The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 17, 1934, Page 5

| CHANGE ——THE-— || WORLD! ———___+—— By SENDER GARLIN URING the course of his campaign for the Democratic nomination for Governor of California, Upton Sinclair has boasted of many endorsements. Some have come from leading politicians of the Democratic Party, others have come from big-hearted capitalists like Mr. Edward Filene; recently Sinclair announced proudly that. his Republican opponent has admitted that “he (Sinclair) is being accepted by the best people.” The most amazing, though not entirely unexpected endorsement for his campaign, comes from quite a different social set than that of Mr. Filene, the Boston capitalist. A recent issue of Upton Sinclair's campaign paper, “End Poverty,” carried the following news: “Strike-Breakers Favor Sinclair” “Fiashes from the front: “Even the strike-breakers are going for Upton Sinclair. Of six hundred of them on a ship in San Francisco Harbor 420 said they would vote for Sinclair for the Democratic nomination for Governor August 28,” af The announcement, prominently displayed and carrying no com- ment, leaves no doubt that Upton Sinclair is very proud of this sup- port. What is even more shocking (had one not studied Sinclair's po- litical evolution), is the fact that he had not a single word of denun- clation for these strikebreakers; on the contrary, he welcomes them inte his fold, It is well to point out, incidentally, that these men were not ma- rine workers gone back to their jobs after a defeat, but out-and-out strikebreakers—especially recruited while the struggle against the ship- ping companies was still in progress, . . . It Follows a Pattern ND yet, studied in the light of Upton Sinclair’s entire attitude dur- ing the Great Pacific Coast General Strike, it Govesatis neatly into his general political position. Readers of the Daily Worker will recall Sinclair’s statement when the “Daily” asked him to state his position on the reign of terror im- mediately following the general strike. As the New Masses points out editorially in its last issue, Sinclair’s statement virtually sanctions the position: of General Johnson, Mayor Rossi and Governor Merriam in giving the signal for the terror. Sinclair had wired to the Daily Worker that “by resorting to methods of dictatorship you [the Communists—Ed.] inevitably give impulse to fascism, lend power to the reactionary capitalist exploiters and bring down a storm of popular rage upon your heads, and make it impossible for friends of the workers to help them or you.” By the phrase “resorting to methods of dictatorship,” Sinclair means the mass activities of the militant workers and their resistance to capitalist terror. He is advocating nothing less than submission to this terror, a position which the European Social-Democrats urged the workers to follow in various countries—with what results is now well known, It is a general formula that justifies submission to fascist ter- ror, and is based on the miserable social-democratic conception that class conflict is something “stirred up” by the Communists, instead of being the basic fact of capitalist society. * . . A Terribly “Radical” Platform ‘HE political “expert” on the Los Angeles Examiner says that Upten Sinclair has a good chance of winning the Democratic nomination for Governor of California. His opponent for the same nomination is Mr. George Creel, another ex-Socialist, who during the imperialist war was in charge of feeding jingo propaganda to the newspapers under the guise of “preventing censorship.” More recently, as head of the N.R.A. Regional Board, Creel has done some excellent strike-breaking jobs for the Roosevelt administration. Sinclair’s platform differs from Creel’s only in that his program is decorated with high-sounding “radical” phrases calculated to en- snare the workers without frightening the bosses too much. There are 12 points in what Sinclair calls his “Epic Plan,” and one of the prin- cipal ones in a scheme calling for “a legislative enactment for the establishment of State land colonies, whereby the unemployed may become self-sustaining and cease to be a burden upon the tax-payers.” How about the conditions of the millions who are still slaving in the mills, factories, on the docks and peon plantations throughout the State? Moreover, Sinclair proposes to purchase idle factories and estab- lish a system of exchange—through scrip—between the land colonies and cities. But Sinclair is quite willing to leave the capitalist system undisturbed. * . . It’s Been Suggested Before d Bere is not the first