The Daily Worker Newspaper, October 6, 1924, Page 6

SS Se gah ow. ea ew Page an 1X THE DAILY. WORKER THE DAILY WORKER. Published by the DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING CO. 1113 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, ml. (Phone: Monroe 4712) Ree eee eee Sea enn coma RATES By mail be $3.50... % months Ae .00....8 months By mail (in Chicago only: . $4.50....6 momths $2.50....3 months $6.00 per year $8.00 per year Address all mail and make out checks to THE DAILY WORKER 1113 W. Washington Blvd. J. LOUIS ENGDAHL WILLIAM F. DUNNE MORITZ J. LOE Chieago, Ilinols cossesvecesesssssrersesnensnnes.s LAGItONS ...Business Manager ARERR ER SES Entered as second-class mail Sept. 21, 1923, at the Post Office at Chicago, Ill, under the act of March 3, 1879, Be 290 Advertising rates on application gece A Fundamental Issue All signs point to an early and sharp. parliamen- tary contest in Great Britain. For months the Labor cabinet has been able to sidestep and avoid contests of strength with its Liberal and Conservative opponents by proposing compromises at the eleventh hour. The tide has turned. A snag has been hit by all sides. The| ostacle is the treaty with Soviet Russia. Then, there is the further opposition of the self-styled lovers of the freedom of press in the Asquith and Baldwin camps of the Labor government’s drop- ping the case against the editor of the official organ of the Communist Party, the Worker’s Weekly. No better issues could be sought by the working- men of Great Britain. No issues could touch more deeply the sorest points of difference between the exploiters and the workers in the British Isles than these. The British imperialists will certainly think thrice before they throw down the gauntlet to the Labor Party on these questions. A sharp conflict over the treatment of Soviet Russia and the supremacy of Scotland Yard over the organization | of the Communist workers will certainly stimulate the class solidarity and consciousness of the la- borers. The workers will ask why it is that the reaction- ary Morning Post has the right to State its opinions against the organized labor forces while the latter are denied the right to criticise the military forces, the strikebreaking agents in uniform. The workers will ask why it is that loans to Horthy’s bloody Hungary and the puppet Austrian government are guaranteed, but loans to the Workers’ and Farmers’ Soviet Republic of Russia are boycotted. In this very asking the workers will learn of the funda- mental opposition of their interests as a class to the Lloyd Georges, the Asquiths, and the Baldwins. And should the MacDonalds, the Hendersons and Thomases and Snowdens refuse to accept the challenge of the capitalist spokesmen, the working class of Great Britain will come another step nearer learning who is who in their own camp. Herein lies, in the immediate sense, an even greater danger to the employing class of England. It is for this reason that we still doubt whether the British exploiters who have years of experience as a ruling class will undertake to challenge the Labor Party at this time and in this manner. In’ many ways the British imperialists will fear a victory ou their part far more than a defeat. Come what may as a result of the probable elec- tion in Great Britain, the Communist forces will ve strengthened in the contest. Leadership of the Youth Speaking of crime among the youth at the recent convention of thé American Bankers’ Association, a New York judge opined that the “need is for men who will give personal service to lead the boys to grow up right.” Now, where could the required leadership be found in more abundance than among bankers? They are the finest collection of thieves operating under the screen of legality that could possibly be gathered together altho there are some who are in favor of awarding the crown for crookedness to the lawyers. We, however, will defend our choice to the death. The American idea is to get the money and it is little wonder that young men and boys who have before them the example of wholesale robbery such as the bankers indulge in without in- terference, consider that the method matters little so long as one gets away with the loot. The whole system of capitalism is a crime against the working class and this paper is not going to concern itself with minor violations of the capi- talist code. We feel that for some considerable time the leadership of the masses, young and old alike, has been in the hands of the plunderbund and that it must bear the responsibility for any crudeness that manifests itself from time to time among the youth who are not always able to get a bank charter, hire an attorney and go into the business of robbery on a genteel basis. Self-Exposure Senator Brookhart’s choice of senator, now Supreme Court Justice Kenyon, as one of those whom he desires to emulate, has its weak