#young communists

"THUNDER BAY YOUTH PREPARE FOR HUGE ANTI-WAR RALLIES," The Young Worker (Young Communist League of Canada). May 14, 1934. Page 2. ---- (By Young Worker Correspondent) Port Arthur, Ont. The clouds of war are approaching with great rapidity, the menace of a another world war is more evident every day. The leading nations of the world are competing with one an other in the improvement of their armies and navies. Not only the leading nations but every capitalist country including Canada are preparing for this butchery of the working masses, especially the youth. We must realize that the time to fight war is before it breaks out.

Through the initiative of the Port Arthur Y.C.L. group, an anti-war committee was set up in the locality. At present we are trying to draw in representatives from the Junior Wobblies' Union, Youth Section U.L.F.T.A. and the W.SA. The committee will conduct its activity by approaching all bourgeois youth organizations, sport organizations and church clubs. We are approaching them on the basis of the importance of this activity, the necessity to fight war. We are using all avail-able statistics in order to show the huge sums of money spent on war preparations. We link our agitation with the economic position of youth, showing them that every dollar spent on war preparations is taken out of the workers' wages. Only through the linking up of the most burning demands and grievances of the working youth are we able to receive any definite results. The Y.C.L. units in the outside points have received directives to start building up their local anti-war committees in order to prepare for the District Anti-War Conference to be held in Port Arthur sometime in the middle part of June. First, of course, every locality will have its own local conference where the delegates to the district Anti-War Conference will be elected. From the District Conference the representation to the All-Canadian Youth Congress Against War and Fascism will be elected.

"PREMIER HENRY TURNS DEAF EAR TO DEMANDS OF UNEMPLOYED YOUTH," The Young Worker (Young Communist League of Canada). April 30, 1934. Page 1 & 9. --- (By M. SHELLEY) Toronto, April 25. - Two youth speakers presented the demands of Ontario's youth and children to the Premier yesterday. The speakers were members of a delegation sent by the Ontario Federation of Unemployed. Percy Matthews speaking for the youth, pointed ont the intolerable conditions existing in the hostels in the City of Toronto, and demanded that the single unemployed be paid for their one days' work "test" at $4.80 per day. which will provide them with enough cash to buy three fifteen cent meals per day. "No matter how bad these meals will be, they'll be better than what we're getting at the hostels today" one of the delegation said. The Premier however, said that was entirely a municipal affair, and got out from under that way.

Minnie Shelley speaking on behalf of the children, almost had the Premier agree to the necessity of some action with respect to supplying special diets, in the form of hot lunches to growing children. The relief diets as they are given do not take into consideration the varying needs of the growing child. The Premier also agreed that the Adolescent School Act which quires all children in Ontario to attend school up to the age of 16, was invalidated, and made a farce, due to the inability of students, children of unemployed parents, to purchase their own books in continuation' schools. These were given free to them in public schools but not in other schools. How then could they attend school until 16? The Premier again, however, slid out of any responsibility, saying that books, and lunches are within the power of municipal school boards and relief authorities respectively.

Facts Hidden From Children The delegation also came to loggerheads with the government over the question of the book "Cry Havoc." This book, a pacifist exposition of the causes of war, had nevertheless been censured by the Department of Education to such an extent that certain whole chapters and passages were omitted, before being placed in school libraries.

The suggestion of the speaker that such books as "New Russia's Primer" and "Under Fire" dealing with sociological questions be placed in school libraries, brought the retort from the Premier that "it will be a long time before such books are placed in my schools." It is to be remembered that Premier Henry is also Minister of Education for Ontario.

