Page 4 — April 14, 1945

PLA.

PEOPLE'S VOICE FOR PROGRESS

PUREADCUOESSRERCCSORASSECSOCURELETELESECELESAERRSLUEUSRESTUEVEDUNSTIVIVITTTTIATT

PACIFIC ADVOCATE

MEASCUESCRNESUCESSLOESIUVSCRERODS ECLA e ES UEASLL AER ECATLSERATACHELEORERASERIGEREE

Published every Saturday by The People Publishing Com- pany, Room 104, Shelly Building, 119 West Pender Street, Vancouver, British Columbia and printed at East End Printers, 2303 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia. Subscription Rates: One year $2, six months $1.

Editor Cc. A. SAUNDERS

Asseciate Editor MYER SHARZER

Opportunity

Tr HE provincial convention of the CCF opening on Friday, April 13, in Vancouver is one of the most important events in the life of the province and the nation.

There is no doubt that decisions made at this convention will have decisive influence on the future of that party. As the third largest political party in Canada, holding government in the province of Saskatchewan and the official opposition in British Columbia, the CCF have a great responsibility. Their convention takes place in momentous times. V-E Day may well arrive during their deliberations. Mackenzie King’s an- nouncement places the federal. elections a bare two or three months away. The San Francisco conference will be held with- in two weeks.

All of these things add up to tremendous opportunity and grave responsibility for this B.C. convention of the Coopera- tive Commonwealth Federation.

df the lessons of the past year have been learned. If it has become sufficiently clear to the CCF membership that the menace to a future of progress for mankind lies in the des- petate attack, now being launched on a world-wide scale by the most reactionary section of big business. :

If it is realized that these forces in Canada are concentrated in and led by the Tories. Then this comvention will be success- ful. For in such an understanding lies the obvious answer.

The answer that will help to put an end to the present dan- gerous isolationist policy followed by the CCF leadership. _ That will point clearly to the urgent need for cooperation among all forces for progress, to defeat the aims of the Tories and ensure a postwar period of full employment and rising standards of living.

The need for careful consideration of their future course must have impressed itself on the CCF membership during the past few months.

The disastrous result of the North Grey bye-election, ac- companied by a vicious campaign, which lined the CCF up, at least in the similarity of election tactics used, with the Tories must have caused serious misgivings among honest tank and file supporters.

That the present tactics of the CCF are becoming less ac- ceptable to the membership is evident in the defection of lead- ing members of that party, in the provinces of Ontario and Saskatchewan. While Gallup polls disclose the fact that the general public, becoming less enamoured of the isolationist ‘Socialism Now’ formula, are swinging their support away from the CCF.

These people have become convinced that present CCF of- ficial policy is wrong. Vhey have found themselves increas- ingly in opposition to the official leadership. Many have been forced by the reality of events, by a realization of the dire

necessity for cooperation with other progressive froces, to dis- sociate themselves from the CCF.

Dr. D. L. Johnson and B. R. Richards, CCF MLA’s for Brandon and the Pas in the Manitoba legislature, in a state- ment issued in March say in part:

_. The role of a progressive party at this time is a de- cisive one. But it must be a responsible not a partisan role. It must be a role that is positive and broadminded, not negative and isolationist. It must be a role adjusted to the responsibilities of Canada in the communiy of na- tions, and adjusted to the dangers of the ever present fascist threat, as well as to the great opportunities that await us in the postwar world.”

This is the opportunity facing the B.C. section of the CCF today. Asa result of their deliberations they can come forward with a program based on the real needs and desires of the peo- ple. A program giving a lead to the CCF across the nation.

On the other hand, if they persist in following the present line, based on narrow, partisan, sectarian considerations, their deliberations will be fruitless and meaningless to the people of the province and the nation. ?

Such a result and such a policy will only serve to sow further confusion in the ranks of the workers, to divide in- stead of unite, and to bring comfort to the Tories.

} bee Passing By C. A. Saunders

(pees public program of the Progressive Conser-

vative Party is especially’ designed to appeal to a public that has become increasingly labor conscious during the past few years. By use of demagogic phraseology it attempts to give some justification for the recently acquired prefix.

However, actions speak louder than soap box rant- ings, and the men who today, behind the facade of the one- time Liberal John Bracken, guide the fortunes and set the policy for that party are still the Meighens and the Drews, serving the same re- actionary interests. :

Speakirge out of both sides of the mouth has become a fine art with these people. Their designs are seldom re- vealed openly. They are care- ful not to flout public opin- ion directly. Their method is the old but still too often successful trick of playing on every pre- judice, of enlarging every difference and diffi- culty, in order to sow confusion, divide and dis- rupt.

They did not dare to openly obstruct the war effort, but every attack on the government, from the conscription issue to the Drew- opposition to family allowances, served exactly that end. In the Same way they dare not openly attack United Nations unity, but they have found many devious methods-to obstruct developing international co- operation.

(NE of the favorite methods is still a version

of the wellworn bolshevik scare, the Hitlerite propaganda which endeavors to play on prewar prejudices and falsifications. Everybody is fami- liar with the hypocritical expressions of admira- tion for our Soviet allies, well spiced with buts with regard to their form of government.

