the party held the

By DARSHAN SINGH SANGHA

working Class from going out on

- strike after the beginning of the

civil-disobedience campaign. Yet all nine leading party and trade union workers were jailed.

The trade unions under the leadership of the party are play- ing an important role in in- creasing war production. Produc- tion committees have been formed in numerous plants. The resolution of the CP regarding trade unions and production, states: “While on no account are we prepared to surrender the right to strike, yet it is our policy to minimize stoppages and strikes consistently with the defense of the interests of the working class and the nation.”

HE main slogan put forward

for the Indian people by the party was national unity; unity of the National Congress and Mos- lem League, for national defense and for the speedy realitization of a national government. On the same basis a country-wide cam- paign was to be initiated; for the rélease of Mahatama Gandhi and other ers, as a first step towards re- opening negotiations; to stop re- pression; to check destruction, sabotage and anarchy; to combat the fifth column; to lift the ban on the Congress Party, so as to negotiate for an all-round set- tlement, and to set up a provin- cial national government for In- dia’s defense.

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DARSHAN SINGH &

Organizational plans wel § laid to strengthen and expa Fe work of the party. :

To finance this work ac © gent out for raising 200,000 4 And to help the party £ hy the masses, plans were 14% inerease the circulation : party newspaper, ‘People’s (English edition aione) to copies. “People’s War” i | published in Urdu, Hind Marathi.

ARNING the people

grave peril facing the erland, created by the ir | threat from without and 2 within, Joshi sounded a eall to the masses. His 7 in part reads: t

“There is no time to los Japanese are coming. Eiti unite and fight or go und die. The way you have beer ing the British bureaucrat ime is not the way to get our backs. You will end »+ ting the Japanese in its instead!

“Let not the Burra Sahit India the graveyard of patriots. Let us unite to n> the battlefront of our ow2 | dom by transforming our from a sham struggle, wl really sabotage of nation fense, to a real strugele, is building our own un? fending our own country winning our freedom with in hands!”

: Communist-Labor Total War Committee ..

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beginning Thursday, April at 7:15 PM. -

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Initial Broadcast: Lift Th On The Communist Pa

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