Chapter 19 – The Canadian League Against War and Fascism/Berlin Olympics protest

Quoting from Marilyn Jensen’s interview, this is how Dad describes the evolution of the Canadian League Against War and Fascism:

“In the early thirties, things began to happen in the world – fascism – and it was being instilled in Italy and Germany and the rest of the countries were beginning to follow. Certain elements in society thought that Hitler was the man to solve the problems in Germany, and the German legations – the Nazi legations. There were literally nests of Nazi activity across the world. There were legations in Canada, in Montreal and Toronto and Calgary too. They were all active.

I spent one winter in Montreal, and in Toronto, I joined an organization of people who were well aware of the trends towards fascism. It was called the League Against War and Fascism. It was a left wing organization made up of socialists and communists. The general philosophy of the organization was that everybody should join in, socialists, communists, church people...We had many church people in the League, particularly the United Church. The United Church gave good support to the organization. We had some great meetings. I remember one of the meetings was in Montreal and was in protest of Canadian participation in the 1936 Olympics which were to be held in Berlin. We contended that the Olympic ideal – free sports – competitive sports for all people should not be held in a fascist country because the fascists had a racial and discrimination belief. We contended that it had nothing to do with the Olympic ideal which was for free sports, for all types of people, for all types of competitors. And therefore we protested against holding the Olympics in 1936 which was the following year in Berlin.”
This protest took place in the Montreal Forum in 1935 during a Montreal Canadiens’ or perhaps a Montreal Maroons hockey game. The plan was that after the first period, leaflets would be fanned out over the stands by members strategically placed around the top of the stadium. Then, at the second period, girls (as Dad called them) were to come out onto the ice with a 40 foot banner that read “No Canadian Participation in the Berlin Olympics”. Apparently, when the time came and with the arena packed to capacity, the girls backed out, so Dad and another man headed out onto the ice with the banner.

First, I’m assuming hockey and politics were not an ideal mix. Dad and his colleague quickly found themselves rushed by a mob trying to tear the banner down. Also, at that time, a pro-Hitler anti-Semitic organization known as the National Unity Party had established roots in Quebec and Dad always maintained that once on the ice, the mob turned its focus to his partner who was Jewish. Luckily, enveloped in a cloud of steam, the two of them escaped out an emergency exit into a -40 below Montreal night. Nevertheless, Dad remembered this as a very effective demonstration.

Chapter 18 - Between Toronto and Montreal

I’m sorry to say that September 1934 was the last of Dad’s letters that I have. I was fortunate to get copies of them from my sister Joanne, by way of my dad’s brother Kenny, found when their mother’s house was being packed up in Scotland some years ago.

It seems that between the fall of 1934 and into 1936, Dad commuted between Toronto and Montreal. This business card indicates that he represented the Club Film Service in Toronto, although I’ve been unable to find out anything about this business.



I believe it was also in Toronto where he met and became good friends with Binky Marks. When reminiscing about Binky, I always remember Dad telling me that he and Binky were eventually “thrown out” of the CCF because their views were too radical.

With the escalating trend toward fascism and world war ever present, one of the organizations Dad took an active role in was the The League Against War and Fascism which later became the Canadian League for Peace and Democracy. According to my research the CLAWF was founded in Montreal in the fall of 1934.

On June 3rd, 1935, the On to Ottawa Trek began in Vancouver drawing significant national attention to the terrible conditions in the relief camps. It was an action that had a great deal of support and was even credited with helping to defeat the Conservative government headed by R. B. Bennett. Although not directly involved, Dad certainly was behind the Trek in spirit and often talked about what a great campaign it was.

In 1988, my friend Marilyn Jensen conducted an extensive taped interview with Arnold about his activist days. He was 85 at the time. Thanks to her transcript, we are fortunate again have Dad’s own words to describe some of the events that occurred from 1934 into the war years.

