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HAS
II
CHAMBERLAIN
SAVED
PEACE
II
,
•
By Ald. Stewart Smith
Published by
New Era Publishers. Ltd.
10 Wellington St.. E.
Toronto. Onto
HAS CHAMBERLAIN
SAVED PEACE?
By Alderman Stewart Smith
Canada Can Be a Force
For Peace in the World
E
VERY Canadian realizes now, after the Czech crisis,
that the future of Canada depends upon the issue of peace
or war. The fascist drive to war, having set Spain and
China in flames, now threatens the peace of the whole world.
We are all deeply conscious of the danger to our country,
War would bring deeper crisis, lower living standards and economic ruin to Canada. All of the results which can be attained
by our program of economic recovery would be destroyed by
war. War would place Canadian democracy in greater danger
than ever before. The emergency of war would be used by the
forces of reaction and fascism to try to seize control of the
country.
The well-being and democracy of Canada are inseparable
from peace. I think every common sense Canadian will agree
with that. We know our country is in a position to exert a
powerful influence for peace in world affairs. Canada is the
senior Dominion of the British Empire. As such, we have the
right to an important voice in the policy of the British Govern·
ment. We are the neighbor of the United States, which is
economically the most powerful nation in the world, and are
able to exert a not insignificant influence on the foreign policy
of the United States. Moreover, Canada is a factor in the
world because of her economic importance and by virtue of
that can exert influence on world events. Canada could be a
great positive influence for peace in the world.
What enraged every thoughtful Canadian in the recent
weeks was that Canada was made a helpless pawn by the blind
"do-nothing" policy of our government. A great potential influence for peace in the world, Canada was reduced to the
status of a speechless nonentity at the very moment when all
her influence should have been exerted for peace.
Let us fully realize the danger of that bitter experience.
The fact that our country was rendered silent and speechless by
its government did not save us from being involved in possible
war. It meant simply that we were committed irrevocably to
the course of policy of the British Government.
It is true that there are some who insist that Canada should
be nothing but a colony; they hold that Canadian democracy
means nothing, that we are not a free people able to decide our
own fate.
The majority of us say that Canadian democracy means
that the policy of Canada shall be decided upon in Canada, not
abroad. We desire the closest co-operation of the Canadian
and British peoples in the cause of world peace. But we say
that we must not permit enemies of peace to use the cry of
"Empire loyalty" to annul Canadian democracy and render
impotent the influence Canada could exert for peace.
The Czechoslovak crisis in Europe has demonstrated to all
of us the utter folly and great danger of the idea that by standing aside, Canada can escape the danger of war. By "standing
aside," Canada loses control of her own destiny. By failing to
carry through a POSITIVE policy, Canada is silently commit·
ted to a policy over which she has no control, decided upon by
a government which is not responsible to the Canadian people.
If that policy serves peace, then Canada is fortunate. But if
that policy means war, then Canada becomes a silent victim,
4
having been deprived of her power to change or alter the disastrous policy.
Those who would annul Canadian democracy and see us
iilently face the dangers of war argue that Canada is in no
position to decide for herself on matters of foreign policy. This
is the stand of the Toronto "l'elegram." It contends that the
British government "knows" and that Canada's government and
her people do not "know" what should be done. That i.>
utterly untrue. The Canadian government and the Canadian
people know very well whence comes the threat of war and are
alone able to decide for Canada what policy should be pursued
in the interests of peace.
The danger of Canada being deprived of her own voice in
the issue of war or peace is often obscured by the assurances of
Prime Minister W. L. Mackem.ie King that parliament would
be convened and would make the final decision as to whether
Canada would go to war. In this position the whole danger
of Canada's situation is really exposed. Nothing is to be done
to exert Canada's influence for peace, but when it is too late,
when Canada has already been committed to war, parliament
is to be convened to decide the matter. That is our present
dangerous situation, as was clearly shown during the past
terrible weeks.
The policies of those who would reduce Canada to the
status of a voiceless colony and of those who advocate "isolation" and "staying out of the whole business" lead to the same
result in the end. Both destroy the great potential influence of
Canada for peace. Both make Canada a helpless victim ot
circumstances, which she could, but does not, influence for
peace. Both serve to open floodgates which can conceivably
bring faSCIst invasion to the Americas, thus defeating the stated
"peace" aims of the isolationists.
5
Canada and Chamberlain's
Foreign Policy
The people of Canada may confidently expect that in
directing the policy of their government on positive peace lines
they will be working in the closest co-operation with the people
of Great Britain. The British people stand for peace, and there
can be no doubt that in the end any government in Great
Britain which works contrary to the interests of peace will be
defeated by the people.
