The Daily Worker Newspaper, May 2, 1934, Page 5

DAILY WORKER NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 1934 Page Five ' CHANGE | ——THE—| The World of the Theatre NEW THEATRE. Organ of League of Workers’ Theatres. April, 1934. Published at 5 E. 19th St. New York. Price 5 cents. From the Diary of a Relief Investigator Eugene Nigob Will Give Piano Recital | At New School May 6 NEW YORK.—Eugene Nigob, ac- complished pianist, will give a re- cital Sunday, May 6, at 8 pm., at the New School for Social Research. ‘Letter from Herndon Reveals Jail Torture The following letter, received by a comrade from Angelo Herndon, confined in a prion in Atlanta and facing a term of 18-20 years on the chain-gang for activities on behalf of the unemployed, once more em- phasizes the need for strenzthening the campaign to force this young Negro’s release.—EDITOR’S NOTE. . PHILIP STERLING ___ | tea,” she replied. “And we have/66 W. 12th St. The varied and ex- ‘ecodemelt ts DEC. 27, 1931—I've got a job. I'm | about three cans of beans. We've | tensive program will include the 4 |to report on Jan. 4 for work as an|been getting by on stuff like that|walstein Sonata by Beethoven, and HAROLD EDGAR |investigator in the Bureau of Home|for the past three weeks. I guess|the popular Rhapsody No, 2 by | WORLD! By MICHAEL GOLD blaze of courage in her eyes, which makes one’s hand rise, instinctively, in salute. Her face was dark, bitter and yet calm in the intensity of its purpose, With the nose large, the mouth wide and twisted. A sur- face worshipper of symmetry would never have called her “beautiful,” but she was, nevertheless. Standing on the ladder and facing the people, many of them hos- tile, she spoke of the Nazi butcheries and the program of hate, lies and stupidity which they are attempting to spread in Yorkville, through- out the city. She described the conditions of workers in Yorkville and clsewhere, toiling ten and twelve hours a day, tricked, clubbed, soft- soaped, blinded, endlessly, by their sly and fishy-eyéd masters, and she exhorted these workers to rise, shake the mist from their heads, put a rage in their hearts, and link shoulders and arms in iron ranks ever advancing. It was a thing of beauty to watch her sway some of the crowd to greater thought, Her voice—invisible and massive from the strength in one, frail body—hammered at the crowd, gathered to a force greater and more animated than any visible stéél could have been, because the voice was made of mind and emotion forged to oné, swinging pene- tration. Jailed for Militancy I know another girl, only 19, also a member of the Party, who joined when she was barely 18 and was jailed for her militaney on the blood- quickening afternoon at the “Olympic-Stadium Games,” when runners suddenly circled the track, with banners on backs and chests reading: “Free Tom Mooney!” and comrades threw leaflets to the crowds in the stands, and drove a wedge of fear into the assembled functionaries and sponge-faces packing the seats. Intellectual critics scarcely ever center on girls of this kind, state that they possess “a dynamic and engaging personality,” describe their “honesty and talent,” call them “disarmingly charming,” or announce that they went to listen to them with the expectation of a “pleasant evening.” Perhaps the girls themselves would not appreciate such worn-out and stilted bouquets. They are entirely content to work and fight in the ranks, with their praise, if it occurs, confined to the words and handclasps of other comradés struggling with them on the noisy, robbed, tortured street-levels of existence in this country. * * . . . . “Psychological Problems” They, too, came from middle-class surfoundings. They also had, and still have, to a much smallér extent, “psychological problems,” temptations toward vanity and misunderstanding, and yet, it was not necessary to “knock them down and drag them home” into the Com- munist Party, and, in fact, such a complaint, soaked with an éasy and over-delicate aversion to bluntness and fervent sincerity, never pre- sented itself to their minds and hearts, Accidentally, they ran into a meéting of the Party, heard the speakers, felt startled and wondering for the first time in their lives. Then they attended other rallies, con- versed with some of the comrades, afterwards, and read the literature of the Party, and fought it out, in the stillness of their rooms, for months, until a gradual, resistless conviction forced them to throw off the former drugs, inflations, bandages, to realize, once and for all, that they had been miscast in their beginning environments. . . . . Avoided Limelight They joined the Party, slipped quietly into the ranks. A limelight was never focussed upon them and they would not have desired it. When they entered no aura of indulgences enticed them, or