time that demagogues have proposed to isolate the unemployed on land colonies for the purpose of “easing the bur- den upon the tax-payers.” Sinclair's proposal is simply a glorified version of the C.C.C. camps, those wonderful utopias of the Roosevelt administration. No doubt, if elected Governor of California, Sinclair will make an even more profound study of the Roosevelt methods. Right now he contents himself with volunteering to be an office boy to the President. In an editorial entitled, “Peas in a Dry Pod,” which appeared in a recent issue of his campaign paper, Sinclair says coyly: “. . . No wonder the President is reported to be ‘dissatisfied’ with the men who have hitherto directed the destinies of Democracy in the state. No wonder he is said to be ‘looking around’ for suitable material with which to build a local fighting machine to back up his broad social programs. “The time is ripe for Upton Sinclair's entrance upon the scene. Rallying the forward-looking, constructive radicals about him in his race for the governorship nomination, he adds new meaning and new strength to the genuine Rooseveltian forces.” ‘Well, the workers in the factories and on the plantations of Cali- fornia (and the millions walking the streets in the state) have seen quite a bit of Roosevelt’s “broad social program” as it was admini- stered by General Johnson during his last visit to the coast. It’s quite clear, therefore, that Sinclair and Creel are engaged in a neck-and- neck race for the job of carrying out the Roosevelt program in the state of California, * * We Utilizing a Reputation Lf eben SINCLAIR, in his present campaign in California, is paving the way for fascism, precisely in the same way that his European associates have done in Germany and Austria. He is feeding the work- ers and farmers of California. with the same political dope as Otto Bauer fed the heroic Social-Democratic workers in Vienna. Sinclair's present “radical” phrases and his past reputation as a Socialist is now being utilized to cover up polities that are no different than those of Roosevelt and the big financiers which he serves. Sin- clair’s “Epic plan” is seen to be an anti-working class plan when stripped of its fine plumage. His attitude toward the California fas- cist terror against revolutionary workers fits in well with the position of General Johnson and the local vigilantes, Events have shown that if elected, Sinclair will act in precisely the same manner as Governor Merriam. It is no wonder that outright scabs support his campaign for Governor of California! ; 4 As a writer of fiction and social studies like the “Brass Check,” “The Goose-Step,” etc., Upton Sinclair has performed an historic service not only in American, but in world revolutionary literature. His writings over a period of 30 years have helped open the eyes of thou- sands—perhaps millions—to the evils of capitalism, although their force has at all times been vitiated by a bourgeois liberalism which has been characteristic of all of his writings. 4 Today, however, Sinclair has entered upon a road which leads di- rectly into the camp of fascism. And let no workers entertain any illu- sions that Sinclair's past literary services will in any way prevent him from playing the same treacherous role that his social-democratic col- leagues played in Europel E 'Hillsboro Prisoner| Writes of Fascist Terror in Illinois The following letter was re- ceived from John Adams, one of the workers in jail in Hillsboro, Editor’s Note. Soe 28 County Jail, Hillsboro, Til. Dear comrades: I have assembled instances of working class solidarity in Mont- gomery County in connection with our cases. You have to consider that the Party is less than a year old in here and that the best- trained leadership of the workers | was in jail when these events oc- curred. At this time, we are all striving for unity with our socialist com- Trades. Th® 8. P. executive of Illi- nois has organized a committee “to restore constitutional rights in Illi- nois.” This committee, launehed in July, is to meet “sometime in Au- gust to map out plans to combat fascism in some parts of Illinois”! This has a familiar stench, hasn’t it? Many of the worker home- owners who are trying to go our bond are 8. P. members. Funds for our defense have come from So- cialists. What might have hap- pened to us if our socialist com- rades had waited until “sometime in August’? The Nokomis local of the P.M.A. is one of the larger locals of that organization. It has no Commu- nist members, but is affiliated to the ILD. After our arrests the repre- sentatives of