But we in Canada must face the fact that for a time such a
government in Great Britain will carry on until the British
people are able to dispose of it. The arch-reactionaries in
Canada would have our government follow, willy-nilly, in the
tail of such a government instead of asserting its independent
positive peace policy.
Therein lies the fallacy of the whole line of the "Telegram"
and the forces behind it. They would not dare to say that the
British people had not the democratic right to disagree with
such a government and turn it out of office; but they would
deprive Canada as a nation of the right of disagreeing with such
a government's policy. This has now become the central issu..
of Canadian political life. The Chamberlain policy has made
it so.
Chamberlain's policy is vigorously opposed in Great Britain
by outstanding men within the Conservative party itself, such
as Anthony Eden, Winston Churchill, Duff-Cooper.
It is
opposed by Lloyd George and Sir Archibald Sinclair of the
Liberals. Above all, it is opposed by the great masses of
British people who recognize in it an abandonment of peace.
The issue of peace or war now centres around the struggle for
a~d against the Chamberlain line.
This is the case in Canada as well as Great Britain. But
here this struggle has a special significance. The very
6
struggle itself around the issue of Chamberlain's policy shows
Canada must pursue a positive peace policy of her own,
and if needs be, must exercise the right of disagreeing with the
policy of the government in office in Britain at the given
moment and using her influence to change that policy. There
should be fundamental agreement on this point among all Canadians.
tha~
Unless we estahlish this basic point in Canadian national
policy, reaction and fascism in Canada, the forces of war, are
going to repeat in the future what they sought to do in the
Czechoslovak crisis; to commit Canada irrevocably to a policy
over which she has no control and to deprive Canada of the
right to exert her influence for peace. That is where the
danger lies.
We must establish clearly that it is up to Canada herself to
decide whether she will support or seek to change the foreign
policy of -this or that government in office in Great Britain.
Let us completely defeat those who would stampede us into
support of the policy of a given government in Great Britain,
not because that policy is proven to serve the cause of peace, but
only because it is the policy of the government momentarily in
office. Once this fundamental issue is clear, Canadian democracy can assert itself in the decision of our foreign policy.
What Is the Chamberlain Policy?
Taking this as our point of departure, we, Canadians, now
squarely face the question: Should Canada support or oppose
the foreign policy of the Chamberlain government? To answer
this question, let us carefully examine the Chamberlain policy.
The "National" government at present in office in Great
Britain, headed by Neville Chamberlain, cam to office on thc
strength of the most clear-cut promises to uphold faithfully the
League of Nations and strengthen collective security, i.e., a
common stand with all nations desiring peace against any
7
aggressor. This government has come into the control of a
special group, the Cliveden set, headed by Neville Chamberlain
and Sir John Simon inside the cabinet and by a group outside
the cabinet like Viscount Londonderry and Lady Astor who are
virtually the treasonable London agents of Hitler. Those who
desired even partially to fulfil the election pledge, like Anthony
Eden and now Duff-Cooper, have been forced out of the
government at the behest of Mussolini and Hitler, and Hitler
has now publicly instructed Chamberlain that no one who
stands for collective security is to be admitted to the British
cabinet.
The Cliveden set is a small aristocratic circle of financiers
and munition-makers, which gathers at Lady Astor's Cliveden
House and is notorious in England for the fact that it invariably entertains Hitler's emissaries at cocktail parties and feels a
great admira.on for Hitler and Mussolini.
The "National" government, under this control, has consistently broken its pledge to uphold the League of Nations and
collective security in the face of the 11,000,000 votes for collective security which Baldwin used to re-elect the National
Government in 1935.
It openly supported Hitler's reoccupation of the demilitarRhineland. Huge credits of hundreds of millions of
pounds were advanced to bolster up the shaky regimes of Hitler
and Mussolini, credit~ which alone enabled these regimes to
carry on their enormous armament programs.
i~ed
This government took the lead in advocating that the teeth
be taken out of the covenant of the League of Nations. The
fascist states were emboldened to aggression and war upon
other nations. Japan's war in Manchuria and Mussolini's war
in Ethiopia were encouraged by the expectation of immunity.
The solemn sanction of the Chamberlain government has been
placed upon the war of Hitler and Mussolini in Spain, which
has the aim of transforming Spain into a fascist war base. So
8
sure are the fascists of Chamberlain's support that they systematically bomb and sink British ships, murdering hundreds of
British seamen and depriving the Spanish people of food.
Having encouraged Japan in the Manchurian adventure, by reo
fusing in 1931, to heed the United States' call for collective
action to stop Japanese invasion of Manchuria, the "National"
government now condones the Japanese slaughter of the Chinese
people. Hitler seized Austria with full confidence that he
could rely on Chamberlain's support to tie France's hands.