threw a glamor on their little, fearful wobblings. They were not writers and it never occurred to them that they should sojourn in a factory-district, for two or thrée months, and then write patronizing accounts of the hardships and persecutions forming the daily lot of the workers within these districts. They reached their decision in the sickening, writhing core of heart, and mind, where it must always be made, without pam- pering, without people waiting with bated breath for them “to come in, in their own way,” the routine of side-steppings, of preening and half-response, which leads nowhere and which is always so comfort- ing to the person holding it. I repeat, they were not writers, and perhaps that was fortunate. ‘The tendency, on the part of radical critics, to cajole, spare, and even, immediately, to trust any writer who possesses a name, who has been praised by most of the “liberal, influential” reviewers, is a tendency which must be combatted at all cost. Any pet of the other side, who indicates the slightest class-consciousness, the smallest sgn of revo- lutonary leanings, is spanked half-heartedly, at times, and then lauded and assured that he will develop into a much-néeded convert to the revolutionary cause. Conversely, other writers, who were never the teachers’ pets of the opposite side, fail to receive such a considerate and pérsistent attention. This situation leads, inevitably, to the question: “Are certain, radical critics opportunists, filled with much more ad- miration for the polished, ‘sérious’ literature-mongers on the other side than they ever confess, either to themselves, or in print?” * * * * Crities Too Indulgent I have a sincere and ready appreciation for many of the qualities and aims, to which these critics devote themselves—their general de- termination to struggle against the middle-class traditions which once held them, and their fine willingness to write, nearly always without pay, for the cause in which they believe, and frequently, the precision and delving united in their mingled style and content, but I must, nevertheless, challenge them on the preceding score. In regard to any, possible, literary convert, there is, unodubtedly, a point beyond which indulgence and easy trust become misdirected, hampering to their ob- jectives. Far from capturing the possible convert, they serve, instead, to make him equally indulgent to himself, to blind him to the neces- sity for a discplined earthquake down to the last atom and marrow of his being. This does not mean that the opposite extreme must be ad- vocated, the one of unbroken harshness, intolerance, and suspicion, but, beyond question, there are many degrees and attitudes existing be- tween these poles. What Is Subtlety? In another diréction, the question of subtlety in revolutionary literature interests me even more. Often, I read the phrase: “More _ Subtle and effective literary form,” in this connection. But what is subtlety? It is another word for “indirect.” It circles the subject. It is worried over details of defense and attack. It must always fear that some clarifying shade has been overlooked, that weak spots exist some- where in its presentation, since otherwise it couldn't possibly retain its own identity. We have been deluged in the past with subtle literature, which delighted the rulers of its time, apologized for them—consciously, or unconsciously—and saturated itself in the drugs of “great and noble ideals,” of metaphysical escape, and whenever this literature did slap the rulers of its time, the slap was nearly always one of extraneous details, or personal animus, or cynical retirement, offering no actual hope, encouragement, or solution, to the toiling and struggling masses on earth, We are confronted with subtley in our present day, not only in middle-class writing, but in thé tactics, speeches, dishonesties and compromises, among those who rule us and grind our lives. * * * * * . * Simplicity as a Weapon In every-day life, as well as in literature, a straight, careful, de- termined opposition is sorely needed. Simplicity is a much bettér weapon and reply—simplicity of a cértain kind. It doesn’t have to be obvious or hackneyed. It doesn’t need to be crude, over-confident. It can and must avoid slipshod and hasty qualities. It should always be responsive to self-criticism. And yet, it must also avoid the clogging of too many details, the hesitations within too much self-immersion, and all of the polished intricacies, which are essentially meaningless, both to themselves and to the workers whom they are striving to reach. On the positive side, it can be a straight, painstaking, fervent approach, a sincerity willing to use shaded methods, but never preoccupied with them, a desire to present itself in clear terms, not too far above the heads of the masses, and a faith