points. Kenyon was the leader of the farm bloc, but he left his followers in the lurch to accept from Harding an appointment to the supreme bench. He evidently preferred security to struggle and in that he is like ninety-nine and forty-four hundredths per cent of the bourgeois radicals. They long for security and worship respectability —the" fetishes of their class. The mention of this particular idol by name gives a fairly correet estimate of Senator Brookhart’s radicalism and sticking qualities. Wheat and the Farmers As a result of the world crop situation the price of American wheat has been rising in the last few months. The slight gains that may accrue. to. the farmers from this spurt in the price of wheat and corn after the grain gamblers, the mortgage holders, the tax collectors and the bankers get thru taking their share of the so-called prosperity will ap- proach the insignificant at best. But the latest rise of wheat to $1.51 a bushel is now being seized upon as the occasion for a declar- ation that all is well with the farming masses and that bleak days are behind. The department of agriculture, organized supposedly to help the farmers, is. participating in this great outflow of buncombe which is part of the political piffle peddled by the Coolidge clique in order to enhance their own campaign capital. Even if every cent of the rise in certain crop prices would go to the farmers, in the period of European extraordinary demand, the deplorable condition of the great mass of farmers in the coun- try would remain fundamentally unchanged. In fact a careful analysis of the roseate report about the “good old days” in the rural areas belies the preposterous claims. This report by Mr. Genung ells us: “It may be that for a considerable period agriculture will stand at some disparity with urban industry.” We are further informed that “Dairy- men are beginning to feel the pressure from higher prices of grain feeds. Milk prices have stayed at rather discouraging “levels. . . . The cattle situa- tion remains an enigma. It has been a four-year story of liquidation, which still continues.” The cattle men are still losing money. In so far as the coast country is concerned, drought, frosts and foot and mouth disease have given the conditions a turn for the worse in the last year, Apparently the picture is not as delightful as we are asked to view it. Add to this the bankruptcy ravages, the ollapse in the crop values, the land values, the fall in the general earnings, and the rise in the indeltedness that has been,going for the \last five years and the situation is presented in its truest light—the same old troubles. Get a member for the Workers Party and a new subscription for the DAILY WORKER. Spain—The Catspaw News from the Moroccan war zone, where the forces of decadent Spain are trying to regain the losggs inflicted upon them three years ago by the war-like Riffian tribes, is not any too encouraging to those gentle persons whose sympathies are auto- matically with the Christian armies which carry the cross against the infidel. Spain has 150,000 troops in Morocco, but is able to-make little headway against the tribesmen who know their country, are dead-shots and are fight- ing for independence. They have isolated the Spanish garrison at Checouan and altho an army of 20,000 Spaniards, divided into two columns, is attempting to relieve the garrison it is not be- lieved that it can be successful. Spain holds no part of Morocco except a water- less, treeless waste. Her troops suffer unbelievable hardships but the government, faced with revolt at home in the event of the failure of the Moroce- can campaign, dare not quit the mad adventure. Spain has been made to foot the bill for greater powers in this profitless war. The only value of Morocco is its possible use as a naval base for sea power in the Mediterranean. Spain has been to weak to challenge either France or England in this respect and has been allow ed to keep her Morocco holdings. France watches anxiously the progress of the campaign and if Spain is driven out as seems likely there will arise another serious situation in European imperialist relations, due to the conflict- ing interests in the Mediterranean. England wants no extension of French power there, How long the Spanish working class will remain quiescent while the useless slaughter of their fel- lows is carried on is a matter of conjecture, but it is reasonably certain that the failure of the Moroc- can campaign will result in the overthrow of the present dictatorship. Every day get a “sub” for the DAILY WORKER and a member for the Workers Party. Trouble in Tampico A general strike looms—it may be actually in progress as this is written—in Tampico, the scene of so many bloody struggles centering around the oil industry. Government troops guarding the Mexican Gulf Petroleum property have fired on striking workers and