The Munich AgreementDoes It Mean Peace or War?
The crowning glory of this Chamberlain policy to date is
the Munich agreement with Hitler and Mussolini.
The immediate background of this agreement dates to May
21st of this year when Hitler mobilized his army on the borders
of Czechoslovakia. He hoped to repeat his "peaceful march"
into Austna. But Czechoslovakia mobilized to resist at once.
The Soviet Union and France declared at once and without
hesitation that they would stand by theIr mutual defense treaties
WIth Czechoslovakia. Only the Chamberlain government rushed to Hitler's assistance by declaring that they could not under·
take to guarantee Czechoslovakian democracy against attack.
But Hitler was blocked nonetheless. Czechoslovakia, the SovIet
Union and France forced him to back down completely.
From that time on, the Chamberlain government com'
menced to undermine the peace front against Hitler, while
Hitler's assassms set about the task of organizing a Nazi outbreak in Czechoslovakia. The British mission, headed by Run'
ciman, a person of known Nazi sympathies, was forced upon
Czechoslovakia, thus tying the hands of the government and of
France while the Nazi mobilization continued. As the under·
mmmg work proceeded step by step, Hitler raIsed his demands
9
step by step. Finally, the London "Times" came out with the
full Nazi proposal to give Sudetenland to Hitler. It is now admitted that this came from sources close to Chamberlain and was
submitted before publication to the Nazi embassy in London
for approval.
A wave of public indignation rose up against this proposal.
So powerful had the democratic will of the British and French
peoples become that it seemed about to save peace by forcing
Chamberlain to do all that was necessary, namely, stand with
the peace front against Hitler. It was at this very moment,
when Hitler was defeated, that Chamberlain played his trump
card. The people were led to believe that a peace front against
Hider meant! war.
All Chamberlain forces, including the big daily papers,
combined in a vicious propaganda to the effect that the democracies were weak, Hitler was strong and that to avert war Sudetenland would have to be given to Hitler.
Everything was done by the dramatic flights to Berchtesgaden and Godesberg to create the impression that peace was
being saved by eleventh-hour negotiations and that, in fact,
Hitler was making concessions, while all time it was known to
the "negotiators" as it has since become known to all that they
were simply using a created emergency to carry through a terrible betrayal of Czechoslovakia that they had been planning
for months.
What actually took place? Chamberlain and Daladier
agreed with the two fascist dictators to give Hitler Sudetenland,
to place in the hands of the main force making for war in
Europe the most important military-strategical area of central
Europe, including the whole Czechoslovak "Maginot line,"
the only serious fortifications abutting Germany to the east.
In "exchange" for this, Hitler signed a piece of paper with
Chamberlain on which is not even repeated the pledge that
10
Hitler has made annually since 1933 that "Germany has no territorial demands to make in Europe." The ink was not yet dry
on the Munich agreement when Hitler demanded the restoration of col~nies, new large credits from Chamberlain, immediate
reparations from C2;echoslovakia, settlement of the territorial
claims of the fascist underling states of Hungary and Poland
Mussolini too hastened to increase his blackmail terms, demanding the immediate enforcement of the Anglo-Italian agreement.
iii. very strong campaign is now beiRg conducted to con'
vince the people that the Munich agreement saved peace.
Chamberlain and all agencies supporting his policy declare that
Munich was "the price of peace" and that "no price is too great
for peace." Everything is being done to convince the people
THAT ANY RESISTANCE TO FASCIST AGGRESSION,
ANY PEACE ALIGNMENT OF THE NATIONS DESIRING PEACE AGAINST THE FASCIST BANDIT STATES
MEANS WAR. Evidently, the Cliveden set of financiers and
munition-makers in England and the parallel forces of reaction
in Canada are bent upon exploiting the people's desire for
peace to open wide the way for fascist aggression in the world.
Treason To the Nation
for the Sake of Class Interests
What are the obvious consequences which flow from
Chamberlain's policy?
Disunity and distrust among the nations desiring peacethat is the first result that will come from Chamberlain's policy.
It is striking at the unity of the peace nations. The small
nations will no longer trust the large democratic states. Their
position is expressed in the telegram, reportd to have been sent
by Haile-Selassi of Ethiopia to former President Benes of
C2;echoslovakia: "God bless you. I had the same friends."
It will mean isolation for France. Already the next step
of assuring Mussolini a victory in Spain is being prepared by
11
Chamberlam. Hitler has been strengthened in central Europe
and given a gateway to the Balkans.