the Peercy leadership of the P.M.A. tried to get the local to break its affiliation. The local drove two reactionary members out of the meeting when they brought this up. The local voted an assess- ment for our defense. Tom McKenna, A.C.L.U. repre- sentative, went to Audubon town- ship, south of Nokomis, to speak. There is an organization there of poor farmers, whose membership is also in the Unemployment Council. Permit me to digress. These farm- |ers always demand first place in unemployed demonstrations. Many of them insisted on having their preacher -assure them that relicf which they would win was “not the mark of the beast.” “There will come a time when every man can- not sell nor buy unless he has the mark of the beast,” was the way one of them explained it. The preacher needed the goods of the world and O.K.’d the council. They couldn’t understand why the work- ers insisted on work, however. Didn’t they work from sun-up to sun-down? But they saw that “ca- pit-a-lism” was the root of their troubles. Their action the night of Mc- Kenna’s speech must be credited to diligent reading of Party literature donated them by miners and their own shrewdness, Some of their boys were puzzled at the arrests, but felt that we had no right to “overthrow the government.” To clearly expose the frame-up they arranged for a fascist speaker to present the au- thorities, version. They neglected to tell him that McKenna was going to be there! When the fascist crowd saw they had been tricked they communi- cated with Nokomis. The fire siren in Nokomis blew three times and about 100 vigilantes swarmed to- wards Audubon to“attack McKenna. But they forgot that the workers can hear the siren! At the meet- ing place, an isolated town-hall, on the edge of a corn field, the poor farmers surrounded McKenna and defied the fascists. Everybody spoke and the fascists lost the support of the doubters. Maybe you wonder why the fascists didn’t carry through their attack? Just recall that the miners, too, had heard the siren and there was a cornfield! This is a great squirrel hunting re- sion. Here’s one for Norman Thomas to answer. He spoke in Hillsboro May 22. The Chamber of Commerce gave him a dinner. You can imagine how pe socialist workers here felt about is. It is our opinion that these gen- tlemen desired to learn how to com- bat the revolutionary organizations. One town, Taylor Springs, is un- der a Workers Board. The U. C. are mass organizations, P.M.A. lo- cals have voted financial and or- ganizational support to the U. C. At all events, when Hall ques- tioned me, not knowing about Nor- man Thomas, I thought his probe smacked of a S. D. police chief. Since we are in, Hall has spoken before two U. C. and his appeal for reorganization was social- democrat to the last phrase. There were no Communists at these meet- ings, but Hall’s eloquence failed and the U. ©. voted confidence and IL, for unemployed activities— | DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, FRIDAY, AUGUST 17, 1934 | | By BEN (There was no milk) He was my third . .. And with the spring Came the tax collector Fat, smiling Pay, he smiled, Pay Pay, he smiled Then I stood up My fist shot forward— Pay, I roared For my hunger For my misery For my Dominie Pay! I screamed Like a great black snake Far out from the village Down with I Duce! Down with the taxes! Down with Fascismo! lialian Incident-- 1934. I, Giuseppe, son of poverty and toil Lowly, and till this day mute as the ox | Cry into the ears of the world: } | This winter, my little Dominic died Last winter, Teresa; before that, Giovanni T tell you, friends, a paysan is a mild man | Seeking. no quarrel, cherishing peace | There came the day when the tax collector It is only a little more this year— For Ii Duce, for Faseismo, for Italia And my neighber paysans came rm We chased the tax collector And we shouted all together BLAKE Italy, friends, is a parched land, blighted | | In Italy, friends, only three things grow Hunger, and taxes, and tyranny “House of Greed,” Soviet Talkie, Remains 2nd Week The new Soviet talkie, “House of STAGE AND SCREEN Politan Opera as Mephistopheles and Aida Doninelli as Marguerite. | The ballet has been arranged by | Rita de Leporto, | Federal film censorship now aris-| | Bernice Abott, S. Vorkapich, Lang- Vidor, Film Director, Joins Fight Against “Legion of Decency” YEW YORK.