feeling is running high in working class circles. The workers are particularly incensed over the fact that under the present Mexican government, saved from the counter-revolutionary land-owning ele- ments under de la Huerta by the working class, such an atrocity has occurred. All Tampico unions have sent protests to the. government while the preparations for a general strike proceed. The lesson of the recent affair is that a government must have something more than a labor complexion to be a real workers’ govern- ment. The first requisite is that all elements ex- cept the workers and their rural allies be dis- armed, This is the only guarantee for any work- ing class and this has not been done in Mexico. Meanwhile we extend our heartiest good wishes to the striking Tampico workers and hope that they will be successful in avenging their fallen comrades and preventing further terroristic acts of this kind, send in that new “sub” today! Boh 4 'WENTY thousand motion picture theatres in this country pull fifty million Americans into their ,doors every week. This audience is made up mainly of workers, for the movie is essentially the theatre of the poor, In addition 80,000 churches, clubs, schools and other organizations are equipped to show films to their own more restricted audiences, and do so on a weekly or monthly basis. The tremendous propaganda power of the hundred thousand projectors outshines all the newspapers, magazines, pulpits, lecture platforms, and public libraries put together. To paraphrase a fam- ous saying: “Let me make the movies and I care not who writes -the ser- mons.” It takes -a lot of pictures. to supply all these machines. The program must be ever interesting, ever changing. Hundreds of producing and ‘distribut: ing companies are kept busy supplying it. Seven hundred full length pictures and 1500 short subjects are’ produced annually at an estimated cost of $200,- 000,000. The film industry is “Big Business,” with a pay roll of seventy- five millions, and five millions annual wpropriations for newspaper adver- ising, three millions for printing, two nillions for lithographs, and another wo for cuts, photos, slides and othér uecessories, Film “Fact” Mostly Fable The kind of stuff shown at the the- atres is known to our readers—sloppy, sentimental gush, cut to a standard cheap pattern, and teeming with anti- labor, race prejudicial, pro-capitalist propaganda. But low as is the charac- ter of most theatrical film, the non- theatrical sinks lower still. Very few Pictures are made directly for this fiel@ because the profits therein are much smaller. So only those films too poor and uninteresting to: make the grade are given non-theatrical “first run.” The bulk of the pictures avail- able for the use of clubs, churches, etc., are those that Noah brought with him on the Ark. Advertisement film and government departmental produc- tions finish the list of non-theatrical film sources. If the regular theatre program is loaded with anti-labor propaganda the non-theatrical program is saturated with it. A catalog of a film house which appeals principally to colleges and churches starts with the an- nouncements that its pictures were “made by Thos. A. Edison, Inc. accord- ing to a definite plan.” What it really means is that an old film company once graced with Edison’s name, went out of business and turned its junk over at some_low pricé. But the nchool or church program selector im- agines that Edison himself spent some of his sleepless nights picking out and planning out these particular pic- tures. The catalog goes on to say that its listings “can be safely placed before any audience in church or school without censorship.” When the workers of America achieve power that statement will certainly no longer ve true. Enter the “Patriotic.” The suggested program generally in- clude one or two short features, a comedy, a séenic, and a “patriotic.” The last named is an undisguised ef- tort to foster a servile spirit of cap- italist militarism—for instance a pic- ture of the Military School at West Point is guaranteed to “arouse patriot- ism and inspire alike the boy who will oe a man and the man who has been a boy.” “The film is strengthened with appropriate and patriotic sub- titles,” a further recommendation, An- other picture shows a boys’ military school, and the bait here is; “The boys being trained and hardened and taught to live healthy and cleanly lives, will grow up to be men worthy of the name ‘American.’ ” Still another picture shows the Marine Corps which is guaranteed to “arouse in the observ- er a feeling of pride in those of our boys who revel in the slogan, ‘The First to Fight’”"—no matter for whom or against whom or why or where—just “First to Fight.” Great stuff for our imperialist masters, and so appropriate for a church program! The features are just as rotten and more dangerous because of their subtl- ty. The poor boy comes to col- lege and ‘makes the team’ despite the rivalry of his rich and experienced fellow student. Who says there's no chance for the poor but honest? Jim- my, the Boy Scout, after making sey- eral blunders thru his overzealousne: takes his trusty gun and captures a German spy making maps of Podunk Corners. The Noble Prince finds that the Secret of Happiness consists of “Work and Deeds, not possessions .. . harmony of thought and action.” The old fiddler gets his sight back and is 80 depressed by the ugliness of the world that he wants to remain blind, therefore “doesn’t that all go to prove that contentment is the best thing in life?” And of course the strike theme is not neglected: “A gang of laborers, incite by Tony, one of their number, who has been discharged, overpower Hennesy, their foreman, and plan to wreck an incoming train which is said to be bringing strike-breakers.” Anti- strike. Antiforeign born worker, And right in line with the violence charges heaped by the capitalist press upon every effort of workers to better their conditions, of the capitalist class in poisoning the minds of the workers against their own interests. mind of the masses is basic in the class war today, Only by holding it can the masters retain their privil- eges, and to hold it they use every possible. means—certainly not over- looking such effective machinery as the motion picture. Poisoned film in the churches is merely a capitalist gas attack upon the labor movement. The only answer to artillery is coun- ter artillery, The only answer to cap- italist film in the church is working class ‘film in the labor temple. As in every other field of battle our enemy has an enormous advantage over us in wealth and ‘experience. But that should not deter us. The enemy has thousands of papers to our handful, but we battle on just the same. Against his resources we match oup determined class spirit, and our wits to do miracles with little. Only Effective Answer: Workers’ Film. The greatest contribution to labor films thruout the world has been the work of the‘ International Workers’ Aid. Its headquarters in Berlin sent pictures of the Russian struggle to all parts of the globe, and thru credit con- nections mafle ‘enough foreign film available to Russia to start the film industry on its feet there. In return ‘théy now get the best Russian produc- tions and send them broadcast. The American section of this organization has been the most active in making full use of these pictures. Hundreds of showings reaching many hundreds of thousands of American workers have been held in all parts of the coun- try. Any film capitalist will readily agree, that to make a picture is one thing, but to get it shown thruout the country is quite another. Only since the organization of the film trust have even big commercial producers begun to market their own pictures, until then the distribution involved entirely separate machinery: Yet with our lim- ited resources we have produced and distributed right from the start. Available Working Class Pictures This far the pictures produced and distributed by the I. W. A. include six news films and three dramatic pic- tures. The news films, in the order of their appearance were: “Russia Through the Shadows,” six reels, showing actual revolutionary battles scenes, the famine, and Amer- ican relief efforts culminating in the F. S, R. tractor unit which sought to help kill the cause of famine introduc- ing machine farming. “The Fifth Year,” eight reels, show- ing all phases of Russian life during the fifth year of the Soviet Republic, parades, warfare, treason trials, fight- ing famine, building industry, travel, Comintern Congress, sports, and other Movies for the Workers events. “Russia and Germany,” eight reels, The struggle for the mostly. photographed by the writer, showing Russia steadity improving under working class government, while the German workers were sink- ing to desperation under capitalist domination, Russia Today,” one reel, showing how the Russian workers actually live, and at the same time illustrating a very instructive industrial process, the mining of asbestos. “Lenin Memorial,” one short reel, showing events of the life’ of the greatest working leader of our time. “Russia in Overalls,” three reels of Russian life, particularly interesting to American workers because it shows their contributions thereto thru the Amalgamated Clothing Workers’ fac- tories in Russia, the “Kuzbas” coal mines and the I. W. A. tractor units. Fiction Films Also The three fiction films thus far of- fered by the I. W.