in the eventual liberation and up- rising of the proletariat—a faith too relentless and blazing to sacrifice itself, in any way, to all of the curlicues, the handsprines and slants, hazard notes, ineffective articles casual reviews, of which the first numbers unfortunately provided too many examples. Practically all the plays reviewed in the current num- ber are worth reviewing (although they appear in a far too scattered form) and Ben Blake's remarks on the production of “They Shall Not Die” are very valuable. He is the only writer that has pointed out the lack of distinctive approach to the material of Wexley’s play on the part of the Theatre Guild: the ab- sence of an idea for the production which would be different from that of any other realistic play contain- ing a trial scene. The two articles on the dance: “Whither Martha Graham?” by Edna Ocko, and an “Open Letter to Workers Dance Groups,” by Blanche Evan—particularly the lat- ter—both reveal a true critical awareness and genuine interest in their subjects. Edna Ocko’s article is excellent for its interpretation of Martha Graham’s actual work in the dange medium, but appears to us @ little over-enthusiastic in its assumption that because Miss Gra- ham is a fine dancer and a sincere artist she is either capable or de- sirous of applying her art to the contemporary social scene. If we admire Miss Graham's dance our admiration may have to confine it- self to that which she has already created, and regret that she does not satisfy our sense of immediate revolutionary needs may be some- what beside the point. If we wish to urge artists to a point of view closer to our own, we must choose those artists—howsoever incompiete they may still be—in whom we dis- tinctly observe the needs of such a point of view. But thus far the emotional content of Miss Graham's work has about it something coldly passionate, unearthly and removed which are not qualities for revolu- tionary art. To tell Miss Graham “We want our world presented to us,” is like saying, “We would like you so much better if you were not what you are!” The two movie articles, an excerpt on Dovzlienko from a Russian book by M. Bajan, and a review of Harry Alan Potamkin’s pamphlet, “The Eyes of the Movies’—are likewise interesting and appropriate, though the first is much too brief and sketchy. There is also a short ar- ticle, “Hollywood or Lenin Hills,” the last of Potamkin’s work, ie ol | Uecinape the most exciting con- tribution to the present “New Theatre,” however, is the account of the recent “upheavals” in the ranks of the Actors Equity Association (the actors union). This narrative and explanation of the movement that is attempting to make Equity an organization to represent and fight for its members, both in its expesition and in its suggestions addressed to the actors, is first- rate. It is clear, accurate, perti- nent. Not merely that, however: it is almost the only adequate report that has appeared anywhere. The Theatre Arts Monthly stands aloof from such matters as the difficulties of Equity organization, Variety (the theatrical tradé-paper) is gossipy and indifferent and like the daily newspapers picks up its news through hearsay and clever “scoops” that are generally superficial and misleading. It is encouraging to see that “New Theatre” has been on its toes in a matter that concerns the intimate life of the American theatre. Also included in the current issue is a short technical article on light- ing which is useful, and notes on various Workers Theatre activities the world over. If you are inter- ested in the theatre as part of the revolutionary movement you should tread “New Theatre.” Stage and Screen “ A 1, Myself” Coming to Mans- field May 9; Noel Coward’s Bitter Sweet” Here Moy 7 “I, Myself,” a new play by Adelyn Bushnell, is announced for next Wednesday night at the Mans- field Theatre by Pearson-Baruch, a new producing group. Charles Trowbridge, Regina Wallace, Frank Wileox and Walter Baldwin head the cast. Evelyn Herbert and Allan Jones have been engaged by the Shuberts to sing the leading roles in Noel Coward’s operetta, “Bitter Sweet,” which will open here on Monday night at the 44th Street Theatre. “Pirates of Penzance,” instead of “Patience,” will be revived by the a pdt and Sullivan group at the Majestic next Monday night. “Pa- tience” will be presented later in the season. The current operetta at the Majestic is “Iolanthe.” “The Shining Hour,” the Keith winter drama, is now in its last weeks at the Booth Theatre. Fol- lowing its run here, Max Gordon will present the company headed by Gladys Cooper, Adrianne Allen and Raymond Massey in London. There will be a special perform- ance on Friday afternoon of “She Loves Me Not” at the Forty-Sixth Street Theatre for the benefit of the Actors’ Fund. “Trovatore” at Hippodrome Tonight; “Samson” on Friday “Tl Trovatore” has been substi-; tuted and is presented instead of “The Masked Ball” at the Hippo- drome this evening. The cast in- cludes Anna Leskaya, Bruna Cas- tagna, Pasquale Ferrara and Joseph Royer. Other operas of the week are: “La Traviata,” on Thursday evening; “Samson and Delila,” Fri- 80 dear and insistent to the purposes and motives on the other side of the fence Fraternally, MAXWELL BODENHEIM. day evéning; “Barber of Seville,” Saturday afternoon; “La Forza del Destino,” Saturday evening, and “La Boheme” on Sunday night think of all the things I'll have to} do with that money. I better not | dwell on the matter or I'll be dis- couraged before I start. JAN. 10, 1932.