The Daily Worker Newspaper, November 20, 1926, Page 9

a) By HARRY KLETZKY. The “Revolt of Youth” is sending cold shivers down, the backs of the American capitalists. And the capi- talists are not nearly as disturbed over the alleged moral lapses of thi younger generation as they are over their discarding-of all the props that have been erected to support the pres- ent economic system, This reyolt of the present-day youth against the indigestible fooleries which are being stuffed down their throats is making itself evident strongly in _ one of the most powerful units of the capitalistic system—the college cam- pus. ; Because the college students are at ; the age where even their youthful Powers of rationality, suchas they may be, are able to penetrate the imbecilic fetishes that are thrust at them jn the guise of mental and spirit- ual nourishment, the Y. M. C. A., the Rotary Club and all its ilk of psyco- pathic bally-hooers, the commerce clubs, and “big business” men, osten- sibly spurred on by a neurotic sense of philanthropy, but more truly by a remarkably intelligent insight as to what is happening, are taking keen interest in what the youngsters are doing in the colleges and churches. Hence every college student body in the country is hopelessly bored and | made the helpless victims of barrages of words by alleged “success” lectur- ers and fawning ministers who swarm to the college platforms, at the be-| hest of the “big boys,” to instill in the hearts of the “great American youth” the fear of god and the virtues of capitalism. True, once in a great while, when the college trustees are napping or busy clipping bond cou- pons or pay envelopes, a speaker gets by the “chapel committee” and teils the students some of the things they are clamoring to know. But these times are so rare and cause so much ment to their power of endurance. But they are surviving, and each year, despite heroic attempts of the capi- talists, the colleges are producing young men and women who are think. ing, or, at least, who are beginning to realize that there is something to think about. Not much credit for this, however, can be given to the average college. Most of them” are thinking, not because of the colleges, but de- spite them. Many @ bearded professor of economics looks back with horror on the memory of students who re- ceived his instruction and kept him 4 2 awake nights trying to think of “theo- ries” which would stand the bombard- ment of the renegades who refused to accept his textbook dribbings. Back in the former years a teacher of economics in college had a fairly easy time. His theories in support of the present system were accepted as readily as the bible. But not so to- day. The economics professoris- the furore in Ameri¢a Legion, W. C. T. U- binost punishéd niember of the college and Rotary meetings, ending with the dismissal of at least three social science professors (suspected of a tinge of pinkness) that the students barely have their -fntellectual appe- tites whetted, and are given a worse dose of capitalistic virtue than be- fore. How the students manage to sur- vive is both a puzzle and a compli- By EARL BROWDER. FTER sitting thru a week of meet- ings of the Trade Union Congress at Bournemouth, England, I came away with one-impression dominating all the others—amazement as to how it was possible for a great national bedy of Labor, with delegates from every section and every industry, to meet for six days without a seri- .Ous word being spoken by its leaders. about the tremendous struggle which is shaking the British economic sys tem to its foundations. And that these leaders should also be able to so ef- faculty—that is, if he is the kind that handshakes with the university presi- dent every morning, is a member of the Rotary Club, and his wife has so- cial aspirations. Of course, there are some professors who delight in the new spirit of the collegians and even foster it, But these are rare, and when their popularity becomes too great are soon slated for the “can.” ed the miners, calling upon the con- gress in the name of a million strug- gling miners not to open the question of the betrayal. Without Cook’s* ac- tive support on the floor, the general council would never have succeeded in shutting off all discussion as they id, even’ tho they maintained con- trol of the machinery of the congress. Cook, after all the magnificent fight- ing he has done for the miners, had again allowed himself to be trapped and used as an instrument against the miners by their betrayers in the general council. Never was more forcibly brought forth the importance of a clear leadership, and the disas- trous effects of muddle-headednéss which cannot be remedied by the best of intentions. The observer is especially struck by. The modern college president is be- ing driven frantic by the awakening, or perhaps, birth, of intelligence in his “charges.” ‘His main job is not to supervise education, but to raise money and endowments for “good old Colgate,” usually. for the purpose of constructing. football stadiums. And as he sticks out one mit to the meat packers, oi] magnates, big corset man- ufacturers and mail order millionaires, he has to use the other to place over the mouths of his students. Many a big gift has been withdrawn and many a college president has been sent to Mayo brothers with nervous prostra- tion because of an “outbreak” on the campus that caused the donor to be- lieve that he was contributing to a