It will mean sacrificing the security of the British people to
fascism. Thanks to Chamberlain, Mussolini and Hitler are
entrenched around the Suez canal and Gibraltar, Japan around
Hong Kong. Obviously the interests of the British people and
likewise of the Canadian people are bem\( placed in an ever
greater Jeopardy. Hitler now is audacious enough to demand
that Chamberlain agrees to a 3-I proportion of air strength in
favor of Germany, and to presume to dictate the internal affairs
of Britain. Such are the fruits of Chamberlain's "peace in our
time!"
Saving peace, maintaining the strength and unity of the
peace nations, protecting the national security of the democratiC nations in the face of fascist aggression, matter little to the
ruling Cliveden group in England. They matter bttle to the rul
ing financiers in Canada. War holds no terror for them
for they will not do the fighting; they will in any case profit
from it immeasurably. What these circles want, above all, IS
to maintain their class privileges intact. To that end they are
determined to save fascism in Germany and Italy as a guarantee
of their class interests. They see in fascism a guarantee of
their class interests. THEY PLACE THEIR CLASS INTER·
ESTS ABOVE NATIONAL INTERESTS AND THEY ARE
PREPARED TO 'UNDERMINE NATIONAL INTERESTS
TO MAINTAIN THEIR CLASS PRIVILEGES.
We see this policy in operation in our own COllntrv. Is It
not clear that a Japan""e victory in China would place Canada,
together with the United States in imminent danger? Is it not
clear that a victory of the Chinese people is the only outcome
of the war that would serve Canada's interests? Yet every day
the monopoly corporations of Canada are shipping the material&
of war to Japan. Canada has become one of the chief sources
of supply for the Japanese war machine, which is showenng
12
death upon the cities of China. In the same way the economic resources of the nation are placed at the disposal of the
other fascist-bandit states.
At the same time a friendly democratic nation, Spain, the
victim of fascist aggression whose victory will protect the interests of the democratic nations, is being sacrificed and is denied access to our markets by a government embargo.
The
guilty enemies are rewarded; our innocent friends are punished.
The Chamberlain policy and its parallel policy in Canada
is treason to the peoples of the British Commonwealth of
Nations, treason to the democratic peoples of the world. RuI·
ing capitalist groups to save their class interests, to bolster up
the shaking rule in the fascist states, are sacrificing the national
interests of the democratic peoples of the world. Just as in
domestic affairs they show a cold-blooded disregard of the wellbeing of the people and the nation and are prepared to sacrifice
the people every time for their own profit, so now in foreign
relations they have turned traitor. They are betraying Canada
and the British Commonwealth of Nations. Treason has been
elevated to the level of state policy.
Concerted Peace Action
Is the Road to Peace
It is utterly untrue and contrary to all fact that concerted
action of the nations desiring peace against fascist aggression
would mean war. To say, as do the traitors, that granting ever
new territorial demands to the bandit·fascist states means peace
is contrary to all common sense and reason. It is obviously the
policy of surrender to fascism, enabling the aggressor states to
become stronger and stronger that will lead to war, world war
of indescribable ferocity. It is this policy that endangers Canada.
The real truth is that peace is ONLY possible by resistance
to fascist aggression. Any other policy means weakening the
13
ana
peace-seeking nadoaa
strengthening the war nations.
The democratic countries have an overwhelming superiority over the war-making states in mineral resources, munitions
plants, armies and air forces. Once they stand together, f~
and united, the fascists are powerless. The enemies of peace
sneer at the League of Nations and the policy of. concerted
peace action, which the peoples of the world have )ooked to as
their safeguard; they cynically point to the weakness of the
League of Nations. BUT THEY ARE THE ONES GUILTY
OF CREATING THAT WEAKNESS.
Fascist aggression CAN BE STOPPED WITHOUT WAR.
The western powers, allied with the Soviet Union, and
readily supported by the small nations of the world could
withold "air and water" from the fascist aggressors. The fascist
war·making states control 10 per cent of the earth's population
and proportionately less of the economic and industrial resources of the world. Under these circumstances, even a limi·
ted degree of concerted action of the peace-seeking nations
would hale the war drive of the fascist states.
Let the peace-seeking states declare the terminmation of
economic support of any kind whatever to states at present en·
gaged in invading the territory of other nations and the wars in
China and Spain would come to an early end. Let the peaceseeking nations go further and agree to provide all needed eco·
nomic assistance to the victims of aggression and the wars would
be even more speedily terminated.
Let the peace-seeking states declare the termination of
an economic embargo against any nation which threatens to invade the territory of another nation and that will restrain the
fascist madmen from war. Such concerted peace action would
open an abyss of certain catastrophe before the fascist states
from which they must needs shrink back.
