The Daily Worker Newspaper, February 7, 1925, Page 12

By VLADIMIR GAVRILOV HERE were near the station Mos- cow 1 two sections of a munition factory badly damaged by fire in 1919. They were mere ruins without win- dows and doors and the roof was bad- ly damaged. In fact they were an eye sore to the railwaymen who had to pass these dilapidated buildings. For several years the local organiza- tions of the railwaymen’s union kept watch on these ‘forsaken buildings, and they had a vision of a well-equip- ped club on this very place, which would satisfy the needs of their large organization with its 8,000 members. At that time their union had to be satisfied with very small club premis- es, equipped during the first years of the revolution where it was impossible to carry on regular educational work of which the masses stood in such HEN. came 1923, and what was im- possible before, became possible then, They began their work by visit- ing all the big economic and financial departments of the railway obtaining promises of material support from these departments and of physical sup- port from the workers themselves. They planned out the repairs, made an estimate of their resources, brought pressure to bear on those at the head of economic departments, and once more decided that it was high time to make a beginning. The actual building operations had to be handed over to a building artel after all, for although the workers were willing to give their labor power for tfie erection of that club, it would have taken too long as they could on- ly give the time after their regular working hours, So the railwaymen decided that this would delay the necessary repairs, while the need for the club was growing day by day. But all the work connected with the equip- ment and furnishing of the club the | workerstook upon themselves. Y collected furniture ‘wherever it was possible, repaired it them- selves, prepared appliances for study circles, etc. At last the happy and longed for day arrived (February 22, 1923)—the opening of the club which was called the Kukhmestoroff club in honor of a locksmith of that name who had been the first educational worker on the Moscow-Kursk Railway Junction, and who had recently died. The opening session of the club mem- bers took place in the still damp hall the walls of which were decorated with the portraits of the leaders of the revolution. This is how one more live organization came into being, created out of the ruins of the old world and by the will and efforts of those who had been nothing but had become everything. ... S soon as the RED STAR began to throw its light from the en- trance of the Kukhmestoroff club many workers went out of their way on their journey home in order to drop in at the club and to have a look at the newspapers and periodicals. The young workers joined study and other circles in very large numbers: phy- sical culture, Marxist, dramatic, chor- al classes and others. Fathers of fa- milies began to follow their example. They were attracted by the technical study circles where they could learn their particular work and could re- ceive information about the economic situation and the technical improve- ments in connection with production. RADUALLY, women were also drawn into the club, at least those who were not tied to their homes by the care of children and household duties. A sewing and cutting out circle was opened for them, and lec- tures were given on hygiene the care of children and improvement of dom- estic conditions. The study circle work took possession of all the mem- bers of the club, and there were so many candidates for these circles that the workers decided to ask the ad- ministration of the railway to allow them to use another building in the vicinity for the extension of club work. T present the Kukhmestoroff club, has, in addition to the above-men- tioned circles, ten more smaller cir- cles, such as: a scientific organiza- tion of labor circle, an art circle, a radio circle and others, including a legal advice circle, HE club occupies three biuldings, two of which are two storied buildings co with, ,a@,;9overed passage. One of thé buildiigs’ was a hall with accomodation for 750 people, |' fully furnished with arm chairs, chairs and benches. It has also a stage large enough to answer all requirements, The rooms where the study circles are held are on the second floor, and every circle has its permanent room equipped with the necessary applian- ces. On the same floor there is a creche for the children which is un- der the supervision of a medical spe- cialist. This enables working women visiting the club to devote themselves to their studies leaving their children. Enlarged Executive Committee of Czech Communist Party Against Trotskyism The enlarged executive committee of the C. P. of Czcho-Slovakia adopt- ed the following resolution with re- gard to the question of comrade Trot- sky at its session of December 13th. The Russian opposition has caused considerable damage to the C. P. of Russia ‘and the Comintern in that it sought to shake the confidence of the nidsses ‘fh the leadership of the C. P. of Russia and also in the leadership of the Comintern. The Russian party congress and the E. C. C. I. and the V. World congress have completely refuted the reproaches and complaints of the opposition, and proved that the action of the opposition was chief- ly attributable to peptone devi- ations, Comrade Trotsky, as his present at- titude shows, has only formally sub- mitted to the decision of the Russian party conference and of the Comin- tern. His ae against the lead- ership of the C. P. of Russia and the eatecshiy, of, the Comintern, is con- ed with other means than in 1923, in the attempts by his incorrect pres- | entation of the history of the October | revolution again to shake the con- ' fidence of the workers in the leader- ship of the C. P. of Russia. The Ex- ecutive of the C. P. of Czecho-Slovakia must decidedly protest against thes attempts to revive the discussion which was concluded by the decisions of the party conference of the Russian C. P. and to create new differences in the sections of the Comintern. Many members of: the Russian opposition and their followers abroad have, after the decision of the party conference of the C. P. of Russia, reckoned on the so-called autumn crisis in Russia, which was to prove the correctness of the economic principles of the opposi- tion and of the political tactics advo- cated by them. As a matter of fact, these predictions have proved to be entirely incorrect;'and the policy of the C. ©. of the’ Russian C. P. has proved to be quite correct. It was to be hoped that these facts would have a sobering effect upon the obstinate leaders of the Russian opposition ard upon their followers in the other see- tions of the Comintern. The attack of Comrade Trotsky, his