The Leader-Post from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada • 3

LIFE BEHIND CURTAIN DESCRIBED BY REGINA WOMAN When Communists need confessions they get them and when merchants scrape up taxes they ask for more next time normal activity of British, Cana made under trial. It is common Briton now being tried in War saw by the Communists for aid ing the escape from Poland of a Polish woman. Miss Fletcher said she knew admission that the person died Burma, India and Indonesia. For under questioning. her work aiding the evacuation A reporter can do little more of women and children from In-than respect the reticence of a donesia, she was decorated by the fellow country woman w'ho lived Dutch.

behind the Iron Curtain and whoj She returned to Canada in 1946 does not want to talk too much and the following year ent to about those she knew there who, Poland with the British embassy still remain. staff. Her flight from Warsaw The trip to Poland was not Miss began May 191950. jployee ol the British embassy in Poland. For two years she worked on a Polish-language newspaper and in the third year prior to last May was with a British information centre in Warsaw.

Her flight, in an RA.F. courier craft from the Warsaw airport to western Berlin and eventually to London she described merely as escaping the Communist dragnet by six There was more to the story! than that however, much more' wich she insists on leaving untold1 for now. In more than an hours conversation with her Monday night in the quiet comfort of her sisters Regina I had the feeling of seeing more intimately than can be put into print the story Arthur Koestler wrote in his many books about the Communist world of terror in eastern Europe. Miss Fletcher said she knew Koestlers works and nodded assent at the attempted parallel. Her one hint of the intrigue was the voicing of her interest in a By BOB PHILLIPS Joan Bamford Fletcher, a lie gina-born woman with a flair lor adventure, returned home Mon-, day night from behind the Iron Curtain in Poland with a personal tale Communist-directed terror, intimidation and fear.

"My last week in Warsaw," she said, was a nightmare" and the look in her eyes as she 6poke attested more to the experience than any words she uttered. Miss Fletcher, 37, was an era-, knowledge in Poland that accused persons are drugged, doped and beaten to extract confessions from them, she said. You can be sure anything they say is what is wanted from them the constant interrogations and thp physical privations and tortures usually bring them around to the official view of the case sooner or later. And then she added, Bring them around or kill them many die under questioning; their bodies are often returned to their families with the frank official Claude Henry Turner, the pionage trials in Poland, Miss when he was an air attache at said Turner would prob-the British embassy in Warsaw ably receive a three-month pri-i between 1947 and 1949. son sentence as a mininum.

What else than the mere fact 'Whether he would ever be heard of his official work she may again, however, was another about him, however, she would matter. She said many persons not say. imprisoned for similar short terms Her only reply to the reportjnever reappeared. 'from Warsaw quoting Turner asi She said she could not vouch saying that espionage was a for the validity of any statements The Third LEADER-POST. REGINA, Allegiance ath proposed at Moose Jaw Regina might screen Reds While in Regina she is visiting Mr.

and Mrs. Charles Waters at 3000 Hill avenue. Her next stop is Vancouver, later this week. About her life in Poland, however, these illuminating experiences were learned: Food is plentiful, if you have the money to buy. All Polish government employees, and they are legion, are supplied with official ration cards which entitle them to good supplies at reasonable prices.

Other persons have to fend for themselves on the free market where everything is free but the commodity and the price. Travel is little hindered if permission is first obtained. Most government officials drive American-made automobiles. Everyone registers many times over with the labor offices, with the secret police and with ration people so that a complete dossier is available on his life and its movements. Young boys spend their summer months in forced labor battalions and trained the Polish-Communist way and used for work projects.

Poland, Miss Fletcher said, now is the arsenal of the western Communist Most national activity is directed at arms and arming men. Russian army uniforms are not uncommon but mostly the hierarchy of the state, while Russian by birth and training, dress in the Polish national uniform. More And More About taxes, which she said are climbing monthly, she had this I little story to tell, simple and personal but indicative, she said, of what really happens: A quaint little shoemaker 1 operated his shop near her apart-, ment. Around another corner was a tiny tea shop where she ate I many lunches. I The annual tax returns came to I each of these proprietors who scraped to meet its excessive demands.

Immediately the tax asi'as Paid the government raised the obligation, demanding even THE xr'J'ii Regina may consider whether screening of the should employ Communists or Communist sympathisers in event of war between east and west. This was learned Tuesday after Vancouvers Mayor Charles Thompson said he had ordered an Pacific coast citys 4,000 public employees. The mayor implied in a statement that avowed Communists would be fired from the citys service. Storm signals for Reds and fellow travellers also flew in Moose' Jaw Monday night when Aid. G.