Collective security or more correctly, concerted peace action,
is no game of "calling the bluff of fascist states" as some peopl~
1~
describe it. In calling a bluff, one gambles on the result; there
is no telling whether it is a bluff or not. Somel peace·loving
people sincerely believe that concerted peace action is just such
a gamble and that ten chances to one it will lead to war. Such
a view can be supported only by a profound ignorance of the
relation of forces in the world and the deciding factors in the
policy of the fascist states. The only conclusion from such a
view is that nothing can restrain the fascist states from war.
But instead of adding that it is therefore important to see that
they are deprived of "air and water" so that their mad adventure
will end quickly, people who share the pessimistic attack usually
advocate a course which in plain words means that we should
sell out, get as good terms as we can for ourselves, and to the
devil with the rest of the world.
The fact is that such concerted peace action would not be
a gamble; it would assure peace with the force of elemental
laws. Contrary to current Illisconceptions, it is not only the
strength but also the weakness of the fascist states that impels
them to embark upon their barbarous wars. So long as there
is no danger of concerted peace action it is easy game for the
fascist states to adventure in wars of conquest against small
nations with the hope of great gains, leading to more bold ago
gressions, than to remain at peace with ever growing economic
crisis and disintegration within the state. The overwhelming
economic dependence of Italy and Japan upon the outside world
Neither of these countries could produce or
is well known.
operate any war industry or any of the machinery of war with·
out enormous, economic support of the peace·seeking nations.
The position of Germany is not fundamentally different. Non·
nenbruch, General Thomas and others prominent in the Nazi
war economy have sounded the alarm at the decline in exports.
All indications show that despite the so·called policy of self·
sufficency, German economy is even now choking in its own
crisis. Nazi Germany must import oil, rubber, nickel, and
other raw materials indispensible to war.
15
The military relation of forces between the war-making
fascist states and the nations that desire peace is determined by
these economic considerations, but even the immediate military
strikmg power of the fascist states is not such as to alter the pic:ture.
This has been shown in Spain and China, where the
much-heralded fascist war machines have met with defeat after
defeat at the hands of the relatively weak and ill-equipped
Spanish and Chinese armies.
The policy of concerted peace action is, then, a practicai
one. Concerted peace action can bring peace. Despite
Chamberlain's betrayals, the relation of forces between the
fascist states and those opposing war is such that concerted
peace action would confront any aggre "ion with insurmountable obstacles.
The Soviet Union stands before the peoples of all countries
as the firm, unshakable and mighty bulwark of peace. It was
an inseparable part of the policy of the friends of fasciit aggression to make the Soviet Union appear weak and to cast doubts
upon its faithful adherence to its treaty obligations. How else
to carry through their betrayal? But all the world knows the
facts now. The Soviet Union's position was stated and restated at every stage of the Czechoslovak crisis, while Bonnet
and the whole pro-Hitler clique were spreading their vicious
propaganda and using the American munition-King's son-in-law,
Lindbergh, to create the fiction about the "weak" air force of
the Soviet Union.
The Soviet Union, the land where a new Socialist society
is growing up and human culture is rising to new heights, is
the mightiest military power in the world, not from choice but
from necessity. It is the firm leadership of the Soviet Union
in the League of Nations that is defending the cause of peace
despite the betrayals of the ruling cliques in the democratic
nations. Those who in the democratic nations now viciously
attack the Soviet Union and fawn upon Hitler and Mussolim
16
are openly revealing themseh'es as traitors, for the Soviet Union
's the decisive ally of the democratic nations without whom
France and England would have been attacked before this date.
This issue can be no longer avoided. Reliance upon the Soviet
Union and its unwavering peace policy is the indispensible great
foundation of concerted peace action of the democratic nations,
which can save us from fascist aggression without war.
Defeat the Enemies at Home
To Save Peace Abroad
Working for concerted peace action, the Canadian people
WIll be fighting for their very lives, for their homes, for democracy. It is true the cause of peace has been dealt a heavy blow
by the Munich betrayal. But the cause of peace IS not lost,
and we in Canada have our part to play.
The peace forces are rising throughout the world; they are
not growing weaker as the traitors would have us believe but
are growing stronger. In England, the mighty forces of labor,
backed by the overwhelming masses of people and with growing
support of all parties are preparing to settle accounts with the
Chamberlain government. In France the People's Front, which
has saved the Republic from fascism, is now entering a sharper
phase of the struggle to save France from betrayal Into the
hands of Hitler and Mussolint. Roosevelt has declared for "
"quarantine of the warmakers" and is preparing with broad
public support in the interests of world peace to drop the
dangerous isolationist policy of the past and support concerted
peace action.
In Germany and Italy, the C.echoslovak crisis revealed a.
never before the deep-seated shakiness of the fascist regimes,
the uneasiness among the people, the silent hatred of the peopk
17
in the streets, described by newspaper correspondents, for the
dictators' war plans.
In Spain and China the heroic people are fighting on undaunted to defeat the fascist wars.
