The Daily Worker Newspaper, January 19, 1924, Page 8

“A WEEK” “A WEEK”, by Iury Libedinsky, translated from the Russian by Arthur Ransome, pub- lished by B. W. Huebsch, New York City, s “et, on sale at the book-sellers or the publishers, A book by a young Russian who understands the revolution because he lived thru it, and he tells you A Victim of the Lynchers. about it as only a revolutionist can It is said of this novel that counter- revolutionists find their vindication in it; but even the devil will quote scripture to vindicate himself. The THE SITUATION IN OKLAHOMA - - - By J. E. SNYDER. The Oklahoma political situation has attracted the attention of the entire nation. The collapse of the Walton administration, after a few brief months, has left the whole state in a mental mess. The—administra- tion started off with a program of promises to the farmers and wage workers such as have not appeared since the days of populism. Thous- ands turned out to the Walton barbe- cue with bands and parades. The | What of the Klan? whole state went wild with joy that at last the workers and farmers had a@ governer who would deliver them from the clutches of the greedy land- lord, machinery trust, coal dealer and high interest taker. They saw in Walton the personification of their pioneer hopes that at last marketing conditions and farmers’ loans would be such that the old house might he repaired and the sheds rebuilt. Hard- ly an improvement had been made, down in the cotton belt and very few in the wheat belt, in that state in 26 years. Poverty reigns supreme and one touch of misery has made them all kin. Therefore they dreamed of so many benefits to come, that when Walton fell by the wayside a wave of |are very exciting down there and we have to disappoint them by saying hate and revenge swept the entire state. Not all this hate is centered on | hotel lobbies, on trains, on the streets, counter-revolutionist Repin, who dis- guises himself as a Red Army offi- cer to carry out his treachery surely is no here. Hig treachery stands out dark, sinister, against the heroism, the forgetfulness of self of the Communists, Lisa the non-partisan school- teacher, the naive, shy, simple Lisa who teaches the Red Soldiers and is timid in their presence, sees the treachery of Repin, his cruelty to the consumrtive Robeiko, she lives thru the harrowing events of that murderous attack by bandits, coun- ter-revolutionists, revolting peasants upon the defenseless town, and when she comes out of it all, she joins the Communist Party. She is no longer non-partisan after what she has seen. The writer, Iury Libedinsky, may not be as accomplished a stylist as some of the other young writers in Soviet Russia, but he does possesd the art of narration. Heis not of the modernist school, as for instance the great young Russian writer, Boris Pilniak, but he cannot escape its influence altogether, The book is dynamic, swift-moving, not too long drawn out, dramatic. It lights up the revolutionary period, or rather the riod when the gains of the Revolution have to be con- served and defended. “The revolu- tion is no longer a matter of po- litical tracts, but ig dramatized, vi- talized. It becomes vivid and real. The Communist Party decides everything, it holds the welfare of all in its hands, it has in its keep- ing the fate of the Revolution. It is the breath of life tg the comrades. As Stalmakhov says, “I dislike all who fell “The Oklahoma first to turn against him and lose no opportunity to expose his shortcom- ings. The followers of Wilson, who was appointed president of the Agri- culture college, and then deposed by Walton, are relentless in their critic- ism. Those whom he appointed to of- fice and have been let out, constitute another faction. Most of them know a lot to tell about this fallen hero, and they tell it wherever they go. A few of these, however, feel that, altho Walton fell short of expectation ana that he turned much oil contribution to his own account, still he is an ange: besides his traducers and therefore so hard for Walton, ‘Leader group were the are out with him to get the scalp ot the Klan and-all who uphold the de- posing of the Governor. Still another group busy exposing Walton is the State Federation of Labor officials who were not even invited when Wal- ton took office. The Anti-Klan movement has drift- ed into a distinct political party to wage a fight at the democratic and pi gs primaries with almost the sole issue to defeat the candidates of the Ku Klux Klan. This political movement has little virtue, so far as labor is céncerned. It does, however, have a decided effect on the labor struggle, for almost the entire state is divided Klan and Anti-Klan. business houses and homes of Okla- homa, Jack Walton, the Klan and the Anti-Klan are the eternal topic. Out siders ask, as we travel away from the scene of battle, if things that everything, so far as action is concerned, is very quiet and only the Walton. “The Ku Klux Klan ‘Got/pens of editors and the tongues of Walton’ and we will get the Klan,’ te are fanning the flames of hate. is the sentiment among many thous-| The deplorable thing is that men ands of farmers, Those were |and women, whe should be devoting ; } on the Walton campaign committee, | their time to the much neglected labor | have on the other hand, turned most|movement, in Oklahoma, are hating | of their hate on Walton and on each other. There are at least six fac-|each other of ‘tions in the ranks of the reformers and ier nage | each other, accusing igh crimes arid mis- demeanors, that talk, against Communism. . munism some sort of philosophy? By IURY LIBEDINSKY