—King Vidor, noted ood director, who has re- vorked for lependent com- panies, has endorsed the program of the Film and Photo League. Vidor, director of “The Crowd” and many | other films in Hollywood, has joined | " with the Film and Photo League in oe ree See its campaign against the danger of |THE “Legion of Decency” move-| ment for “decent” movies, initi- | ing due to the efforts of the “Le-|ated by the Catholic Church of gion of Decency.” Vidor has sub-|America, has secured the endo mitted an article critical of Holly-|ment of the top spokesmen of the wood to “New Theatre,” official or- | Protestant, Methodist, Lutheran gan of the Film and Photo League, | churches. Supporting this Inte: which will be published in the Sep-| faith movement, are the Amer tember number. Rabbinical Association, the Héa: i Director Vidor has been invited to | newspapers and prominent repre. join the League's Advisory Board, | sentatives of the bourgeoisie: M: consisting of Lester Cohen, Robert | August Belmont, Mrs. Calvin Cool Gessner, Margaret Bourke-White, | idge, Mrs. Roosevelt, (F. D.’s mother) jetc, Already Pope Pius XI in Rome has given his blessing. Rumors are rampant that before October Ist the | ston Hughes, John Wexl Erskine Caldwell, y, Raiph Steiner, WHAT’S ON | American Legion, the Daughters of | |the American Revolution, the Elks |Mooses, Knights of Columbus w endorse and actively support the |} KEEP Sunday, August 26, Open! Daily | SNGO! 7 Worker Picnic at North Beach Park.|“Legion of Decency” and its pro-| Splendid program being arranged. }@ram, The Catholic press swears 2 sage Pe | that 20 million Catholic church- Friday goers will enroll; the Protestant | JACK STACHEL will review Lenin's |5POKesmen promise the unrelenting “Left-Wing “Communism, an Infantile |SUpport of 22 million followers. i nat a2 me 50 a 13th St., Ind Tons | Washington, D. C. representatives of uspices of Workers Book Shop. Adm. 25c, t fa, or by hase of $1 worth of literature | "Be Motion gos! Research Coun from Workers Book Shops. |cil are busy “coordinating’ this SHOW BOAT CRUISE up Long Island |™ovement for “decent” films. Sound on “S$ Ambassador,” 8 p.m. Bn-| i i : tertainment, dancing. Leaves Battery Park, |, T° the millions of movie-goers who | Pier 1. Tickets 65c in advance, 9c at pier. | have not yet deserted the Holly-| RE ning ona CLUB Meeting. Heywood | wood films, this “decency” campaign | roun, Bernhard J. ‘Stern, Milton Howard, | 7 Bill Browder and others ‘in protest meet- | CAM suddenly. .To many millions | ing against California terror and persecu-|™Ore of workers, farmers, and in-| tion of writers, 430 Sixth Ave., 8:30 p.m. | tellectuals whogo to the movies only get in out of the rain, if at all, | GRAND Party and Frolic given by Unit | to 32, benefit O.P. Mlection Campaign. Music|the great drive for “decent” films It must be| by Greenwich String Octet, dancing to M Harlem Band,’ dramatic skits by w.t.T.| Seems rather foolish. | Parewell appearance of Mara Tarter before | reported, however, that careful study her departure for the Soviet Union, 107| of the whole history of the Church's McDougal &t., 8:30 p.m. Subscription 35c. : SONG RECITAL, Pierre Degeyter Club relations with the movies, as well presents Nora Helfant in a program of |@S @N examination of the present Ueder; Schumann, Schubert, Brahms. Club | “war” between Church and movie auditorium, 5 E, 19th St., 8:30 p.m. Dance| shows that the present campaign is avn tse a perreeumente: Ad” | either sudden ino¥ foollal. R. CASEY will speak on “Mental Hygi: The “Legion of Decency” is not in Soviet Russia” at 1401 Jerome Ave.,!at “war” with the movies—nor is Bronx, cor. 170th St., 8:30 p.m. Adm, 100. | the Interfaith crusade. concerned only with sex films. On the con- In | Greed,” will be continued for a sec- ond week at the Acme Theatre. The - y Rank and File Movement in the A. FP. of On Sunday evening, Willem Van | L.” at Hungarian Workers Federation, Br. i irst | 2, 642 South: Bivd., Bronx, 8:30 picture is based on the famous Rus- | at ese will ey the First | 7.0 on ern Bly rong, p.m. sian novel, “Gentlemen Golovley,” | SY™phony of | Brahms; Rossini’s GEORGE LEWIS, instructor Workers by Saltykov-Schedrin * | Overture to “William Tell"; Rhap-| school, will speak on~ “Recent Strike is sody Espana, Chabrier; “Wiener-| Waves,” Boro Park Workers Club, 4707 Directed by the well-known Soy- iet director, A. V. Ivansky, and the leading role enacted by the brilliant artist V. Gardin (remembered for his great work in “Shame”), the film gives a life-like presentation of the great satire by Saltykov- Schedrin. Here is the life of the blut,” Waltz, Johann Strauss and Les Preludes by Liszt. TUNING IN| Si da: Su | Adi “SNIPER,” Soviet Movi 18th Ave. Brooklyn, 8:30 p.m, Adm. 10c. | aturday “america To- chalk talk by v," workers’ newsreel, “Del” at