presentation of the October events, have, however, the character of an appeal, or at least |. of an encouragement, to all opposi- tional elements to fresh “actions” against the leadership of the C. P. of Russia and of the Comintern, For these reasons the executive committee of the C. P. of Czecho-Slo- vakia expressly declares itself to bo in agreement with the condemnatiou which this new challenge has uow re- ceived from the comrades of the most prominent party centrals of the C. P. of Russia, re ee we ne ee ee Railwaymen’s Educational Work in Russia | HOW THE MOSCOW-KALUGA RAILWAY CLUB WAS FORMED. at this creche. In the second building one floor is occupied by a foyer which has upholstered furniture. A chess room, a reading room, a Lenin corner, a bezbozhnik (atheist) corner, etc. are attached to the foyer, ERE various exhibitions are held, Children have also their place in the club, there is a Young Pioneer corps with about 250 members which has been alloted separate prem- ises, N order to satisfy the needs of the masses, the administration of the club has made a contract with the “Narpit” (Peoples’s Food Supply), on the strength of which a dining hall has been opened:on the second floor of the second . building capable of catering for 2,500 people. Good nour- ishing dinners are served for a very small sum, A barber shop is atached to the dining hall, and the charges there are 65 per cent lower than the town charges. ‘ 'HE club has a library which has reference books on a variety of questions. It has over 8,000 volumes. In the adjoining building which has also a mere ruin not so long ago, a physical culture hall has been equip- (Continued from page 3). ing the British proletariat with pro- found respect for British imperialism. Communism for Millionaires NCE upon a time, Bernard Shaw wrote a pamphlet entitled: “So- cialism for Millionaires”. In his witty reply to the Isvestia he practically repeats this pamphlet. Speaking in™ the name of the British socialist in- telligentzia, he says: “Unless the Rus- sian revolution bows to British im- perialism and repudiates world revo- lution, the Russian revolution will have as much influence on its “West- ern pcg a: nob friends as Madagascar on,’ i revolution.” Let e reader praese how well Bernard Shaw mimics the hypocracy of the British bourgeoisie. When in the British house of commons one mem- ber wishes to charge another with having stolen a silvet spoon, or allow- ing himself to be bribed, he always addresses him as “my honorable friend”. Mr. Berflard Shaw com- mands his friends,**the MacDonalds and Snowdens to come. out as friends of Soviet Russia, although he knows perfectly well that these gentlemen hate Soviet Russia more than they hate ‘capitalism. His satirical notion of a Communism for millionaires, that it is possible to create a Com- munism and a Soviet Russia that will please Lord Curzon, is priceless. In this, Bernard Shaw rises to the great heights of Swift. Reeall the latter’s pamphlet on trading in the flesh of Irish children, There was a devastat- ing famine in Ireland in Swift's time and millions of children were dying of starvation. Swift was eager to help them, but how. If he simply cried, “Save Ireland’s children”, his appeal would probably be read only by a few sentimental English ladies. But the brilliant satirist Swift, wrote a pamphlet in which he showed that it was very unprofitable to allow mil- lions of children to die. He calculat- ed how much it would cost to keep them until the age of twelve months and then to cut them up and sell their flesh. Even today when one reads this pamphlet, a cold shiver runs down one’s back. Bernard Shaw could not say to his dull-witted petty bourgeors country- men: “The Russian workers and bor, towards the great new historical epoch. They are being hard pressed by British imperialism, but surely growing throughout the world. The progressive workers, in’ their awk- reer y are learning in Russian the in peg emancipation. It does tter for, first of all, they will e Russian revolution and then 5 MR. PICKWICK ON COMMUNISM ped with all the necessary - apptiances for gymnastics, such as vaulting hors- es, tourniquets, etc. Behind the stage there is a box for a cinema appartus, and lectures are frequently given with a cinema illustration. ‘HE Kukhmlstoroff club has also a summer theatre with a garden, an open stage, a reading room and an open-air cinema. In summer there are always many people in the gar- den and one hears joyous and healthy laughter. A brass band from the ranks of the workers themselves performs on the open stage. 'HUS the small club, which con- sisted of a few little roms has been converted into a very big club covering an area of about 500 square sazhen (1 sazhen—7 feet). On the strength of its equipment and the work carried on by it this club.holds first place in the neighborhod of Moscow. It is called, the “model” club and we hope that it will serve as an example to the cultural and educational work of the workers of the West when they will have thrown off their political slavery. and will march side by side with their Russian brothers towards Communism. joint, even the peoples of Asia and Africa are affected by the movement. Let the Russian Communists bear in mind the’ realities of today, but let them hope for the realities of he morrow. British imperialism wishes to crush them. We will come to their aid. We can aid them by combating the treachery, the stupidity and the servitude of the MacDonalds, the Snowdens and the Wellses.” But Shaw could not use such lan- guage. If he did the Daily Herald would not publish his letter. There- fore, he, like Swift, resorts to satire, and in his own person, dull-witted British, italic sin |} ism, in order to say: e! mre | what those who wish to act as the leaders of the British proletariat, look like.” P. S.—The social democratic press of all countries, forgetting the satir- ical genius of Bernard Shaw, serious- ly believes that hé was speaking in his own name. I do not believe this for a single moment. But if this were true, it would merely increase the artistic value of Bernard Shaw’s production. The best humorists are the unconscious humortsts. The height of satire is self-satire, when the*author does not perceive that he s writing the most biting satire. Such cases are rare in literature, but they are the most valuable reflections of heir epoch. It would be a pity if the ssertions of the social democratic ress regarding Shaw’s politics, proved to be correct, but the value of his letter as a satirical document would be thereby increased. FOR RENT Sleeping room; private famil bag home. One tw HE block from “Sige es Ave. Phone Albany 4499. Parker PITTSBURGH, PA. To those who work hard for their ees aoe the WO RKERS HLY: xth Trade Union Congress of the U.S.S.R.” By Chas. E. Johnson. SASS SSBB a. a