—For two years now |T've been reading newspaper reports of increasing unemployment and hardship. I've watched the business index go down, down—like a plum- met, but I haven't known what un- employment means. I’m beginning to understand it now in human terms. Our bureau is in the bor- ough of It covers an area of approximately nine square miles. We're taking about 200 applica- tions a day. The office is a mad- house. No equipment, no tele- phones, desks, office supplies. When I get to work at 9 a.m. the gymna- sium of the school building in which we are quartered. is crowded with men, women, children. I sit down at my desk (a long plank on two saw horses) and the interviews begin. Name, address, wife’s maiden name, previous ad- dresses, employment record, names and birthdays of all the members of the family, names and addresses of relatives, information on insur- ance, past financial resources, etc. Every question brings not only the simple answer necessary to our in- flexible, high-speed routine, but an irrelevant (to the Home Relief Bu- reau) outpouring of pent-up misery —We used to have money in the bank,” “My husband can’t work, he got gastric ulcers, and my girl can’t find a job, she’s just out of high school,” “My boy is in a T.B. sani- tarium, I'll have to bring him home now,” “The children are going to school in canvas sneakers—and in such weather.” I can’t make them stick to my questioning routine. And as they suddenly realize they're telling all this to a stranger who probably doesn’t give a damn they burst into tears. It’s painful. But Mrs. Portman, our supervisor, isn’t embarrassed. She's a hard- boiled little Greenwich Villager from a private social service agency who has traded in tears for a long time. “Don’t let yourself be misled or confused by tears,” she tells us. “They don't mean a thing. Very often, the louder they weep the less they need help.” And to staunch the flood of tears which has been advises: “Don’t show them any sympathy. A little kindness makes them cry more quickly than the sternest treatment you can man- 2 a e. JAN, 19, 1932—The flood of ap- plications is swamping us. I think T understand now how the drowning man feels when he discovers that it’s only a straw he’s clutching. Every applicant is nervous and jumpy as if the long drawn-out in- security which has been hovering over him will suddenly resolve it- self into a horrible certainty of destruction. Those families already on relief are in an even worse frame of mind. The weekly food ticket has become their only resource and the bureau is so disorganized, cha- otic, short-handed, because the money has to go to the bankers, that we can’t write food tickets fast enough. But even worse is the fact that the daily money allotment to our bureau is far too small. When we've written $4,000 worth of tick- ets for the day we've got to stop. The result is a flood of semi-hy- sterical but absolutely justified com- plaints. We’ve been working over- time almost every night. FEB. 9, 1932.—The flood of appli- cations has been so great that we're still way behind in our investiga- tions despite the fact that our doors have been closed for more than two weeks. After we re-opened, Mrs. Portman tried a new wrinkle to de- termine which applicants are de- serving of emergency treatment. We ask each one, “Have you enough food at home to last through to- morrow?” One woman answered “Yes” in a trembly voice. “What have you at home?” I asked. “Oh, bread and WHAT’S ON Wednesday J. ARCH speaks on “Peace and Plenty in the Soviet Union,” at Prospect Mansion, 722 Prospect Av‘ 156th St. Auspices: Lover Bronx_B! .8.U. 8:30 P. M. JOE WANG speaks on “Soviet Russia” at Wilkins Hell, 1130 Wilkins Ave., 8:30 P.M. Auspices: East Bronx Br. F.8.U. SHEARSAL Daily Worker Chorus, 35 E. 12th Bt. Sth floor, 8 P. M. Important. Every member must attend. DAVID SCHRIFTMAN speaks at Open Forum ‘How to Defend Ourself in Court’ at Tom Mooney Br. LL.D., 323 EB. 13th St. 8 P. M. Admission free. Thursday COMRADE WEISS will spéak on his Personal Interview with Tom Mooney at 190 W. 23rd 8t., 7 P. M. Auspices: Fifth Ave LL.D MEETING of delegates to Festival and Bazaar, Communist Party at 50 E. 13th St. Room 205, 8 P. M. THEODORE BAYER speaks on ‘The Revolution of 1917 and the Struggle for Power" at Midtown Br, F.2.U., 11 W. 18th St., 8:30 P.M. OPZN FORUM Pen & Hammer Club, 114 W. 2t8t 2:20 P. M. Lecture on ‘Boy Scout Movement in U.S.A." by John Brant. THE CHINES? PEOPLE IN Al-tRICA— thelr life and strugeles. Lecture by Wan Shih at Friends of the Chinese People, 1¢8 ‘W. 231 St. Room 12., 8:30 P, M. Admis- sion 15 cents. tively. FEB. 20, 1932—Something hap- to hustle her down the stairs. Other | teresting policemen plunged into the crowd.