entertainment and dance of N. Y. | Red Builders, 8:30 p.m. at United Front | pporters Hall, 11 W. 18th St., 3rd floor. im. 200 in advance, 25¢ at door. Ob- Auspices; Mt. Eden Br. F.8.U, LOUIS WEINSTOCK will lecture on “The trary, this drive represents the en- deavors of the more reactionary sec- tion of the bourgeoisie to work out more effective methods of using this great medium of social control—the movies—in the interests of the capi- talist class as a whole and against the main interests of the workers, farmers and intellectuals of Amer- ica, ye is the program of the} Church Crusade? What does it} | decent. Goloviev family—three generations of old Russian landowners in Ozar- ist Russia in the seventies, Most of the events as told in “The House of Greed” take place shortly after the abolition of serfdom in 1861. The cast also includes Bogdanov, Merited Artist. of the Republic, T. Bulach, N. Latonia and M. Zar- ubina. The picture, which was pro- duced by Soyuzfilm, Leningrad Studios, has a special musical score by A. F. Paschenko. The Daily Worker, in its review says: “ ‘House of Greed’ unquestionably merits and will receive enthusiastic recep— tion. Workers should rescue their shopmates and friends from the Hollywood desert and bring them to see the film.” * cpt “Faust,” To Be Given At Stadium This Evening The last opera of the season to be given at the Stadium, will be presented this evening and tomor- row night, under the direction of Alexander Smallens. The cast in- cludes Dimitri Onofrei in the title role, Leon Rothier of the Metro- | 7:00 P. M.-WEAF—Baseball Resume WOR—Sports Resume-—Pord Frick WsZ—Johnson Orchestra WABC—Theodore Ernwood, Baritone | 7:15-WEAF—Gene and Glenn—Sketch | WOR—Front-Page Drama WABC—Irene Bordon!, Songs 7:30-WEAFPickens Sisters, Songs WOR—The O'Neills—Sketch ‘WJZ—Grace Hayes, Songs WABO—Paul Keast, Baritone 7:45-WEAF-Sisters of the Skillet WOR—Larry Taylor, Baritone WJZ—Frank Buck's’ Adventures WABC—Boake Carter, Commentator 8:00-WEAF—Bourdon: Orchestra; Jessica Dragonnette, Soprano; Male Quar- t et. WOR—Selvin Orchestra; Al and Lee Reiser, Piano ‘WJZ--Walter O'Keefe, Comedian; Ethel Shutta, Songs; Dolan Orch. WABC—Kate Smith, Songs 8:15-WOR—Novelty Orchestra; Slim Tim- blin, Comedian; Cavaliers Quartet WJZ—Cotton Taxes—George Sloan, Chairman, Cotton Textile Code Authority WABC—Court of Human Relations 8:45-WJZ—Jack and Lorettn Clemens, Songs 9:00-WEAF—Lyman Orchestra; Frank Munn, Tenor; Vivienne Segal, Songs WOR—Italics—H. 8. Lott Jr. WJZ—Harris Orch.; Leah Ray, Songs WABC—California Melodies 9:30-WEAF—Bontme Orchestra; Pat, Comedians WOR-Brokenshire Orchestra WJZ—Phil Baker, Comedian ‘WABO—Green Orchestra; Slyvin Pie and support of their local and national leadership. You might call up the Rank School and tell N. T. that there are some workers in Montgomery County who want to ask him some questions. I could continue. The quakes of our sheriff when we were on the hunger strike because of visits he was getting! Did you ever stop to consider the effect of telephone calls at all hours of the night ‘on fascist officials? Etc., etc. But the point is served. Out here among the much discussed “native” American workers and farmers, even a social-democrat traitor has to see that our Party program is not a paper document. It has red blood, hard fists and walks in the corn field, through the mine shafts and is hammering at our jail doors. Our revolution is on the order of the day! JOHNNY ADAMS. Froos, Songs 10:00-WEAF—The WOR—Eternal Life—Drama WJZ—Mario Cozzi, Baritone; Lucille Manners, Soprano; Concert Orch, WABO—Young Orchestra; Everett Marshall, Baritone; Frank Crumit, Songs; Stoopnagle and Budd 10:15-WOR—Current Events—H. E. Read 10:30-WEAF—Jack Benny, Comedian; Bes- tor Orchestra; Frank Parker, Tenor ‘WOR—Robison Orchestra WdJZ—Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sir Hamilton Harty, Conductor 10:45-WABC—Carlile and London, Piano Duo; Warwick Sisters, Songs 11:00-WEAF—George R. Holmes, Chief ‘Washington Bureau I. N. 8. WOR—Weather; Carr Orchestra ‘WsZ—Davis Orchestra WABC—Edith Murray, Songs 11:15-WEAF—Orlando Orchestra WABO—Jones Orchestra 11:30-WEAF—Martin Orchestra WOR—Berrens Orchestra ‘WJZ—Watkins Orchestra 11:45-WABC—Barnet Orchestra 12:00-WMCA—Dance Music ,Also on WEAF, WOR, WJZ, WABC, WEVD) A Red Builder on every busy street corner in the country means | Nitgedaiget. iB! Little Black Bag—Sketch wi tainable from Red Builder, and Workers | Bookshop, 50 E. 18th St., Daily Worker | office, 35 E. 12th St. THE RED Spark Club Outing to Oamp | Leave clubroom 