The Daily Worker Newspaper, March 26, 1927, Page 9

eat dieeaeeeetneerin eatin nena eee Representatives of colonial peoples “con- gratuiate”. Briand and Chamberlain on re- ceiving Nobel peace prize. - “peaceful” “ultra-imperialism”? If we give the name of ultra-imperialism to the international coali- tion of national imperialisms (or, more correctly, of imperialism divided according to states) which “might” save the petty bourgeois from the con- flicts which are particularly unpleasant and excit- ing to him and which disturb his peace, such as war and political upheavals—could. we not avoid the epoch of imperialism, which has already set in, which is already with us, which is. unstable and full of conflicts, by innocent dreams of an “ultra-im- perialism” which is comparatively peaceful, com- paratively free from catastrophes and conflicts? Would it not in the same way be possible to avoid the “urgent” tasks which have been set and are being set by the imperialist epoch, by deluding our- selves with the idea that this epoch may possibly not last long and. that it is conceivable that it may be followed by a comparatively “peaceful,” “ultra- imperialist” era, which demands no “rigorous” tac- ties? Kautsky actually says: “Anyhow, a new phase of capitalism of this kind (ultra-imperialist) is thinkable. We lack sufficient preliminary evi- dence to decide whether it can be realized,” (“Neue Zeit”? * *),; There is not the least trace of Marxism in this endeavor to avoid the imperialist era on which we have entered and to lose ourselves in dreams of an unknown something, perhaps of an “ultra-imperial- ism” which may be realized. In this construction, Marxism is recognized only for that new “phase of capitalism,” with regard to which its inventor hiniself could not guarantee that its realization was possible. In the phase of development, which has already set in, in which we are living today, a petty bourgéois and thoroughly reactionary endeavor to sthoothe out contradictions, is being dished up in- stead of Marxism. Kautsky gaveghis promise to be a Marxist in the future full of catastrophes and conflicts, which he could not fail to foresee and the coming of which he admitted unreservedly when, in 1909, he wrote about the future. Today, when it cannot be denied that this time has come, Kautsky again merely gives his promise to be a Marxist in the future, in an ultra-imperialist era which will perhaps never be realized. Briefly, he makes many promises to be a Marxist, but at some other time, not today, not under present circumstances, not in the present epoch! - Marxism on credit, Marxism as a promise, Marxism—tomorrow, but today a petty bourgeois, opportunist theory—and not theory lone—of smoothing down contradictions. This is a kind of “export internationalism,” which is so widespread “nowadays” which the enthusiastic—and how enthusiastic—internationalists and Marxists sympathize with any expression of internationalism —in the camp of their opponents, wherever you like as long as it is not in their own house, not amongst their own allies; they sympathize with democracy +, .as long as it remains nothing but a promise of the “Allies”; they sympathize with the “self- determination of the peoples”. . .with the excep- tion of that which depends on the nation to which the sympathizers in question belong. . .In brief, one of the thousand and one species of hypocrisy. Can anyone dispute that after imperialism a new capitalist phase of development can be “i eS in the abstract? No, we can at least imagine such a phase in the abstract. In practice however it means becoming an opportunist who shuts his eyes to the urgent tasks of the present in order to in- dulge in vague dreams about “less urgent” tasks in the future, In theory this means that they do not rely on the development as it actally exists, but det themselves from it for the of these d . There can be no doubt that development is towards formation of an all-embracing is proceeding at such a rate, in such cir- contradictions, "December, 1915. *) The “special” work of Kautsky is his brochure “The Way to Power.” Prison Poems By H. LEIVICK. (Translated from the Yiddish Mazgil.) by O. B. ‘Note—H. Leivick, one of the foremost living Yiddish poets and dramatists, was ac- tive in the pre-war revolutionary movement in Russia and spent several years in Czarist dungeons. The present poems, which are from a volume published “in 1919, recount some of the terrible experiences of those early days. : Leivick is also the author of “The Golem,” produced by the Moscow Habima players, of “Rags,” which is part of the repertoire of the Yiddish Art Theatre, and of “Shop,” now running at the Irving Place Theatre. He is a regular contributor to the “Freiheit” and “The Hammer,” the Yiddish Communist monthly.