-A, include: “Polikushka,” made'from Tolstoy's immortal tragedy, by the: Moscow Art Theatre, with Ivan Moskvin as the star. It won the highest praise from ‘Monday, October 6, 1926 By WM. F. KRUSE cess is assured. But in smaller cities the costs mounts so high that in man‘ cases the profits hardly pay for al. the energy put in. Thus far, while commercial producers hope for 20,000 showings for their product, we have only been able to, get less than 200 per picture. To remedy this situation in the smaller cities the I, W. A. is offering the films on a basis now that will per- mit their showing in labor temples or other low cost halls, thereby placing the picture show within the reach of the smallest locals of our organiza- tion. In this way it is also expected that pictures which have already been showing once in Lig theatres of big Cities, can be shuwn again and again in the outlying sections of town, especially in the foreign language “colonies.” Very attractive terms can be offered for showings, especially of the older pictures. Can Rent Films. Then there are many second and third run movie theatres in working class districts that would be willing to run these films if properly ap- proached, If the manager were guaran- American critics, but would not go|teed an organized support of a move- over with the distributors because] ment such as ours he would be Willing it was, “too artistic and too sad.” They wanted something called “Her Latest} buys his junk films for. Sin,” or Beauties.” “Soldier Ivan’s Miracle,” a two reel comedy, went. with the above to round out an interesting all-Russian- pro- gram, and sometimes a single. news reel was also shown. “The Beauty and the Bolshevik,” the newest and best feature film brought from Russia, modern in every respect. It is a romance of Red Army life, well acted, cleverly titled and directed, andexcellently photographed. It compares favorably with really good American pictures. This is just begin- ing to tour the country after a phen- omenal two weeksg@run in New York. It is combined with “Russia in Over- alls” to make a complete program. In addition plans are under way to use Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle,” to- gether with a two reeler showing the “Life and Deeds” of our paper, The DAILY WORKER, to further enrich the list of labor films available to the American workers. Small Locals Can Succeed These pictures are here now. Some have been shown in many places, but none of them have had full runs to which they are entitled. The greatest difficulty has been the limited number of cities with a labor movement large enough to support a showing of our pictures. The cost of single showing has been too high, sometimes hun- dreds of dollars had to be paid for a theatre, to say nothng of advertising. In large cities this is easy, a big theatre dra big_crowd, and suc- “Bedrom and Bathroom Any More Nerves We Can Get On? ND so we opened the letter and this is what we read: “Your constant appeal to the member for more activity in the election campaign is really getting on our nerves. Especially the urge of the Central Executive Committee for collections in the shops to finance the campaign, struck the very bottom of our patience. “1 immediately took a contribution blank and said to our comrades in the ‘Laisve’ that whereas we are a shop we must take up a collec- tion among ourselves, and that this is especially opportune at this moment because our paper, the ‘Laisve,’ carries appeals to the comrades to make a special shop drive for the campaign fund and in support of the Workers Party candidates, “Some of the workers in our shop said that they had already con- tributed at the last branch meeting. These were told that they then contributed to the branch drive, but his was a shop drive for funds and that they ought to contribute again. “They wholeheartedly agreed with this point of view, a collection was taken and@ $11.50 realized. | am ing th hit home. sending this money in and am writ- few lines to inform you that your agitation is beginning to “A. BIMBA, Brooklyn, N. Y.” THERE ARE THIRTY SHOPS IN THE UNITED STATES IN WHICH PARTY PAPERS ARE PUBLISHED AND THERE ARE MANY OTHER “SHOPS” IN WHICH PARTY MEMBERS ARE BUSY WITH THE PARTY WORK. THE DOLLARS! By The Piper i (VY YRANO de Bergerac”, the ro- mantic swashbuckling play of Edmond Rostand, is being presented again at the Great Northern after a silence of over twenty years imposed upon it by an injunction. Walter Hampden is playing the name part. The story of “Cyrano” deals with the adventures of a Gascon soldier, in and about seventeenth century Paris. Cyrano is a captain of the cadets of Gascyone, and afflicted by a huge nose, of which hé seems both proud and ashamed. In the first act, occuring in a theatre he kills a cavalier who has dared to make fun of his face, com- posing a ballad the while, to the in- tense delight of the crowd, and of Kis cousin, with whom he is in love. But the cousin has looked with favor on a member of his company, and forces Cyrano into a promise to take care of the fellow, Christian de Neuvillette, by name. Poisoned Flim Ie Plute Qae Attack | Cyrano and Christian enter into a These are facts that we must face.