|Am somewhat better in health, but playing hell with office routine she | pened today which, I am sure, will help jar the bureau out of its vacil- lation and shoulder-shrugging. For @ week there have been street meet- ings of the Unemployed Council across the street from our office despite the bitter cold. Today there Was another one, but instead of dis- banding, the meéting marched in a body across the street and up to the gates of the school. The cop on duty, acting on Mrs. Portman’s or- ders, refused admittance to a dele- gation. He sent someone in to phone for more cops and meanwhile stalled the 300 or more who had marched across the street. When re-enforcements arrived from the near-by police station and shouldered their way through- the crowd to take up a defensive posi- tion, the lieutenant in charze an- nounced, “Mrs. Portman doesn’t want to see any of you. Go on home now.” The big woman who was chair- man of the meeting and leader of the delegation turned to the crowd and shouted, “If Mrs. Portman won't see a delegation, we'll all go in.” As she spoke two cops started jtack. They locked with their blue- Standing at the head of the stairs I/ had a good view. The blue uni-/ forms were engulfed. The crowd} surged toward the door and awa: from it as the cops unlimbered | their billies. The crowd thinned out | and fell back. But about two dozen | women, instead of retreating, moved forward to meet the murderous at- | coated adversaries, clawing, slap- ping, kicking. They were unarmed, save for their knowledge of where to kick. | It ended after still more cops came and five women were corralled | in the vestibule. They screamed | their encouragement to those on| the outside. The cops tried to si- lence them with blows. I saw one | cop adjust his black-jack so that | it protruded from his clenched fist for about a quarter of an inch. Then he pinned a screaming woman against the wall with his left hand and swung his right hand in short, murderous jabs against her mouth. He appeared to be hitting her with his fist, but actually he was bang- ing her teeth loose with black-jack blows. Farm School on Wheels We have word from the Middle- West that they are laying plans to conduct a Farm School on Wheels this summer to operate throughout the farm régions in North Dakota, South Dakota, ete. This school on wheels was tried out last summer/ and it proved to be a very valuable supplement to the education work done by the Party. There are two classes in Organiza- tion Principles being conducted in Russellville and Dardanelle, Arkan- sas. These classes meet twice a week and are each attended by more than twenty-five Negro and white workers and farmers, including two women. Plans are being made to begin a class soon in Social Forees in American History. oy 18 me The Spring Term of the Harlem Workers School, 200 West {135th St., New York, had its postponed opening last night (April 30th) with @ registration of close to 150 students, * When last heard from, the Los Angeles Workers Schools reported 104 additional students registered for the courses added to their curri- culum when they moved to their new headquarters in the Workers Cultural Center at 230 Spring Street. This makes way over 200 students registered for its first term of existence. * * . Chicago Conference on June 24th JUNE 24th a conference of all mass Organizations in Chicago will be held to launch a campaign for the expansion of the Workers School into the neighborhoods sur- rounding basic industries of the Chicago area. In addition to the schools in the steel region, the out- look of the Executive Committee of What’s Doing in the Workers, Schools of the U.S. school on the Northwest Side with special attention to railroad workers, and on the South Side of Chicago with special attention to the stockx- yards. The main branch of the Chicago Workers School will be moved to a} more centrally located place and will become the training school and the center to improve the quality of our teaching and to offer more advanced theoretical study to the workers of Chicago, The conference will launch a cam- paign for $1,000 which will be used to develop libraries in each of the schools, to improve the material and generally to