International unity forged in the anti-fascist war has progressed in spite of sniping, attack and opposition, until today we stand on the threshold of a conference that will be decisive in shaping

Around Town

EYER since we moved into our very working-

class district, ve done most of my Shopping at the corner store. Many of the advantages of shopping in the huge downtown stores are miss- ing. Shortages hit the little stores hardest, as wholesalers route the choice goods to their-biggest cus- tomers, and sometimes I haye to wait patiently while the storekeeper, a friendly woman who can speak to her customers in six Huropean languages, chats happily With a friend.

But I like shopping at my little store because with my groceries I get a lot I’d miss in an up-to-date “cash and carry.” I hear all about little Jenny Wong’s measles. I can compare little Carl’s de- velopment with that of Joey Napatic down the street. And I can listen in on some fine political discussions. For workingclass women must live close to the economic and. political problems of the day. The husband’s.job is the concern of the whole family. Questions of postwar em- ployment, union membership, and political action are discussed around the dinner table.

This week, for example, we were discussing Chapultepec, and that led to the good neighbor policy, and kindred subjects.

“You believe in good neighbor policy?” smiled the woman. “O.K. You buy ticket. You come meet your neighbors.”

Well, we did. We bought tickets for the big bazaar sponsored by the Canadian-Chinese Friendship Society, and planned to attend to- gether. ;

i pase three-day bazaar was held at the Croatian

Hall. All proceeds were turned over to Mme. Sun Yat-sen’s War Orphan Fund and to a fund for medical aid to guerrilla China.

Downstairs clothing, jewelry, shoes, pictures, carved wooden trays were for sale. Tables were set up for bingo and other games, and at a re- freshment bar visitors could buy chow mein, chop suey, hot dcegs, tea and coffee. Hung on the walls were signs lettered in Chinese and English, and games were played with large bank notes issued by the fictitious Freedom Bank of China.

Upstairs, in the auditorium, a varied program was presented, then guests were entertained by movies depicting life in wartime China and the Soviet Union. Following this chairs were hastily

the postwar world. The decisions made 4 historic Eeheran conference, where the fir; cognition was given to the fact that the fui the whole world after victory over the depended on agreement and friendly coope; of the three major powers, laid the basis future of peace, progress and increasing — perity on a world scale. These decisions

_ carried further in the meetings at Dumb

Oaks and Bretton Woods, where the first si organize peace and economic development: laid. Whe conference at Yalta in the Crime, ther extended and concretized these decisi

At San Francisco on the 25th of Apr most decisive steps in setting up the acing” chinery will be taken. 2

But these conferences do more than « the future well being of the vast majority ( peoples of the world if carried into effect open up an entirely new era in the history of kind. One in which the unbridled greed ¢ most reactionary section of the capitalist — will no longer have free reign. So we fiy tacks on the unity of the big three meres. intensity as the day of decision grows Clog,

These people are able to make a noise 7 excess of their numbers or actual influence. still control and have access to the means of- ing public opimion and by using the mega} of the daily press they are ablé to spread propaganda throughout the country.

The attacks, both in the U.S. and Ga are similar in content and intent. ‘They are fied by a series of editorials and a vicious ea which, by pure coincidence of course, hay peared during the past week in the Vane Sun. The whole purpose is to throw. doubt ¢ motives and sincerity of the Soviet Union, r_ the Polish question for all it is worth and the methods of prewar balance of power macy which helped to bring on the pI conflict. We can expect that this kind of; - will increase in intensity.

_All demoeratiec and progressive forces 5 unite and rally their streneth to ensure th — cess of the "Frisco conference and defeat ti tempts of the Tory and pro-fascist elemer obstruct, divide and sabotage

By € yathia Carter

folded and the floor cleared for dancing later a fine floorshow was presented. Eyer seemed to be having a wonderful time.

I met a young airman who had been sti: medicine before the war, and a high school who told me of work done by her youth el met a union shop steward who had to hurry - early to work his shift. I met the owns Chinese curio shop, and the mother of a; of twelve, ten of whom were acrobats _ home life is QUITE exciting,” said the twelve-year-old daughter.) I met the me women and young people and kids who live the street, around the corner, and in the block. |

And I learned some very disturbing about the life of our Chinese community. | told of dozens of cases of elderly men sleep | single cots in rat-infested tenements on F Street. I heard tales of discrimination | were almost unbelievable. I discovered thi tire families had lived in single rooms for years, and that the housing crisis which things difficult for the average Ganadian ¢ ereates almost insurmountable barriers fe Chinese.

Hearing these things from the lips of C | who spoke, not with hate, but with an air of resignation makes one more determined thai to fight for that equality for all which is ¢ the foundation stones of democracy, And iS SO much we can do. We can, first of all, sure that our communities are free from : prejudices, that neighborhood activities are to all. Then we can go on to fight against which erect color and race lines in swin & pools, restaurants, places of amusement, 2! can fight to keep our country a place wher | ity and training, not nationality, are reqi © for employment: 4

Yes, we did meet our neighbors at the DB and because of that meeting we will probal # more worthy of the term “good. neighbi & think the whole thing was summed up bt little Larry Chen, eight years old, scrubbec & he shone, dressed in a newly-pressed sui ™ starched white collar, who stood up on the © form. folded chubby hands behind him, oper & mouth so wide his shining brown eyes cr ™ shut, and sang: —~ j

“Yew-nited Na-shuns on the march, © flags unfurled .. . ;

Together, fight for Vict-or-eee, a brave world!” : :