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at 64 Second Ave. Outing to in- clude 3 meals, night’s sleep and transpor- tation. Registration now going on at above address. POSTPONED Studio Party at Newman's Studio, 95 W. 57th St., scheduled for Bat- | urday under auspices of Pierre Degeyter | Club announced in New Masses, is indef- initely postponed. Watch this column for further announcements. SEOOND ANNUAL Mid-Summer Concert | and Dance at Coney Island Workers Club, | at 8:30, 2874 W. 27th St. near Mermaid | | Ave., I.W.O. Musical Quintet, Dram Group, Chorus, Music by Jack Shulman Radio Orchestra. Adm. 30c. in advance. Tickets at Clubrooms, 672 Sutter Ave. and other workers clubs. Auspices: Hinsdale Workers Youth Club, PARTY and dance, celebrating forth- coming Unity Theatre Production at 66 Fifth Ave, 9 p.m. Prominent artists will entertain. Drinks, Subscription 35¢, ek aaah PIONIO given by Yorkville Br. F.S.U. at Van Cortland Park, Sunday, Aug. 19, all day. Take car to 256th St, and Mosholu Parkway. Contribution 15c. OUTING to Camp Kinderland arranged by Harlem Y.0.L. Cars leave Sunday, Au- | gust 19, 7 a.m, from 27 W. 116th St. Round | trip $1. Proceeds for Coger’s release. Regis- ter all day Saturday at above address, MOONLITE DANOE — Festival given by Brooklyn Sect. Associated Workers Club at Frank’s Inn, 1307 E. 92nd St., bet. Ave. | J and K, Canarsie, Sunday, Aug. 19, 7:30 | Prizes awarded winner of Anti- | War Track and Field Meet. Workers Lab. | Theatre in “Great Marriage," ‘Three Witches,” “Hitler in Person.” Eats, drinks, best. Pun Galore., B.M.T, 14th St. Line to Ave. K, Canarsie. Adm, 25¢, CLARENCE HATHAWAY will speak on “Europe on the Eve of the Proletarian | Revolution,” Friday, Aug. 24 at 50 F. 13th | St. Auspices: Workers Bookshop. ‘The pur- chase of $1 worth of pamphlets entitles | you to free ticket, ‘Tickets are 250 in| advance, Philadelphia, Pa. ‘THE JOHN RERD CLUB presents Sergei Eisenstein's film “Golden Mountain.” Also Chaplin comedy, newsreel and cartoon, Saturday, Aug. 19 at 136 S. 8th St. Con- tinuous ‘showing 1 p.m, to 11 p.m. Sub- scription 28¢. RED PRESS Picnic of Daily Worker and Labor Defender, Sunday, Aug. 19 at Old Berkies Farm. Clarence Hathaway, -editor of Daily Worker, will speak. New Brunswick, N. J. BANQUET and Reception given by Tom Scott Br. LL.D. to weleome Tom Scott, Political Prisoner and South River Strike a tremendous step toward the dictatorship of the proletariat! Leader, Sunday, Aug. 19, 6:30 p.m. at Ladies Aid Hall, New Street. Tickets 26¢. | By GUSTAV (Vienna) 'HE fascist administration of the town of Vienna, in accordance with its program of shifting all bur- dens on to the working people, has undertaken a monstrous robbery of the tenants of the municipal hous- ing estates. From July 1, 70,000 working-class families, more than half of whom are unemployed, are to be forced to pay tremendouslyin- creased rents for their flats in the municipal dwellings. The new municipal administration set up by the Dollfuss government has done away with a number of taxes on luxuries, such as cham- pagne, racehorses, domestic servants, and reduced the house-building tax for the big houses and villas. On the other hand, it has placed new burdens on the mass of people, in- cluding a special charge for remoy- ing the house refuse and an increase in the water rate. Further burdens are imposed on the working people in connection with the two new government loans. In order to cover a deficit, very op- timistically estimated at 45 million shillings, in the year 1934, the Vienna municipality is issuing short-term bonds which are taken over by the banks. A second loan is being issued under the fraudulent title of the Rents Raised in Vienna Municipal Homes e | provision of work loan. Although the Vienna municipality has ceased building any further new houses, other public works, such as building of streets, etc., are necessary. These outgoings, however, al- though ruthlessly cut down, are being taken out of the ordinary budget and, following the example of the Federal government, included in an “extraordinary investment pro- gram for the improvement of the labor market.” For this purpose 22 million shillings have been borrowed from two savings banks on mort- gage of the municipal housing. estates. The interest on these loans and their repayment are now to be Squeezed out of the tenants of municipal flats, and therefore the rents are to be increased enormously. The increase in rent applies to all municipal dwellings and tenants without distinction. The smallest increases amount to 50 per cent and in most cases up to 100 per