extend and improve the much needed education and training of new forces for the class struggle. All mass organizations are urged to take this problem up in their branch and make the campaign truly a campaign of the entire work- | ing class of Chicago, Further details on this will appear in the press, Rae Se 'HE Boston Workers School is or- ganizing four-weeks classes in Fundamentals of Communism in Quincey and in Lynn, charging a very small fee for each lesson. They are doing this to lay the basis for building real branches in these cities as wéll as in Cambridge, in the fall.; They are réorganizing their School Committee so that it functions as a so-called social club during the sum- mer months, with the main purpose of reorganizing schools in the fall. To put this into immediate effect, they have organized a picnic for the last week of school. er ae: The Workers School in New York is launching a $1,000 Drive this week to prepare a fund for the fall term. A campaign will be conducted in the classes, private parties for the bene- fit of the Drive are planned by groups of students, and six prizes) the Chicago Workers is to build a * . Of Decisions of Tasks of Workers Schools in Light are being offered. * Party Convention Note:—This column this week initiates a series of short articles on problems of the Workers Schools, such as training of instructors, out- lines, ete. The first article follows: ; ire ee By A. MARKOFF "HE Eighth National Convention 4 of our Party demonstrated that the problem of political education within the Party as well as within the trade unions and mass organiza- tions is a very urgent and immediate task at the present time. The Party has made considerable inroads into the basic industries winning num- bers of proletarians from the basic industries into the Party, the Young Communist League, and revolution- ary unions. There is a crying need for additional leading forces in the movement. The material for the development of forces is here; it is only a question of getting busy with our theoretical training of the many new elements in our movement. The Commission on Schools set up at the Conyention discussed this problem under three main livisions; the inner Party education, the Workers School, and educational work within trade unions and other mass organizations. At this time we wish to deal with the Workers Schools. The Workers Schools constitute a very important instrument in the work of our movement. It serves two purposes,—the spreading of the Marxist-Leninist teachings among the broad section of the population, and the training of many rank and file members of the Party and the League. A thorough examination of the character and the work of our schools is essential. Due vo the shortage of time the Commission cn Schools was unable to go into this problem. We must examine our achievements end shortcomings, for only by a thorough analysis of our work will we be in a position to im- prove the work. We, therefore, propose to our comrades engaged in the school work to utilize the weekly column in the Daily Worker for a discussion of the tasks before 1s. The articles should not be more than 309 words. The Commission at the Conven- tion adopted a motion to call re- gional conferences of representatives of the Workers Schools now existing together with other representatives of the district for the purpose of ex- amining our work, discussing new tasks and coordinating the work. The articles in the column will also serve as material for the conferen- ces. A kate COMMISSION on Schools adopted a number of control tasks for the Party in conneécton with the building of more Work- ers Schools, The number of schools at present is too small; we have Workers Schools in a number of places but there are important cen- tres where schools can be and must be built as soon as possible. The Commission placed as its first task to establish schools in the following places in the coming fall: Philadel- phia, Buffalo, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Newark. The comrades in the respective districts must begin to plan for it imme- diately. Committees for this pur- pose have to be set up. It is suffi- cient to assign one energetic com- rade for this work. This comrade can attract a number of sympathi- zers from the workers and intellec- tuals who are close to the Party thus forming a preliminary organization committee. The entire plan of work should be discussed, duties assigned to individual members, such as the securing of necessary finances, a proper location for the school, the physical equipment for the school, etc. A small school in the beginning well organized, placed and con- ducted in a systematic manner will insure the growth of the school. It has been our experience in Boston, Chicago, Cleveland and other places, that with a small initial