A. Ferguson served notice of motion in city council that at the next regular meeting he would move that oaths of allegiance to the crown be required of all municipal officials, school teachers and provincial government employees. Aid. Ferguson said the Canadian concept of democracy is threatened by persons being allowed to spread "the virus of Shopping hours are discussed Regina stores may remain open until 10 p.m. Dec.

23 but they must close as usual the Wednesday afternoon of the week before Christmas, city bylaws now require. Whether the chamber of commerce or its retail merchants committee will press for bylaw amendment to allow Wednesday afternoon shopping Dec. 20, is not yet known. One chamber official said there was not agrement on this question among retail merchants and that for the time being no united action is planned. Special Clauses Reginas bylaw 2119 outlines normal Wednesday afternoon closing at 12 noon and normal Saturday night closing at 6 p.m.

Special clauses dealing with the Christmas season also say this: 1. Stores may remain open Wedneslay afternoon until 6 p.m. during the week in which Christmas day falls. (Christmas day this year is Monday and falls in the week of Dec. 24-30.) 2.

Stores may remain open Saturday night until 10 p.m. in any year in which Dec. '19, 20, 21, 22 or 23 is a Saturday. (The' last shopping day before Christmas this year is Saturday, Dec. 23.) A recent report from Saskatoon Ernest King 743 Athol street said that stores there will remain Mrs Sprlngi Reginai and the City and district donations' Tuesday sent the Leader-Post Christmas Cheer fund to $843 the pace of contributions quickened with the approach of Christ-One man, remembering a day when he could have used i helping hand himself, mailed in Leader-Post Photo CAROL SINGERS: God rest you merry gentlemen rang out in childrens clear, treble voices to the audience that packed Metropolitan church Monday evening for the opening of the Rotary carol festival.

Against the attractive background, the children of Imperial school chorus (above) made a colorful picture in their wide range of costumes and sizes as Miss Joyce E. Collicut conducted. more of their scarce money. While she was there, Miss Fletcher said, the shoemaker shot six to 60 festival and the tea room operator hanged himself. Both their shops were closed and lhat was the und Communism.

He thought all persons holding public office jjore tlian 1,200 hear Christmas spirit in song should be required to state they. 1 are not members of a Communist) or other subversive group. tMay Be Considered In Begina, the matter has not been formally considered but Mayor Garnet Menzies said Tuesday the subject of Communist employees in the city service will likely come under consideration by his proposed civil defence committee. The mayor said he will ask city council next Thursday to name one of its members to a proposed four-member civil defence coordinating body which will begin immediately to work out details of a civil defence plan, Metropolitan United church Monday as more than 1,200 persons gathered for the launching of the 1950 Rotary carol festival. People were being turned away from the packed church by 7.35 p.m.

Collection for The Leader- Singers from open 1960 carol Institute choir, the choir program was one of entertainment. Ages of the singers ranged six to 60 or more and this alone provided infinite variety. The clear, piping trebles children contrasted greatly to Whether or not Regina could Post Christmas Cheer fund refuse employment to persons totalled $327 an increase of $95 ldian and American embassies," was to comment dryly: About that I dont know." From her experience vith es' Page DECEMBER 12 year-old who crowed with delight whenever the audience applauded. The festival began at 5 p.m. with recorded music sounding out from speakers in front of the church.

Carrilionneur Barry Wells chimed out melodies from 7 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. At 7.30 p.m. Norman Langdale led the audience in a heartily sung series of carols. Guests of Honor Honored guests M.

Uhrich, Acting Premier C. C. Williams, Mayor Garnet Menzies and their party took their places at 8 p.m. The Rotary carol festival was not organized primarily as a money making proposition, the clubs president, Rod McIntosh, said in his welcoming address. He said it was to bring the spirit of Christmas to the people of Regina with the hope that they would carry it away with them and spread it to others.

At the intermission, Andy Gerein spoke on behalf of The Leader Post Christmas Cheer fund, to which the collection was given. Colorful Procession It was a colorful procession of singers across the stage in front of the stained-glass windoVs in the specially set up background. St. Augustine boys choir attracted much interest with their red choir gowns and white surplices. Wine choir gowns were worn by two groups.

White uniforms of the Grey Nuns school of nursing glee club looked crisp and cool and the wide variety of childrens clothing provided interesting contrasts under the colored floodlights. Choirs participating in Mondays program and their conductors were: Rotary carol singers, Norman Langdale; Imperial school chorus, Miss Joyce E. Collicut; Sacred Heart academy glee club, Betty Tapp; Lakeview school chorus, Miss M. Laidlaw; St. Augustine boys choir, Miss E.