university that was developing “reds” rather than the promised “safe and sound” 100 per ‘cent citizens. One western university recently lost such a big gift, it is reliably reported, “the college- paper carried an edito¥ial Commending the action of student window cleaners affiliating with the local labor unions. Need- less to say, a change in the editorial body of the paper was forced by the administration. Similar outbreaks, re- sulting in similar prostrations of pres- idents and*hurried meetings of boards of trustees, have occurred thruout the country with pleasing frequency, THE STUDENTS IN REVOLT lege system totlay ig the fight between the students and “big gift” donors for control of the wniversities, The stu- dents are depending on the develop- ment of “class consciousnéss” as their main weap@n. Weapons of the college administrations are more stibtle, an open break being feared because of the increased numbers of “radical” students on each campus. Great re- liance to curb the revolting tenden- cies of the students is placed in the “rah! rah” spirit of the colleges by the presidents and trustees. This ex plains the great emphasis placed on athletics, and especially football. The presidents realize that as long as they can keep the students in a state of frenzy over a football game, yelling madly for “alma mater,” the students will be less apt to attack the policies of “alma mater.” “College spirit’ is continualiy harped upon in every assembly of every college from Talahassie, Flor ida, to Baptist’ University of Missouri. And the capitalists realize With extra- ordinarily sound logic that “college spirit’ works as a safety valv@ “to etudent energy that might otherwise find expression in bringing about a college revolution. But the safety valve is beginning to show signs of decay, because the students are be- ginning to feel that college should be a place to learn some of the facts of society, rather than an institution for the development of lung power. The Y. M. C. A, was at one time a great force in curbing student thaught. It still is in some universities, but much to the alarm of the parent body, which is, of course, controlled by the capitalists, the college branches of the Y. M. C. A. are rapidly being con- trolled by the students themselves, and in some schools are even centers of student “bolshevism.” Recently there was a movement to expell the college branches from the Y. M. C, A. on this account, but this“was° @ppdr- ently dropped because the “big “boys” felt that they would then lose what little “control” the organization did exert over the students. Of course the “student revolution” is still in the distance, and cannot be cénsidéred something apart from the ever-present struggle between the workers and the employing classes. But the alarm of the capitalists is a The main issue in the American col-| good sign! Impressions of the Bournemouth Congress the rescue of those who had betray-| to give the president; Mr. Pugh, pow- er to interrupt and close the speech of any delegate who said anything about the crimes of the general coun- cil, while the council members them- selves must be listened to with grav- est attention. The most. revolution- aly development of the Bournemouth congress wad when an elemental out- burst of resentment against the insult of Bromley speaking as supporter of a motion for miners’ relief, develop ed to such an extent that Bromiley, after standing for 25 minutes waiting for silence, had to give up and the congress was adjourned. “Such a thing never happened before in the 58 years ‘of the T. U. ©.” wailed the general council members and the capi- talist press. This was the first time the workers had ever broken thru the maze of precedent, tradition, and “gentlemanly conduct,” which are the silken threads binding the activity of their higher organizations.’ And it was the most promising thing seen for years in the British movement, The led left leaders made a miserable’ showing. it was to show that unity is impos- situation more difficult, Af- the speech of Brown, dele- | sterdam refuses aH offers of joint action along these lines in concrete cases. That erstwhile “left,” Hicks, appeared before the congress: prinei- Pally as the defendant to the charge of having split the Building Workers’ Federation, of which the congress seemed to believe him guilty, for his motion was rejected after opposition by the other building unions. From beginning to end of the con- gress a constant fight was made by the little group of militant delegates, members of the minority movement, to bring to congress to face its tasks. Squeezing their way thru the barb wire entanglements of legalism thrown up by the general council, they continually hammered away, Ey- ery motion that touched real prob- lems, every discussion on the report of the general council, was initiated and led@ by this little group of revolu- tionary trade unionists. The others had nothing to offef but frantic de- fense and appeals for “td%eration.” Outstanding figures of the revolution- ary minority on the floor of the con- gress, who made life uncomfortable for the general council, were Jack Tanner, of the Engineers’ Union; Hor- “ner, of the Miners’ Union; Elsbury, of the Garment Workers; Chandler, of the Railway Clerks; Loeber, of the National Union of Railwaymen; Strain, of the Wood Workers; Mrs, Bradshaw, of the Textile Workers; and McLochlin, of the Iron Fitters, with a few other in this congress ; RE TR A Vee Se ne oe TT