sum of money the school can be established and will quickly pay for itself. The curriculum of the school should be carefully planned together with the comrades of the district committees and leading comrades from the trade union movement. In ell these problems the Workers School in New York stands ready to help with advice, guidance etc., Send all communications to A. Markoff, Director of Workers Schools, 35 East 12th St., N.Y, 8 * ] and encouraging letter not as well as I should be Your apology was uw because I realize that t things happening of | ecessary e that it is very easy for some our re- sponsible comrades to under mate the importance of ce cases, but I am sure that once have been reminded, steps + taken to avoid this in the future As far as my person is concerned the apology was not ecessary. However, in view of the im sharp class battles it is impr that we organize a much be movement to enforce the ri all political prisoners as st I doubt you are aware of the criminal and horrible way they are forced to spend their lives behind the op- | pressive walis of capitalist prisons. One who has been incarcerated for his activities in connection with the fight for a living under a system that is no longer able to provide | even a small subsistence for it slaves, is huddled up with the most hardened criminals and degener- ates. And in most cases is treated much worse than the others are. Although they are not anxious to give politicals the treatment they should have, nevertheless, they do in one way or another look upon them as different from the others But, of course, that is only done after pressure has been brought to bear upon the brutal flunkies known 4s officials of prisons For example, when I was first ar- rested and before I was convicted I almost died from the horrible ex- periences I was forced to go through. Since then, although I am in the death house, they have been very cautious in their treatment of me after their plots to murder me were frustrated. But to say this is not to exclude their general line of brutal and savage tortures. And I am convinced that if the movement for my freedom and better treat- ment had been much broader than hitherto, my position now would be much better. Being in the death house is not an easy thing to en- dure when you are right in the same cage with people who have heen condemned to death (some of them innocent), and you must witness a steady parade of them to the state's execution chambers. Nothing could be more barbaric TUNING IN) 7:00-WEAF—Baseball Resume WOR—Sports Resume—Ford Frick WJZ—Amos ‘n’ Andy—Sketch WABC—Vera Van, Songs 7:15-WEAF—Gene and Glenn—Sketch WOR—Talk—Harry Hershfield WJZ—If Imports Stopped—F. W. Nichol, Vice Président Interna- tional’ Business Machines Corp. WABC—Just Plain Bill—Sketch 30-WEAF—Shirley Howard, Songs; Tri¢ WOR—Mixed Quartet ‘WJZ—Yvette Rugal, Soprano WABO—Armbruster Orchestra 45-WEAF—The Goldbergs—Sketch WOR—True Stories of the Sea— Sketch WJZ—Sketch, With Irene Rich WABC—Boake Carter, 8:00-WEAP—Jack Pearl, Comedian WOR—Wallenstein's Sinfonietta WJZ—Every One Dies Once—Sketch WABC—Men About Town Trio 4:15-WABC—Easy Aces—Sketch 8:30-WEAF—Wayne King Orchestra WOR—Frank Munn, Tenor; Orch, WJZ—Carlos Gardel, Baritone WABO—Everett Marshall, Baritone 8:45-WJZ—Basebali Comment—Babe Ruth 9:00-WEAF—Hayton Orchestra; Fred Al- len, Comedian WOR—Italics—H. Stockes Lott Jr. WIZ—Ray Knight's Cuckoos WABC—Nino Martini, Tenor 9:30-WOR—Success—Harry Balkin WJZ—John Charles Thomas, Songs 1 WABC—Lombardo Orchestra; Burns and Allen, Comedy 9:48-WOR—Robison Orchestra 10:00-WEAF—Hillbilly Music WJZ—Loperz Otchestra; Male Trio WABO-—Fiorito Orchestra 10:15-WOR—Ourrent Events—H. E. Read 10:30-WEAF—Jewish National Pund Din- ner, Hotel Astor WOR-—Dorothy Miller and Garfield Swift, Songs; Shackley Orchestra WwJ2—Denny Orchestra; Harry Rich- man, Songs WABC—Albert Spalding, Violin; Con- | rad Thibault, Baritone Commentator | April issue of New Theatre, Sacre a 7 ouroneg Ee Maisie 5 gi agi longer | Liset Tickets are on sale at the| 4 on : en —— = Dear Michael Gold: organ of the League of Workers ‘are. I'n e Ral s urst into tears. I glanced|New School, the Workers Book/ uiton Towers Prison, | ay Recently, at a street-meeting in Yorkville, I listenéd to a girl, a | Theatres, is in many respécts the Re aac a Hees one Messtisoe tre oa eee hpi we fac | Shop. 50 E. 12th St., and at Nigob’s| ASR er ep Atlanta, Ga Books Sent Angelo member of our Party. She was only twenty-two, and she had that |best that [putkguemi tbe P08 |mixed, though, when I begin toleight and eleven years old, respec- scteivnietgeperiiok | ‘This morning I received your in-|| Herndon Stolen In Is Charge Prison, a decis on the cha system: || Two copi |] have been || national |] by the jailors ‘Got no book,” written answer of the |] en to Herndon’s