Ell; Central collegiate glee club, Lloyd Blackman; Lakeview United church choir. Jack MacLean; Alliance Tabernacle choir, H. J. Schroeder; Grey Nuns school of nursing glee club, Harold G. Gallagher; First Baptist church choir, Ian Barrie, and Canadian Bible Institute choir, H.

J. Schroeder. Tuesdays program was to be largest of the week, with 12 groups performing. Wednesdays Program Choirs which will perform Wednesday and their leaders are as follows: Holy Rosary Juniorettes, B. H.

Schumacher; Connaught school chorus. Miss Rita Freethv; Grace Lutheran church choir, The Det-wiler choristers, Mrs. Irene Irvine; Davin school chorus, Miss Sullivan; Balfour technical school glee club, Allan Rumbelow; Young over the first last year. night's collection From the first lusty tones of the tendance. All was rapt attention, Rotary carol singers to the last' however, with no juvenile dis-velvety chords of the Canadian1 turbances except for the four- Foxleigh Community club, $5.

Old Zeppelene" explained in his letter to the fund that he knew what it was like to be down on the luck, and while he realized his contribution might be small, it was all he could afford and he wanted to help. Of such is the spirit of Christ mas. The annual Rotary musical festival opened its four-night program Monday before a capacity crowd at Metropolitan United church. All proceeds from this affair go to the Christmas Cheer fund. First night collection was greater than that taken in 1949 and a new high is expected when complete returns are made.

Final tabulation of donations open both Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 20, and Saturday night, Dec. 23. iiiiiiimimiimmimiimiiHiimmmi REPORTER REFUSES JOB The labor meeting was going along smoothly with the annual election of officers almost completed. Then a position came up for which the chairman could get no nominations.

Trying another angle, he asked for volunteers. Still no response. In desperation the chairman looked -over the group, spotted an interested face, and asked the man who owned it if he'd take the job. Amid the chuckles that followed, the chairman was told the man lie had picked was The Leader-Posts reporter. The reporter declined the job.

iiiimiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiimiiiiiiimmiiimi- Trucks have role in civil defence The Saskatchewan Motor Trans-and fire-fighting purposes. A large port association is setting up spe- number of other specific uses could also be made of trucks, cial trucking committees in all jn cage of aerjaj attacks, some cities in the province to tie in trucks would have to be placed ago against 5,000 members of the from Dions club Santa Claus youth movement, a young parade, held Dec. 2, is expected shortly, and it will give the fund another good lift. Meanwhile, individual contributions can be made until Christ mas at the cashiers wicket of The Leader-Post. rebel uprising, when several hundreds were imprisoned and many others committed to death.

Since then there has been little public rebellion. Miss Fletcher says now she plans to winter in Vancouver with v- tf H. E. KING II. E.

King promoted Horace E. King, for the past five years sales manager for the eight prairie branches of McGavin Bakeries is being transferred Jan. 1 from Regina to the head office of the company in Vancouver. Mr. King will become assistant to Allan McGavin, the companys general sales and advertising manager.

Born in Barrie, Mr. King came west in 1909 and has since heen connected with the retail and wholesale food business. He came to Regina from Saskatoon 16 years ago as city sales supervisor for McGavins and was appointed branch manager two years later. Mr. and Mrs.

King live at 2850 Angus street and are members of Lakeview United church. Mr. King is also a member of the Wa-Wa-Shripe and the Assiniboia club. G.W. Swan labor head G.

W. Swan was elected president of the Regina Trades and Labor Council for 1951 at the annual elections held in Labor temple Monday night. Named to the executive for next year were L. W. Bell, vice-president; A.

Mayer, secretary; E. Reed, treasurer; and J. A. Morton, warden. The new council president is also president of the Regina General Hospital Employees union, local 176, and has been a delegate to the council for the past six years.

He served as vice president during 1950. Committee chairmen who will serve with the new executive are Clarence Wyatt, organization; William Cocks, legislative; W. Browne, education; R. Heseltine, exhibition; Miss O. Keyes and William Cocks, auditors; Charles Chestnut, vocational and educational.

Drilling reveals potash at Biggar Potash in non-commerical quantities has been discovered hear Biggar, Natural Resources Minister J. H. Brockelbank said Tuesday in a bureau of publications release. Mr, Brockelbank said the find added Vimportant Information on our potash resources and may help in uncovering more valuable deposits. Biggar is the third area in the province where potash has been discovered during oil-drilling operations.