Cease Being Footballs The result of the delegation, however, is of paramount importance to the workers and working-class youth in this province, insofar as it definitely shows to us once more that from now on, all our actions must be directed to bringing mass pressure to bear on the municipal authorities for cash relief, and against the "work test" for free hot lunches and free books, for better medical and dental treatment. We must be done with allowing our-selves to be footballs which the municipal authorities kick to the provincial government, and which the provincial government kicks around sometimes to Ottawa and sometimes back to the municipalities. Pressure to bear on the municipalities, a mas movement to obtain the necessities of life for the youth and children, this will bring results, even when the municipalities have to run to provincial authorities and get certain things from them, to meet the demands of the workers! The struggle in Scarboro Township, recently, where 700 unemployed forced a 10 per cent Increase In voucher, amply demonstrated this point.

"Youth to the Fore In May Day Parades Greatest in History," The Young Worker (Young Communist League of Canada). April 30, 1934. Page 1. ---- Last minute reports to the "Young Worker" from practically all points of Canada indicate wide May Day youth preparations are well under way. This year's May Day will witness many thousands of young workers, young farmers, and students participating in May Day parades and demonstrations that have never taken part before.

In Toronto and Winnipeg, despite refusal of the authorities to grant a permit for parades, the youth, under the leadership of the Young Communist League will form the front ranks of the marches. The Toronto district committee of the Young Communist League has is sued nearly 8,000 May Day manifestoes, appealing to the youth workers of Toronto and outside points to strike on May Day against sweat-shop conditions, for a higher wage to meet the rising cost of living, against war and fascism. Hundreds of young militants from trade unions will parade and take part in the monstrous mass meetings call-ed for the evening at the Coliseum. Fifteen hundred extra copies of the YOUNG WORKER were ordered.

In Winnipeg, the Youth Section of the May Day conference, represented by seventeen different youth organizations, laid down measures to ensure a wide participation of youth in the May Day affairs. Many youth meetings are to be organized all over the city, advertised by leaf lets, posters and stickers. The Young Communist League of Winnipeg has launched an intensive recruiting campaign.

"Worstening Conditions of Unemployed Youth in Montreal," The Young Worker (Young Communist League of Canada). December 18, 1933. Page 2. ---- Relief Commission Tries to Cut of Relief and Send Jobless to Slave Camps === French Canadian rank and file press their leaders to the wall and accept program of struggle. ---- By Leslie Ford Here in the largest city in Canada, in the heart of the richest province in Canada, unemployment relief to both married and single men is the lowest in the country. Let us take the single men for example and consider the provision that is made for them. The homeless and transient youth and single men are herded like cattle into the two refuges in this city, namely Vitre St. refuge for Anglo-Saxons and other nationalities and the Belmount St, refuge for French Canadians only. The men are fed two meals daily and at night sleep in the dormitories. The food itself is of the poorest quality and the quantity is just as bad. As for the beds they are literally swarming with lice and vermin, inmates who are suffering from diseases of all descriptions from venereal to internal growths are next to the men who are continually in danger of infection. Protection from these diseases are not given to the workers. Outside of the two main refuges there is also the Jewish People's Kitchen for the single Jewish unemployed. There the food is a little better than in the other two refuges, but now the food given is less and of poorer quality.

Residential Youth Get No Relief While these conditions prevail amongst the homeless single men, we also see that the residential youth are in almost a similar plight. For example, the single men in Rosemount have up to now received no re-lief at all outside the relief their parents received. In Lachine the single men were working and receiving $3.50 per week. A few weeks ago they were cut down to $1.80 a week. In Verdun the single men were getting relief, now, according to the Terrault Commission which is in charge of unemployment relief in this city, they intend to cut all single men off relief and send them to the slave camps in Val Cartier and Petawawa. There are reports that they intend to open up 10 more slave camps in this province. The Jewish single unemployed were receiving $1.50 per week for room and rent. According to reports, the authorities intend to cut this by February 17th.