cent. No consideration is shown to tenants with large families or who are un- employed. The new rents have now been in- creased on an average far above the level of private dwellings. Thus, for example, a flat in the Karl Marx Hof consisting of two rooms and a ‘kitchen, which hitherto cost 19 shil- ’ lings a month, will cost 28 shillings, test and complaints. In order not while a similar privately owned flat! to lose influence over the working- in the neighborhood costs only 18/class readers they have been com- shillings a month. On a municipal |pelled to publish a number of these hold in store for the masses of movie goers? Why does the drive start | now after five years of silence on the part of the Church? What are the dangers of this crusade? These questions can best be answered by examination of the economic and political conditions in which both the movies and Church find them- Selves: 1—The unabated economic orisis that has plunged the whole movie industry into bankruptcy, receiver- ship and thus into the hands of the largest Wall St. banks. 2.—The unprecedented “coopera- tion” and guidance of the Federal government since Roosevelt came to office (his part in “Gabriel Over the White House,” the National Defense Week and N.R.A. ballyhoo shorts, N.R.A. conferences on policy, etc.). 3.—The development of two main tendencies in the Hollywood films: a) escape films—inoluding musical, mystery, animal, freak and sex films which serve to give the masses of movie goers a cheap and easy “way out” of their pressing everyday problems, 4.—The tremendous drop in movie attendance (over 60 per cent since 1929) due to the crisis and to the |fact that millions of disillusioned | movie-goers are rejecting the Holly- | ‘wood efforts. | 5.—The economic and political] factors operating in the field of movies have likewise been function- ing in the Church causing (for the} first time sirice the first World War) complete, daily “cooperation” be- tween the Church and the Federal government. This, for instance, is seen in the appearance of Church | leaders on every strike-breaking “Arbitration Commission.” 6—The emphasis of two main tendencies in lectures, sermons and program of the Church: a) Escape—propaganda directed at | covering the unbearable conditions of life under capitalism with prom- ise of a way out in heaven. b) Political sermon and lecture | propaganda in support of the N.R.A.| slave codes, against strikes, against struggles for relief, against open | struggles against fascism, | ‘.—The tremendous drop in church attendance (over 35 per cent since 1929). i Page Five Who Are the Forces Behind the ‘Legion Of Decency’ Drive! ? E SEE, then, that. both the Church and the movies, as in- stitutions of capitalist control, have been utilized for the creation of mass support for the policies of ~| American capitalism as expressed in the N.R.A. We see that this has been done in open cooperation with the Federal government. Furthere we see that both the Church and movie have been losing their lowing in great tidal wav It is clear, therefore, that the’ “war” be tween Church and movie is not a struggle for the control of each other; not a struggle to reorgranize the industry in any fundamental j Way. The “war” can’ be charactere ized only as a “skirmish,” as a quar rel over how best to use the movies to: 1) retrieve the following of both the movies and the Church; 2) to achieve “social stability”; 3) and to s and church more use both movi effectively in s and American ca “skirmish” thus centers around the questions “What kind of dope, what kind of ideas shall be fed to the restless workers, farmers and white-collar workers who make up | the bulk of the movie audience?” “What shall be done to insure the Production of these ideas?” In the Name of Decency S A part of the program of the Interfaith Chuch Crusade sev= eral lists of good and bad films have been publisheed. More clearly than any words or speeches by Church leaders, these “Black” and “White lists reveal the real purpose of the campaign for “decency.” Lists ise sued for instance by the Detroit Catholic Churches and by the Chi- cago Catholic Churches show a striking discrepancy over what is not |decent. Over 15 current films which are considered indecent by the De- troit fathers are considered decent by the Chicago fathers! Twelve other films considered sinful and worthy of boycott in Chicago are considered good for the family in Detroit! The Bishops of both Detroit and Chicago, however, like the Catho- lic Church Bishops the world over, are in full agreement over what is The exemplary films