Other discoveries have been made near Unity and Yorkton. WEDNESDAY CUTOFF Christmas letters and parcels going to Ontario and Quebec points should be in the mail by Wednesday night. Postal officials issued this reminder, noting that delivery by Christmas cannot be guaranteed on mail posted after that dale. of that. Read And Pry What freedoms are there in Poland now? Well, said Miss Fletcher, there was the freedom to read in the British embassy's reading room and the freedom to pray.

Some 70 or 80 persons, mostly' students, came daily to read the British newspapers, the reference books and the scientific texts. Poland was so war-ravaged during the Second World War, she said, that many libraries were destroyed and are not yet related. The only queues to be seen in 1 Warsaw were outside the churches on a Sunday where the people c5me to pray for war, war between the west and the east. The Poles comment on the quiet is: if only the west would do something. Other resistance to the Communist regime is not noticeable, she said.

The people are stolid, sullen and exhibit enduring hatred, but now they do nothing. Crushed She referred to a drive a year her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bamford Fletcher who once operated a dairy just north of Regina. She also plans to write a book about some of her experiences, and after that perhaps a motor trip.

I dont much care for the quiet life, she said. 25, percent years water service connections have increased in the last 12 month-end reports council show. were 25,530 individual Now there that an additional might be expected the city takes light and water annexed areas them. persons are due to Jan. I when the areas on all sides annexed.

How residences and equipped to receive utility services. Regina city department heads now are busy surveying their departments and are due soon to report to the mayor what additional services may be supplied these areas immediately after Jan. 1. 5,000 rent cases handled by board Since the Saskatchewan media-1 Requests for a lower rent have tion board took over control oft come from 490 people, with 280 11- high from fact of the deep, heavy male voices. Ages in the audience were at similar variance.

A large number of very young people were in at outside the built-up portion of cities. Thus they would be available for any type of evacuation or the hauling of supplies into the cities. They would be a form of insurance against the possibility of large numbers of trucks being destroyed within cities. New union appointee A change has been made in the unions appointee to the conciliation board being set up in the dispute between Saskatchewan Federated Co-operatives Ltd. and its employees union.

International representative of the union, Howard Mitchell said Tuesday George Taylor, of Saskatoon, will be union representative replacing Dr. M. C. Shumiacher, K.C., appointed Monday. Management announced earlier that its representative would be B.

Francis, K.C., of Saskatoon. The board is being set up to rule on whether or not an employee of the company, N. Gataint, was properly laid off and whether or not he should be paid for the period he was out of work. He has since been reinstated at a lower salary. Vpprenlice board nominees proposed A panel of four names wa forwarded to Labor Minister C.C.

Williams by the Regina Tradps and Labor council Monday night In answer to request for names from which "the minister might pick representatives to the apprenticeship board for the new year described as Communists, depends on interpretation of the provinces Bill of Rights, enacted at the last legislative session, the mayor said. He added he thought the bill might prevent Saskatchewan communities from undertaking such widespread Communist screening as that planned in Vancouver. No Precedent Attorney General Jt, W. Corman was not available Tuesday morning for comment. An official of his department said, as far as he knew, there was no precedent to govern the possibility of screening for Communists in Saskatchewan.

A section of the provinces Bill of Rights, which might apply, reads: Every person and every class of persons shall enjoy the right to freedom of conscience, opinion and belief The Bill of Rights clause guaranteeing the right to employment does not mention membership in a political party, but says a job seeker shall not be discriminated against because of race, creed, religidn, color or ethnic or national origin Foot race at Vibank Lorenz Weinberger, of the Vibank district, was fined $10 in R.C.M.P. court Monday on a charge of obstructing police after details of a foot race were un folded in evidence. Earlier, he had been fined $25 and costs for illegally consuming liquor in front of a Vibank dance hall Oct. 21. It was alleged Weinberger threw away beer he was drinking and began running when an R.C.M.P.

car pulled up at the hall. Taking up the chase, Const. P. C. McLean apprehended him after a short sprint.

Several complaints in writing had been received by the R.C.M.P. prior to the Vibank raid, in which citizens had complained of rowdiness at dances. Hole! clerk dies of heart attack Launcelot Statcher, 61, night clerk of the Arlington hotel who was found dead in the lobby of the hotel at 2.45 a m. Monday, died of a heart attack, an autopsy conducted by Dr. Roy at Grey Nuns hospital late Monday showed.