|contract, by which the Be ad is to|giving a purse of We do not lament over the winkedness Iwrite the Jove letters, tae fe WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HAVE OUR AGI- TATION FOR CAMPAIGN FUNDS “HIT HOME” THERE, IN WITH ecigpayeee 7) ee scene in ‘which, at midnight, de Ber- gerac makes love to Roxane, and kes usé of a passing priest to marry his cousin to enforce friend. The com- pany is ordered off to war, and during the campaign, Roxane, enchanted by Cyranno’s letters signed with Christ- fan's name, comes ‘to join her hus- band. Christian becomes angry at her constant raving over his correspon- dence, and is about to disillusion. her, when the company is ttacked, and he is killed. But fifteen years later, thru the cir- cumstances of Cyrano’s being able to read one of. the Christian's letters in the dark, she discovers her error. Cy- rano dies, due to the fact that one of his enemies manages to,drop a log of wood on his head.» _ This is but.the barest sketch of the plot of a play half the charm of which Mes in the dialog, Much of the char- acter of the hero is revealed in the first act where, en Tk @ fool for ‘Wie Bane 4 s his last cent, ee zt Betas iti Bg) dinate is to do the rest. Follows a, to pay a little more than the trifle he Or we run on a percentage basis, sometimes he gives us the returns on all tickets we sell in advance, sometimes a percent- age of his gross receipts, sometimes a direct rental. Where the manager is not willing to run a full length picture he may take on the “shorts’—in ad- dition to those listed. “The Fifth Year” has been divided into seven short subjects that could be run once a week. In this way no risk is under- taken and our pictures are shown at least to some small profit. In writing to the International Workers’ Aid, 19 S. Lincoln St., Chi- cago, Ill., for particulars, you should also give as much information as pos- sible about the conditions under which you expect to show the film. State whether a regular motion picture the- atre or only a-hall is to be used, and if tures have ever been shown there be- fore, whether the hall has the neces- sary machine, screen, etc.,for the show- ing, If pictures have never before been shown there, find out whether they are being shown in your, local chur- ches and clubs, and what sort of equip- ment is used there for the showing. This information is necessary to see whether hall showings are permitted by fire laws. Sometimes you can rent a machine and hire an operator from such a source, Running Movies Easy, Sure Success The actual runing of a picture show is easier than the running of a meet- ing. It is easier to sell more tickets and at a higher price. And once you have the audience the picture does the rest. It is entertainment and propa- ganda put together in the most attrac- tive form. But there are details of arrange- ments on a picture show that are en- tirely different from those of arrang- ing a lecture. So don’t hire a hall and write us: “Please send us a pic- ture.” Give us details and await our suggestions. Of course every reader is interested in getting a show in his town. . The C. E. C. of the Workers Party has again called the attention of the Party mempership to the import- ance of supporting the work of the International Workers’ Aid—and on no field can this support be given as eagily and effectively, with as little interruption of regular work, than on the pictures. If you are interested write us in detail about your local conditions. What kind of hall have you in mind, what day or season it can be had, how much it will cost, what kind of audience you hope to attract and how large, what is the employment situation, what sort of local adminis- tration have you, and anything else that may help us, out of the experience of other places that have run the shows, to suggest the’ proper arrange- ments for you. Address all communi- cations on pictures to the writer, 19 8. Lincoln St., Chicago, Il. answeres, “But what a gesture!” The poetic pastry cook of the second His wife has taken some of his profit- less manuscript and made paper’ bags of it, which causes him to double the amount of pastry he gives his cus tomers to get the bags back, i. ‘Tho scenery and costumes of Claude Bragdon are very good, and preserve the spirit of medieval romance of Ros- tand’s play, and the new translation of it made by Brian Hooker, One saying of Cyrano must not It occurs. during the tim that Roxane and Christian are het dier who has come to see the lady, Mes on the pavement and tells him that he has just fallen from the moon, Cyrano—“Are we in Venice? Genoa? De Guiche—(Trying to pass) lady is waiting for me, Cyrano—"So this is Paris!” That is Walter Hepes ties wrth gg swashbuck'! it, would. eter with aren a great baptod iJ it is a hall state whether motion pic- act almost deserves a play to himself, married, He, in order to deter sm’ sol- “a | \