The pessimists, the breeders of despair, are busily at work
trying to complete the work of Chamberlain by making the
people believe that all hope is lost. But they are a thousand
times wrong. The hope of peace is strong and real because the
people stand for peace and once united can sweep aside the
traitorous cliques and enforce collective security in the world.
This is the real outlook, the practical guarantee of peace.
In Canada, the great masses of people stand for peace.
But as yet the needed unity for a positive peace policy of the
government has not been achieved. The C 4echoslovak crisis,
which has caused masses of Canadians to re-evaluate old ideas,
should serve to create a new clarity of understanding, and a
new common purpose in the fight for peace of the Canadian
people.
The reactionary circles, especially the "fifty big shots" who
control Canadian economic life, are now revealed as definitely
tied up with the traitorous policy of bolstering the fascist dictators, placing in jeopardy the national interests of Canada.
They vigorously oppose a genuine peace policy for Canada
because it would "take the profit out of war."
They know
very well that a genuine peace policy would mean that Canada
would stand prepared with the other democratic nations to
divorce her industry from the service of the bandit states.
International Nickel and the other big corporations that are
making fortunes supplying our enemies with the means of war
want no such a policy.
In Quebec, the pro-fascist forces hail the advance of fascist
aggression.
''L'Illustration Nouvelle," published by the Nati
18
agent, Adrien Arcand, openly lauds Hitler and praises Chamberlain for his assistance to Hitler. It is well known that Quebec's premier, who has become notorious for his Padlock Law
which undercuts all democracy in Quebec, has avowed himself
a fascist of the Mussolini school and that the government circles
are permeated with fascism. From Arcand, the Nazi spy-ring
spreads across Canada and the repeated disavowals of knowledge of their activity by the heads of the R.C.M.P. when they
cannot possibly be ignorant leads one to inevitable conclusions
concerning the spread of Nazi influence in high quarters in
Canada.
The role of the big interests, whose views are represented
by the "Telegram" and "Globe" in Toronto and the "Gazette"
in Montreal, is now more clearly exposed than ever before.
These groups have carried on a continuous struggle against collective security. Some are confused by the fact that imme·
diately after Godesberg these groups raised a "Ready, Aye,
Ready" campaign. But no one should be confused by that.
They followed it immediately by a full campaign in support of
Chamberlain's Munich agreement, denouncing all criticism of
Chamberlain as "disloyalty to the Empire," and viciously attacking those standing for concerted peace action, especially the
Communists, as "advocates of war."
Their po6ition after Godesberg, the "Ready, Aye, Ready"
cries at that moment, is only a forecast of what the Canadian
people can expect from the policy of concessions to fascism.
Blocking the fight for peace, supporting the disruption of collective security, helping the fascists to get stronger, profiting by
supplying the fascist states with the means of war, it is nonetheless an integral part of their policy to hurl the Canadian people
into war when the inevitable consequences of the Chamberlain
line come upon us. They would, then, profiteer from the war
19
and sei~e upon it to carry out their ill-disguised designs against
Canadian democracy.
The very groups which are opposing national recovery,
higher living standards and democracy at home in Canada are
now more and more consciously striving to influence government policy in support of fascism abroad. With the ruling
circles in the other democratic nations, they desire to use the
Munich betrayal to start an offensive against the living standards and democracy of the people and impose slavery and war
upon the nation.
Counter-revolutionary Trotskyism, which has served fascism with its spies and wreckers in every country, came again
readily to the service of the reactionary forces in the recent
weeks. When Chamberlain was delivering C~choslovakia. the
bastion of democracy in Central Europe to Hitler, the followers
of Trotsky called for the overthrow of C~echoslovakian de
mocracy as nothing but a "shabby cloak of capitalist exploitation" To justify the Hitler-Chamberlain conspiracy, they denounced C~echoslovakia as "a monstrous national abortion."
Now that the betrayal has been carried through they seek to
capitali~ on it to spread confusion among the peace forces,
mocking at the struggle for concerted peace action with revolutionary phrases twisted to the service of fascism. No struggle
for peace is possible that does not nail the vicious lies of thi.
band of fascist agents.
Unity and Action of the PeopleThe Hope of Peace
Despite all the efforts of the pro-Hitler forces, the great
masses of Canadians urgently desired all during the C~echoslo­
Yak crisis that our government speak out for a united peace
stand of the democratic nations against fascist aggression. If
this great majority opinion of the Canadian people for peace
20
can now be organized in active expression, Canada will begin
to play her positive part in the Interests of peace.
What has held back masses of people, who fervently desire
to serve the cause of peace. has been the mistaken idea of
"isolationism." It was thought by many that Canada could
escape entanglement in war by merely adopting a negative stand,
a position of doing nothing. We have received a sharp lesson
in this regard.