request book be turned over Other books sent to including a copy of “Chinese Destinies” and “Power,” have also been stolen by the guards—whose read them themselves ubtt Protests should be sent to the warden of Fulton Towers lanta, Ga., demanding that was the laconic ward- t the Herndon, books sent to Herndon be de- livered to him and inhuman, for it has a great mental effect upon anyone. But such a foul and stupid act is re- vealed the hideous plots of the re- vengeful slave-masters to break my revolutionary fighting spirit. But if they were human enough they cer- tainly should know that the spirit and morale of anyone who has been forced to live a horrible life (almost | parallel to the one at present) can- jnot be so easily broken, for the sharper the oppression, the more determined he is to work for the destruction of such a system that imposes unspeakable horrors and bestial conditions upon humanity. The long tedious days behind these bars are excruciating enough but I know that it must be much worse in those dark pits and semi- prisons where the oppression is felt the greatest, even though they may have access to the air and wide- open spaces which I am now de- prived of. So this is what makes }me take my medicine like a man, for I know that some day not far distant we shall have some of the same medicine back down the throats of those who are now giving it to us. And I know too that if I did have access to the free air and wide-open spaces, I would be of much more use in helping to turn the medicine back into the mouths of those who should get it I am glad. to know that you wha come from a petty-bourgeois family understand that your place is in the ranks of the revolutionary working class. Yes, I receive the | “Daily,” and you may send me mag- Jazines, etc. I shall let you know later about the books. Would also like you to send me a few stamps and Sender Garlin’s column in the Daily Worker about my case, Write again soon. Comradely Yours, ANGELO HERNDON, Detroit Film and Photo League Opens Photography Class DETROIT—The Film Photo League announces a class in Ele- mentary Photography to open at the Workers’ School, May 8, to run for 12 weeks, every Tuesday from 7:30 p. m. to 9 p.m. No experience or equipment is required. The course will be a practical one, with the student learning by doing things for himself, although part of each class meeting will be devoted to a study of the basic principles involved in photographic technique. Registration takes place every evening at the Workers’ School, 323 Erskine St. The fee for 12 weeks is $2. The instructors will be J. Au- ringer and J. Hudyma, who worked in the Mejrabpom studio in Odessa for a number of years. AMUSE MENTS ——-THE THEATRE GUILD presents—, A comedy by DAWN POWELL with ERNEST TRUEX—SPRING BYINGTON ETHEL BARRYMORE Theatre, 47th Street, W. of Broadway Eves, 8:30, Mat. Thur. and Sat. 2:30 EUGENE O’NEILL's Comedy AH, WILDERNESS! with GEORGE M. COHAN 2d St. W. of Biway 1s. Thur.&Sat.2.20 MAXWELL ANDERSON’S New Play “MARY OF SCOTLAND” with HELEN PHILIP HELEN HAYES MERIVALE MENKEN .. W. of Bway hur.&Sat.2.20 2 Great Soviet Features!— Last 3 Days ‘Superior to Famous ‘Road to Life’" —N. ¥. Times, BROKEN A Soviet Talkie. English Titles Soviet News Extraordinary! SEE George Dimitroff, Popoff ana Taneff, acquitted in Leipzig Trial, arrive in Moscow--Red Army perades in Red Square in honor of 17th Congress of Communist Party, ete. ACME THEA. {2 & Union 84. —_RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL— 80 St & 6 Ave- show Place of the Nation —— YEAR’S GREATEST HIT! — stevedore Thrilling drama of Negro and white workers on the docks of Néw Orleans CIVIC REPERTORY THEA. 105 W 14 St. Svés. 8:45. Mats. Wed. & Sat. 2:45 TICKETS ON SALE AT BOX OFFICE 30¢-45c-60e-75¢e-$1 & $1.50 ‘No Tax pe For information on benefits Phone Wat. 9-2451 Opens 11:39 A. M—2nd Big Week “STAND UP with and CHEER” Warner Baxter & Madge Evans plus an Elaborate MUSIC HALL STAGE SHOW RRO Jefferson i $1. | Now een Ave. JIMMY DURANTE & LUPE VELEZ in “PALOOKA”® :—"LAZY RIVER" with JEAN PARKER & ROBERT YOUNG GILBERT& SULLIVAN | Sioa “uk” Mia All This Week =a "1OLANTRE”| THE SHINING HOUR Week of May 7 “PIRA’ MAJESTIC THEA. W. 44th St.. evgs. 8:3 50¢ to $200. Mats, Wed & Sat. S0c to $1.50 BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC FRIDAY EVE., MAY 4, AT 8:30 DOUG BRINKLEY Popular American Radio Journalist gives unbiased view of past exciting months in “This Is Germany Today” Don C. Sets, Chairman Tickets 25¢, S0e. No Reserved Seats rant ante enone BOOTH THEATRE, W. 45th St. Evgs. 8:40 Matinees: Thursday & Saturday 2:40 MUSIC. -HIPPODROME OPERA Pasqvale Amato, Director TONITE, 8:15--IL TROVATORE Thurs. Eye. LA TRAVIATA Fri. Eve. — SAMSON and DALILA (7 25e-35¢e-55e-83e-99e Reh, |~HIPPODROME, 6 Ay.&43 St. VAn 3-4?68— i “ae cichlids