Chapter 17 - Pigs and the NRA

As mentioned in the last post, Dad was writing articles for what he referred to as the “radical press”. Unfortunately, I don’t know what papers they were. This article, entitled Pigs and the NRA refers not to the National Rifle Association but to the National Recovery Administration which was established in the United States in 1933 to assist in the recovery of the American economy through various controls on industry, production, trade and labour. The Wikipedia article on the NRA notes: "The NRA was based on the premise that the Great Depression was caused by market instability and that government intervention was necessary to balance the interests of farmers, business and labor."

Pigs and the NRA

"As one of the many millions of unfortunates on this continent who have put into Mother Earth a great deal more than they have been able to take out, at this time, when all is lost and nothing matters, my fancy lightly turns to the pastime that has replaced cross-word puzzles – the contemplation of controlled production.

There must be logic in the situation of people starving. The Spectre of Plenty will be removed by various forms of controlled production, enabling the people to hunger more comfortably in an atmosphere of synthetic scarcity. The idea is great, and, indeed its application promises to open up unaddressed avenues of endeavour.

For instance, some farmers in the United States have received cheques from the Government for not raising pigs. One farmer has received a cheque for $1000.00 for not raising 500 pigs. After some figuring, I find that this is exactly $2.00 per hypothetical pig, and I am filled with the urge of again entering the agricultural field. I have visions of a nice dignified business being worked up along the lines of not raising pigs. In this connection, I would advise the establishment of a number of agricultural colleges, as this new branch of farming would call for considerable specialization. Not only should one know what kind of farm would be best adapted for not raising hogs, but he should also know what strain of hogs are best suited to not being raised, and much study could be given to ways and means of keeping an inventory of hogs that are not being raised. Feeding charts outlining the best kinds of feeds that should not be fed to hogs that are not being raised could also be formulated.
While the farmer mentioned above only collected for 500 hogs that had not been raised, it takes no stretch of imagination to see that this output or intake could be greatly increased. In fact, I can, in my usual optimistic way, even see myself capable, after the necessary training, of not raising several thousand pigs. It is easily seen that this is one of the fairest methods of controlled production, as it gives to the more imaginative farmer, who has been looked upon as an impractical visionary in the past, the opportunity to attain his proper place in agrarian society.
Presently I shall devote my attention to the floating of a Non-Hog-Raising Gold Bond for the purpose of aiding farmers to embrace this great new venture. I wonder if that man out west, to who I gave my farm, would sell it back to me? I wonder?"


While I was growing up, my father often reminded me that one of the main hurdles I would come up against time and time again in life was stupidity. In particular, he referred the stupidity of bureaucracy and this article certainly speaks to that.

Chapter 16 - Domicile Rights

Continuing with the September 11, 1934 letter from Toronto:

“I have been writing some short articles for the radical press, which might be acceptable to one of the home papers as from an American correspondent. If you can you it, do so.

As I did not have the opportunity of having any lengthy conversation with you in Winnipeg, there are phases of possible future occurrences that I think you ought to be made aware of. As you know, my entry into Canada (from California to BC) was considered by the Canadian Immigration Department to be an illegal entry. It was legalized on the provisional grounds that I show proof of having taken land in Canada and provide a guarantee that I would not become a public charge during the period required to obtain domicile rights (5 years I think). At that time I was in the position to give such a guarantee.

Now, if I should be unable to procure work here, and, like a million others, be forced to seek government relief, there is every likelihood that my entry would be referred to and that an order would be sought for my deportation. This is a regular procedure in the case of aliens who have not resided here five years. The question here arises whether or not it would embarrass you to have me arrive in Glasgow as a deportee. I can assure you that it would not embarrass me in the least, but that the bringing of you into the picture would cause me some discomfort. As your name is recorded on my passport and at the BC port of entry, it is inevitable that, in this eventuality, your name would be brought into the case.” (By now, Arnold’s father had been knighted for his musical achievements as conductor of the Glasgow Orpheus Choir in Scotland and Sir Hugh Roberton was a very well known and respected in the UK, if not worldwide.)