Facing cold reality, we must recogni~e that the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans will not save Canada from war if fascist aggre.>slOn is permitted to gain greater and greater strength until
Europe is set in flames. We must see that isolationism, inspired
by a desire for peace, plays directly into the hands of the most
chauvinist, Jingoist circles of reaction in bolstering fascism anci
opening the way to war. Every supporter of isolationist views
in the past must now recognize. first, that such views immobilIzed the people in the crisis, and fed the Chamberlain propaganda to the effect tt,at a united peace stand means war. In
Canada, "isolationism" now completely serves the interests of
the most chauvinist groups, who desire to defeat the struggle
for a positive peace policy. But if their policy and that of
Chamberlain and Daladier is allowed to go to its inevitable
result of war, then. isolationism will also serve the ends of reaction and fascism by leaving them the field of action in the emergencyas it did during the recent crisis. It must now be clear
to all honest isolationists that only a positive peace policy, ..
policy of concerted peace action can achieve the objective they
:Iesire, to save Canada from entanglement in war.
The decisive force needed to serve the cause of peace is the
umty of labor and of the farmers for peace. If such unity had
existed the policy of the King government of yielding at every
step to the demands of reaction in foreign policy could have
21
been changed. The embargo against Spain could have been
lifted. The feeding of the Japanese war machine from Canada
could have been stopped. Canada could have exerted a power'
ful influence upon Chamberlain to prevent the betrayal of
Munich. It was the absence of firm unity and action of labor
and of the farmers that prevented this up to now.
Following the example of the splitters in the European
labor movement, some leaders of the C.C.F. are now seeking to
set back instead of promoting unity for peace. "Chamberlain
did the only thing he could have done" is the statement report·
ed to have been made in Calgary on October 11th, by J. S.
Woodsworth leader of the C.C.F.. He described the Communist position for concerted peace action as the "ardor of the
Communists for war." "No ultimate recourse remained save
armed force," he declared.
From these statements, it seems obvious that Mr. Woodsworth has completely aligned himself with Chamberlain and all
the most chauvinist circles in Canada. Their arguments have
been taken over by him completely. If during the crisis, when
immediate action was necessary, the C.C.F. was rendered silent
and paralyzed by the confusion and opportunism in its leading
ranks, then now it appears that some leaders would like to line
it up directly in the service of Chamberlain's pro-Hitler policy.
Arguments to justify fascist aggression are being dressed up as
radicalism. The fascists are described as "have not" nations,
unjustly treated. "The working class has no concern in this
conflict of interests," the opportunists say. They hypocritl·
cally declare that the Communists have abandoned the teach·
ings of Marx and join with the "Telegram" and "Globe" in
denouncing the struggle for collective security as a desire for
war.
Comrade Browder in the United States answered this camp
of confusion, which does everything to paralyze the struggle
22
for peace, by quoting the great words of Karl Marx when he
said in the address of the first International Workingmen'8
Association in 1864, that events
"have taught the working classes the duty to master for
themselves the mysteries of international politics; to
watch the diplomatic acts of their respective governments; to counteract them, if necessary, by all means in
their power; when unable to prevent, to combine in
simultaneous denunciation, and to vindicate the simple
laws of morals and justice, which ought to govern the
relations of individuals as the rules paramount in the
intercourse of nations. The fight for such a foreign
policy forms part of the general struggle for the emancIpation of the working classes."
This is our peace policy. This is the policy that will make
Canada a positive factor for peace in the world: "to vindicate
the simple laws of morals and justice as the rules paramount in
the intercourse of nations."
We know that the great majority of C.C.F. members and
leaders stand for concerted peace action. Our appeal is to them
to help create a united movement for peace. Only in July of
this year the Edmonton convention by overwhelming majority
vote laid down the policy of the C.C.F. for collective security.
The betrayal of that policy by some C.C.F. leaders, their desertion to the Chamberlain camp, should be exposed and fought.
All the forces of progress in Canada and especially the C.C.F.
and the Communist Party should draw closer in unity to work
for peace.
What Should Be Done Now?
A race now starts between the forces of peace and the
forces of war. Hitler and Mussolini are pressing their advantage of having accomplices in office in the democratic states.
23
They will seek to use this advantage swiftly to seiz.e the necessary
positions from which to launch a war for world domination.
The peace forces are fighting the traitors at home in the democratic nations who are opening the way for fascism.They must
succeed quickly if peace is to be saved.