Statcher, a native of England with no known relatives In Cana- with municipal and provincial civil defence organization. Angus Mitchell, association secretary-manager, said Tuesday the truckers had notified Social Welfare Minister J. H. Sturdy, minister in charge of the civil defence organization in Saskatchewan, that they were ready to give any assistance they could in civil defence planning. One trucker in each city, likely the president of the S.M.T.A.

local, will head the local trucking committees. Mr. Mitchell said S.M.T.A. provincial officials will work In close co-operation with the transportation sub-committee of the provincial civil defence co-ordinating committee. To Bridge Gaps Trucks had proven to be a vital necessity during the railway strike last summer, Mr.

Mitchell said. It was unlikely the railways would be tied up in entirety in a civil defence emergency but trucks could be of great assistance in bridging gaps. They could be used in moving merchandise, equipment and people, he said. If a municipal water supply or distribution system was endangered, petroleum trucks could be used in transporting water for domestic Arthritic group needs director Engagement of a full-time mod ical director is the immediate aim of the Saskatchewan division of the Canadian Arthritis and Rheumatism society, Dr. D.

E. Rodger, chairman of the divisions medical advisory board, said Tuesday. The federal government recently announced a grant of $7,500 a year to pay the salary of such a director. being allowed, 103 refused, 53 withdrawn and 54 still pendling. There have been 1,447 aplica-tions for possession.

Of these, 590 were allowed, 384 dismissed, 224 withdrawn and the remaining 249 have still to be decided. Largest number of applications of all kinds to be made to the board 849 came in November. ot Complaints A board official said Tuesday that many complaints were being received from apartment block tenants concerning heating. Tenants were claiming insufficient heat was being provided by some block-owners. The official reminded that landlords cannot reduce any service which was being provided the tenant when provincial rent control first went into effect.

Sufficient heat must be provided. Under rental regulations, landlords may be prosecuted for reducing service while receiving an is not yet known in 12 Light and in Regina about 25 percent years, the citys to city In 1938, there connections. are 33,819. The report says increase after Jan. 1 when over supplying of services to thcie ready to receive Some 3,000 join the city populated fringe of the city are many of these buildings are the two primary domestic rents in the province April 1, has dealt with almost 5,000 cases, a board announcement said Tuesday.

Of a total of 3,319 applications for increased ren(s, 1,811 have been allowed, 804 refused and 56 withdrawn. The remaining 648 have not yet been ruled upon. HiiimmiimiimiiiimimmiimmiiH1 Porcupine in Lakeview A poreuplne discovered in the 3200 block Hill avenue shortly after noon Monday drew a crowd of curious citizens and upset the usual quiet of that section of Lake-view. The animal apparently wandered in from the prairie Monday morning and set up housekeeping near the front steps of the home of F. R.

Dawson, 3214 Hilt avenue. Spotted first by Mrs. J. C. Burnand.

who lives across the street, the visitor with the crochet needle overcoat was soon surrounded by a large group of school children and adults. A call to the Natural Resources department brought Game Warden W. A. Brownlee who plared a box over the porrupine and transported It by trurk to the Zehner district, some 10 miles from the city. There it was released.

jiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiimiiiiiirtiiiiiiiiiii unchanged rent. Jaycees windup in cabaret form Regina Jaycees will close the fall season of activities with a bang Friday night when they hold their annual Christmas cabaret at the Trianon ballroom. STICK IGNITES A stick of wood left on top of a coal heater filled the upholstery workshop of Barrie Brothers, 639 Nearly 350 Jaycees and guests Victoria avenue, with smoke at are expected for the dinner and 12.48 p.m. Monday. Firemen who dance, from 9 p.m.

to 1 a m. I weie called said the wood had ig-A floor show and a visit from nited but failed to start a fire in Santa will feature the evening's the building. No damage was entertainment. caused. Members of the medical ad-1 Two T.L.C.

members from the visory committee have conducted four councils in the province will tenan church. Mrs, mobile clinics through the prov- be chosen to serve on the nine-lnedy; Knox United church choir, ince during the summer, Dr. man board. )Dan A. Cameron; Saskatchewan Rodger said.

This has confirmed' The four named by the Regina civil service choir, Rj Staples: a guest of the hotel. Funeral ar-'the need for more mcdiral ser-'cnunril are William Corks, P. Melody Maids. Alice McDonald, have not yet beenvicea for patients living in rural Mikkclson, T. W.

Sharp and C. T.and Regina male voice choir, land outside districts. Gordon- 1 Lionel Allen. da, was found by Donajd Malpass, rangements completed. Peoples society.

First Presby-N. D. Ken-.