—A. B. M. I The windows are barred, And frozen the walls; Feebly the light Of the doorlamp falls. .Under a cover Of gray I lie; A point on the wall Has fastened my eye. I am far from myself, © Forget all I know; Who knows? Perhaps I Was freed long ago. And maybe I died, And dutifully . The doorlamp was lit : ‘ In my memory. I Dry are the tears And laughter is bleak; * The good and.the bad Are equally weak. Our bodies are beaten With iron bands, Ang he who is fearful Licks the guard’s hands. We all are shadows © In the house of dead pains. Does the silence scare you? Then rattle your chains! ~ III Our hole is small, But we all must sleep in some wise— One puts his feet Upon his neighbor’s eyes. And one leans his head On the shackles of a brother; Our hole is small— So we all embrace each other. IV Somebody tells me: Be still, Silent your tread and your touch. And if you get tired of silence, Cry, but don’t cry too much. Don’t think you know why you weep, _—S « You weep for no reason at all; - And all that you need to laugh Is to look at the spots on the wall. THE “BENDS”: who work at considerable’ depths under great pres- sure, are subject to a peculiar disease known as “eaisson disease.” The workers usually refer to it as “the bends” for the simple reason that it bends aman up or “ties him into knots.” -It is terrifically painful and usually results in partial or complete Divers and “sand hogs’”—men paralysis and deformities «and often, death. The cause of the disease seems io be that under great pressure the blood dissolves a considerable quantity of air. If the pressure is now gradually released, the air is slowly given up by the blood and carried out of the system. But if the pressure is released suddenly, air is given up suddenly, in the form of bubbles, which remain in the blood stream. For this reason, great care must be taken on entering or coming out of the pressure. The work- ers are usually kept in an airtight chamber for about twenty minutes while the pressure is being gradually incre&sed, or on quitting work, while the pressure is being gradually reduced to normal. It has recently been discovered that if the nitrogen, which forms 80 per cent of the volume of air, be replaced by another gas—helium, in other words if the decompression chamber is filled with an “ar- tificial air” made up of 20 per cent oxygen and 80 per cent helium, the pressure can be released many timéS as rapidly without causing bubbles in the blood and consequent injury.,It remains to be seen whether ° the sand-hog or the boss is going to get the benefit of the extra time saved by helium decompression. SNAKE-BITE SERUM: Snake poison seems to be similar in some respects to the poisons (or toxins) produced in the body by certain diseases. In the case of diphtherfa, typhoid, ete., it was discovered many years ago how to produce an anti-toxin, i. e., a substance that will counter-act the toxin and cure the patient. A small quantity of the toxin or of the bacteria that produce it is injected into the body of a horse; the horse’s body reacts by produc- ing the antitoxin whicl distributes itself through the blood. A small portion of this blood containing the anti-toxin or “serum” is now withdrawn’ and injected into the human patient. There is nothing new in all this. But in Brazil, where the snakes feel that the country belongs to them, scientists have been experimenting for years on snake poisons and have found that serums against snake poisoning can be prepared in the same way as serums against diphtheria, etc.’ All that you have to do is catch the snake and make it squeeze out some poison, Although this sounds about as prac- ticable as putting salt on a bird’s tail, thefact is that it can be done, and a contrivance involving a forked. stick, a noose, and various other little things is described for catching the snake. Once caught, the snake is. grasped close behind the head (so that it can’t turn and bite, the poison glands are pressed, and a few drops of poison drip out through the fangs. The Bronx Zoo recently arranged to have on hand a considerable quantity of snake-bite serum, —N. SPARKS. “SOLIDARITY” By LEON ZINC A wave is such that needs another wave To make a dash against a stubborn foe lt takes an oceanful of waves to shock A shore, to overrun a cave. A single wave is tragic to behold. it rolls with daring splendor on to death, it flings a life away for one soul breath Of struggle wild and beautifully bold. eee You’re not the first in the cell, Be sure you won’t be the last. Vv I steal from my cell to you for a day, For one single day. Should somebody ask: ~ house?” “One passing this way.” “Who’s in your Shut all the windows, hang them with black For mourning and crying. Should somebody ask: house?” © ‘ “One who is dying.” “Who’s in your Dumb will I sit, only gazing and kissing Your dress with bowed head. Should somebody knock—cover me quickly, Say: “He is dead.”