Immediately after the surrender to Hitler's demands at
Munich the big capitalist powers have begun a huge armament.,
race. In the air, on the sea, on land, the instruments of mass
destructIOn are being increased. The same reactionary people
who falsely presented the MUnich agreement as the "sole alternative to war" are now busy increasing the taxation burden on
the people by appropriating gigantic sums for armaments to
"meet the aggression menace," hoping thereby to win the support of the masses.
Thus we see a new danger arismg, that the instruments of
mass destruction are now said to be necessary to "defend" the
democracies-said by the same elements who have permitted
fascism to run amok m the world!
Communists do not deny the need for defence of democracy by arms if need be. But what guarantee is there that the big
British arms program will be dedicated to the defense of the
democratic institutions of Britain, when the Chamberlain government has shown at every step that it is prepared to sacrifice
the mterests of the British people for the sake of class privilege?
The fact is that in Canada as well as Britain, armaments
are no substitute for a foreign policy of concerted actioll
against the aggressor powers.
It is not a question of guns as such, but a matter of who
controls them.
Therefore, we cannot but vigorously oppose
armaments in the hands of reactionaries and pro-fas~ists, be·
cause they may be used not only in favor of the fascists abroad
but against democracy at home.
24
The defense of the democratic institutions and the people
of the country must commence with concerted action in co-operation with the people of other lands. To permit a continuatIOn of a foreign policy which encourages the fasCISts, and at
the same time to pile up arms under the control of those who
betray the common people for their own narrow, selfish class
privileges, is to court disaster and to undermine the security of
the democratic institutions won by the common people through
the ages.
As an accompaniment of a foreign policy based on concerted peace action and energetic measures to increase the security
of the people at home, we should demand the immediate nation·
alization of the munitions and war materials industries in Canada, the strict limitation of profits from such indusrnes as
lllckel production, the ousting of bureaucratic and reactIOnary
elements from the army, navy and R.C.M.P. and the department of national defense.
We in Canada who stand for peace are an inseparabl~
part of the peace forces of the world. If we fail in our duty
we weaken by that much the world struggle for peace. If we
do not win in Canada, the danger of fascist world war will be
that much nearer and greater.
What is the demand of the peace forces in Canada today?
It is that Prime Minister Rt. Hon. W. L. Mackenzie King
carry out his solemn pledge of 1935 to uphold collective securit}
in the world_
The immediate issue is Spain. The Munich conspirators
are now planning to make Spam a new Czechoslovakia and
deliver her up to Hitler and Mussolini.
The Canadian people must oppose that with all their
strength. To place Spain in the hands of the bandits would
give fascism such advantage that they would be encouraged to
embark at once on their avowed plan of world conquest.
25
The shameful embargo of our government against democratic Spain must be lifted at once. Our markets should be
opened to this heroic people. Our government should arrange
credits so that they may be facilitated in securing the needed
food from our granaries bulging with surplus wheat. Our government should declare its willingness to participate through the
League of Nations in applying sanctions against the fascist invaders of Spain.
Canadian industry should be divorced from service of the
Japanese landlords.
Canada should declare her support of the proposal of
President Roosevelt and the Soviet Union to convene at the
earliest possible date an international peace conference and
should urge the british government to give support to this
proposal.
These demands should thunder upon Ottawa from millions of Canadian throats. From thousands of meetings of all
sorts, from all organizations let these demands pour in upon the
government.
At the same time, we must take action. We must boycott
Japanese, German and Italian goods, for every time a Canadian
buys such goods he is helping war. We must increase one
hundred-fold our efforts to raise practical, financial aid to relieve the hunger and suffering of the Spanish people and show
them that they have true friends throughout the world. Let
the workers of Canada begin to apply the policy of concerted
peace action by stopping every shipment of war materials to
the fascist states.
In this noble struggle for peace, which represents the
highest interests of humanity, let us above all build the unity
of the people. The forces of peace in Canada as in the world
can win. The forces for peace are strong. Labor has already
26
shown the road at the great Convention of the
Labor Congress.
Trades and
The churches in large numbers are taking up this struggle.
Senator Carine Wilson of the League of Nations Society, representing a large section of Canadian opinion has declared
for collective peace action. Never before were the Canadian
people so aroused to the struggle for peace. The peace force"
can win through unity.
We appeal to all genuine friends of peace and democracy,
all true patriots of Canada, to take up the struggle for a positive Canadian peace policy in world affairs. We denounce all
doctrines of fatalism and despair, no matter in what radical
phrases they may be couched. We oppose undermining gossip
and speculation which diverts the people from the real struggle
of the hour and feeds the idea of the inevitability of war. We
call to shame those who got hopelessly lost in the test of crisls
and began to capitulate to the lie of Chamberlain that thos'O'
who stand for collective security want war. We know that
concerted peace action can save peace and muzzle the beasts of
fascism. Fascism will not pass.
---_._----
27
Notes
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