Workers Fight Back The single unemployed are now beginning to resist the terrible conditions that are imposed upon them. In Rosemount for ex-mple, the single men had only to talk about organization when the authorities informed them by mail that their case was under consideration, They have now been instructed to register for relief to the amount of $1.80, beginning next week. The single men in the refuges have been disgust-ed with their conditions for a long time, but owing to our misunderstanding of their problems and being unable to give them leadership, we had lost contact with the majority of the workers for a while. In the meantime, however, Albert St. Martin, had taken advantage of our temporary weaknesses and organized a good amount of the French Canadians into a "Humanitarian Society." Also Chalifou from the Labor Clubs' Federation has also set up a group there. But we have finally set out to do something and have succeeded very well, A mass-meeting was called last week and over 300 single men responded. Many were turned away, the hall being filled to capacity. We have twice approached St. Martin to form a United Front with them but were turned down. The rank and file members of his organization are with us. This was demonstrated at the last meeting where members of the Humanitarian Society pledged themselves to cause pressure in their organization for a United Front with pur organization of single men for a struggle:

For the abolition of the refuges, Vitre and Belmount.

$2.50 cash relief all the unemployed, regardless of nationality or time spent in the city.

3 $2.00 per week for rent.

$1.00 for sundries, (laundry, etc.)

The abolition of Val Cartier and Patawawa Camps.

The single men are determined to abolish the refuges in Montreal if given the correct leadership they will be able to gain sucesses. The Jewish single men are also beginning to organize A mass-meeting is being call-ed this week, where the conditions of the men wilt disposed wether the ob-s ....

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"The Working Class Youth and the Next War," The Young Worker (Young Communist League of Canada). August 1, 1924. Pages 3 & 4. ---- Ten years ago this month the world be came ablaze with war. Started by an insignificant happening at Sarajevo it developed and grew until in a few Short weeks the most powerful nations of the earth were at each others throats. Millions of workers were recruited and conscripted into their national armies, ten millions of them never to return. Each nation had its slogan, and each national working class was duped and fooled with phrases of "democracy" and "the rights of small nations." The youth were swindled and deceived by lying politicians into believing that the war was a "Holy War" when in reality it was simply one of a succession of imperialist wars for the control of natural resources and markets for surplus goods.

After The War. "The war to end war" ended. Millions of workers were demobilized and returned home, not to find a "land fit for heroes to dwell in," but to find increasing unemployment, wage cuts, starvation, Fascism, privation and misery. The great swindle was exposed by the expériences of the workers of every country since that time. In spite of so-called Disarmanent Conferences that in reality only scrapped useless weapons, in spite of diplomatic conferences called for the purpose of patching up a dying capitalism, the rottenness of the system is becoming more apparent as the days go on. The in famous Treaty of Versailles that carved up the vanquished countries for the vie tors has meant untold suffering to the workers of Europe. Fascism has taken root and is growing; the risk of "democracy" is torn asunder and we see the face of the real bloody capitalist dictatorship. Force has succeeded the old pretense of peace the working class organizations who have dared to wage a fight against the boss class have been ruthlessly exterminated by force and violence. Everywhere reaction is rampant; the working class are on the defensive before their exploiters.

Future Wars. We know that as long as capitalism is allowed to exist that wars will continue. Already preparations, are being made for the next one. We read of the instruments of war that are being perfected every day. Gas, germs, submarine, airplanes, and all methods of destroying life quickly and efficiently are being invented and manufactured. Instead of the four million men that were armed in 1913, we have today seven millions ready for action France, Great Britain, the U.S.A and the smaller countries are increasing their air services and naval forces. The struggle for the control of Oil resources continues. The U. S., Great Britain and France are squabbling over the control and mastery of defeated Germany. The German workers through the Dawes Commission Report are being placed at the mercy of Wall Street for many years, and will be driven to work at the point of the bayonet to produce wealth for American, French and British capitalism. The result will be increased unemployment in those countries while the German workers receive nine cents an hour in wages. And the Labor Prime Minister of Imperial Britain agrees to the Dawes plan!