Communism, for and ..Is Com- What. is there to be talked about? You know, for me, it is a friendly word.” And Klimin, the local Communist tion and head of the local Cheka says, “We, workers, some- how take the Revolution differently. ... But for the intellectuals the Revolution is something outside, a little God demanding sacrifices, but for me, for example ...I can say something like what some king or other said, ‘The State... me,’” ° the Chairman of organiza- . that’s Twenty-eight comrades, the best, the responsible Communists, experi- enced men, tried and brave unto death, all killed by the bandits, while the Red Army battalion was away. The battalion went off to cut down wood in the forest at the monastery which was at a distance of twelve versts from the town, The wood ‘would provide fuel for the trains, so that the seed for the sowing could be brought from far away for the peasants. This would pacify the dissatisfied peasants, would prevent a revolt, and would save the people from famine. The comrades were the very ones who had voted for it at the Party mecting, tho know- ing the danger to those left behind. But there was no other way. The consumptive Robeike proposed it and it was passed. “Tm sorry for the lads,’ said Karauloy (the military commander) “got.” Walton may become the next United States Senator because the Oklahoma farmer feels more than he thinks. So much does he despise the Klan, that he is swept by the flame of discontent which “Jack Walton’s Paper” carriers in headlines that can e read a block away. Every Klan atrocity that has happened for years is played up as lurid as were the atrocities of the Germans during the war, while on the other hand, the “Flaming Cross’’ shines a brilliant red from many a high building or hill and the newsboys cry the sales of the Anti-Klan papers which shout to the nation of “red,’’ Catholic, Jew, and negro domination which is but a x ting screen to hide the attack on abor, In the midst of this muddle and mess the Workers Party is attempt- ing to get a hearing for the farmer- labor movement. The “Daily Okla- homa,” thanks to the kindly editor, is helping by giving eight column head- lines with five column write ups of our coming into the state, and how we were there to “Capture the state of Oklahoma for Red Russia and to overthrow our sacred democratic in- stitutions, and establish the Soviet.” We took little part in the Walton controversy and paid little heed to the “Oklahoman’s” silly drivel; but we did sit up and take notice when we found that Walton had signed a text book law that contained an amendment ordering the school authorities to purchase no school books that advocate “The materialist- ie conception of history: i. e. Darwin- ian Evolution.” Not Walton alone js guilty of this silly act of command- within the past three/years. January 1, 1921—H-34, which a gale at Howden, England. of 42 lives. The indictment of officials goes on.|ing the law of nature to Those who started the action against |their orderly course, but mo: Disasters Shenandoah Avoided Four giant dirigibles of the Shenandoah type have met disaster across the Atlantic to New York and returned safely, was wrecked in August 24, 1921—ZR-2, built in England for the United States burst into flames, exploded, broke in two and fell near Hull, England, with loss February 21, 1922—The U. S. Army dirigible Roma exploded over Hampton Roads. 34 died of injuries. December 21, 1923—French naval dirigible Dixmude struck by lightning and lost in Mediterranean storm; 50 lives lost. abruptly. “‘Died for nothing. ° And you and I were right,... rhe battalion ought not to have been taken from the town.’ “Gornuikh was silent, thinki: and then said, speak aa 8 ni were piling heavy, ‘orm stones into a solid wall: “‘No, Karaulov, we were both wrong. You are see Here the: bringing the wood, You just think,’ he added with r&re animation for him, ‘that wood gives us seed-corn! and corn, for peasant revolts, is like water for fire. Not for nothing the comrades died.’ ” And love, too, is in the book. The revolution parts these, but brings those together. Yet there ig hard! time to love; violent death ovér- takes the lovers too soon. And Gornuikh the sew hero, like Hawkeye of the “Last of the Mohie cans,” but a real Gornuikh, not mere ly a character of romance. He ca beard the lion in his den, afraid nothing, knows what the enemy up to, always on the watch, he everywhere, & heroic Chekist, yet a plain fellow for all that, but a regular devil when the b ~ up to mischief. Gornuikh 60) over the corpse of Klimin hig ¢ Gornuikh leading the rai against the bands, his a sme revolver in his hand. It is he whom the leadership: falls wh t) rest are dead, for the Re on is still alive. “A Week” is a are t epic of the great Russian Revolution, —SIMON IELSHIN, top in every Walton could not stop when once/one of the —_ ture voted for the started and so some of the big capi-|bill, as amended, talist officials have been dragged into |law with the sanction of the “re- the meshes of the law and stand in-| formers” of Oklahoma. Mentally ot dicted along side the man_ they | physically Oklahoma is fertile for ¢ and it ame & STS ENOUGH To MAKE & Fata Roc, PEIRPHyT. 99 : tivation, and the discontent that capi- talism and its “black-hundred” are stirring to the boiling point, is help- ing us wonderfully along. Oh, yes!—It’s a Different Kind _of Fertilizer! In regard to an offer for Muscle — a Washi hw Se. 8a in part: “The p pu those back of the pen ge yg: nll retary explained, the manufac. ture of wala . y w them to compete with Congress? an THE PEN PUSHER. flew from East Fortune, Scotland,