The Betrayal of Labor. The working class have been betrayed by the labor fakirs and social democrats the world over. They are to be classed with the pacifists insofar as they support capitalism and denounced as people who have their eyes fixed longingly upon the royal dining tables and who fool and betray both themselves and the working class during times of crisis. We point to the history of the German Social Democratic Party who led the workers into the arms of the boss class, prevented the revolution, and shot down the communists, We quote the British "Labor" Government that refuses to night in the interest of the workers, but votes credits for new warships and airplanes; the Government that will be prepared to sacrifice the workers in the interest of Capitalist "democracy." In Canada the labor fakirs play the same role. The Trades Congress of Canada issues Anti-War stamps as a protest against war, and lines up with the yellow Amsterdam International, in their reactionary policy. Only the Communist and the Young Communist International have remained true to the interests of the working class in their attempts to rally the workers in opposition to capitalist wars, and to lead them in the struggle for the complete overthrow of capitalism.

Demands of The Rebel Youth.

The Young Communist League of Canada, follows the leadership of the Young Communist International during its Anti-Militarist work. We adopt as our logan, "No war but the Class War," and will unceasingly point out to the young workers the fact that they have nothing in common with the capitalist class, either in peace time or in war. We realizing that the next war will spring up overnight, and that preparation upon the eve of war is of no avail. We must be prepared for it now, and the struggle against the future wars carried on consistently. We realize that only the en-tire destruction of the war-breeding capitalist system will end wars as we know them, and that this means that the class war will have to be fought out to a successful finish by the working class itself. Only the creation of the working class state will enable the working class to forever throw off the curse of war, and enable the working class to erect its own system of society. We enter the Anti-Militarist Week of demonstrations together with the Communist parties and leagues throughout the world with a clear understanding of our function, and with the rallying and enlightening of the working class as our aim:

Down With The Military Training Of The Working Class Youth For Use By The Capitalist Class!

No Intervention By The Military Forces Of The State In Industrial Disputes!

The United Front Of The Youth And Adults Against War!

Down With Fascism, The Naked Expression Of Capitalist Rule!

No War But The Class War!

"Working Class Youth and Militarism," The Young Worker. August 1, 1924. Page 7. --- (May Day Speech delivered by Comrade. W. Sydney of Montreal Y. C.L.) Being a representative of the only youth organization taking part in the May Day celebration, I will especially speak of the problems confronting the working class youth. The first question with which we must deal is that of militarism.

The world today has been turned into one big military camp. The number of e soldiers under arms is unthinkable. It is estimated that the armies of the world. amount to seven millions of men, double the pre-war figure. And this after all the bunk that was spread of fighting against the menace of German militarism, and later of the need for disarmament. Why does, capitalism the world over support such large numbers of men under arms, if not in preparation for coming wars? Wars! Again will the bodies of the working class youth lie rotting in the trenches!

Again will the working class youth be asked to lay down their lives to protect the property of their exploiters! Why have we to suffer all of this? Because our "good hearted" masters may be able to capture more markets and enslave more youth!

Young Workers! The menace is at hand. Be ready to act immediately! Down with capitalist-militarism!

The agencies by which capitalism prepares cannon-fodder for the future and poisons the mind of our youth are the Cadets, the Boy Scouts, and the Girl Guides. Who are these organizations? They are kept up by capitalism the world over to ensnare the youth. The working class youth are taken into these organizations and used against the working class itself. During strikes and other working class, struggles not only are the soldiers used to break us, but these different military sections are used to scab against us and to break the power of the workers. Brother against Brother! Father against Son! Thus the capitalists line up the workers against themselves. Our youth is being used against us. Remember!

Do not join these organizations. They are being used against you and your class. But it is not enough that you do not join them-work against, them, agitate against them, speak against them!

"Demand for Tim Buck as a Witness, Forces Judge to Postpone Joe Derry's Trial Till March," The Young Worker. December 18, 1933. Page 1. --- Toronto, Dec. 13. - The trial of Joe Derry will be postponed until March, in order that Tim Buck, Secretary of the Communist Party may be brought from Kingston Penitentiary as a defense witness, Judge O'Connell ruled today.