en- dorsed by both districts of the Cath- olic Church happen to be precisely the most reactionary, anti-labor, anti-Communist, anti-struggle, pro- war films of the current season! The Merry Frinks, This Mad Age, Whom the Gods Destroy, Cavalcade, No Greater Glory are the decent films heralded by the Churches and rec- ommended for mass attendance by the embattled workers, farmers and intellectuals, who in every day life are entering more and more into struggle against hunger, war and fascism. These are the films that are to be the future model for Hollywood! It 4s significant that Mr. Joseph I. Breen of the Hays Organization (the producers’ self-censoring out- fit) is in complete agreement with this kind of decency. Is this kind of. decency not the deceney pro- gram of the Catholie Church in every day life? Is it surprising that only several weeks ago the Catho- lic Film Committee in Austria, in full charge of Federal Film Censor- ship, endorsed “S. A. Mann-Brand.,” “Hitler's Youth,” and a batch of new Hitler-Goebbels cinema crea- tions?. The venomous Hitler films, like The Merry Finks and No Greater Glory fit into the bouregois standard of decency. The Austrian Fathers put the Hitler films on the “White” list because they “showed fresh and youthful optimism and sound moral optimism”! If hunger, war and fascism is the price of decency held by the Church and movies in their role as medi- ums of mass control for the ruling class, it is a price the international working class will not pay. It is significant that not only are work- ers in every capitalist country break- ing away from the movies, but that | integrally bound up with the inter- national movement against war and fascism, these very “decent” films have been boycotted and fought against in America, Austria, France and South America. (To Be Continued) Amusements TADIUM CONCERTS Lewisohn Stedium, Amst.Ave.&138 St. PHILHARMONIC-SYMPHONY Symphonic Programs Sunday through Thursday Nights, 8:30 Conducted by VAN HOOGSTRATEN Opera Performances with Star Casts Friday and Saturday Nights at 8:30 Conducted by SMALLENS '—Prices: 25¢-50c-$1.00(BRadhurst 2-2626) GREED ‘The fight against capitalism and First American Showing of Soviet Talkie!. HOUSE OP wo:00“cavmmax Goroviny By SALTYKOV-SCHEDRIN With V. GARDIN (OF “SHAME”) ENGLISH TITLES housing estate in the 10th district the rents of similar flats have been increased from 10 to 18 shillings a!trade unions month, while a better privately owned flat in the same district costs only 15 shillings a month. ces SEU 3 W bars tenants in the municipal dwellings and also the whole of the working population of Vienna are filled with indignation. The fight against the increased rents has become a big mass movement. The Communist Party has placed itself at the head of the fight. By means of leaflets and posters it has spread the slogan: not a penny more rent, and called upon the workers not to pay the new taxes and increased charges. Numerous meetings and conferences are being held in order to organize the defense action of the working-class tenants. In spite of the fascist terror, big public dem- onstrations organized by the Com- munists and attended by hundreds of workers are taking place. Deputations are continually being sent to the authorities. Dr. Winter's papers, “Das Kleine Blatt,” and the “Arbeiter-Sonntag,” are being inun- dated with a flood of letters of pro- letters, Even the meetings of the fascist and the patriotic tenants’ association are dominated by the fight against the increased rents. Smaller meetings of fascists are continually being converted into protest meetings. The municipal authorities, who are frightened by the strength of the let in which they try to make out defensive action, have issued a leaf- that the proposed increased rents, etc., are only a trifle. In order to split the united front of the tenants, Schmitz, the fascist mayor of Vienna, has ordered that poor ten- ants shall receive rent allowances from the Public Assistance Commit- tees. But this measure will not suf- fice to satisfy the workers as it will apply to a small number of tenants, whereas practically all working-class families are in a state of dire pov- erty and not able to pay the in- creased rents. The Communist Party calls upon all tenants to stand firm until they have achieved victory, and not al- low themselves to be split by dema- gogic maneuvers. The next few weeks will be decisive for the issue religion. ACME Thea., 14th St. and TONIGHT AT 8:30 Protest Against California Terror! Against the Persecution of Revolutionary Writers! Speakers: Heywood Broun Rernhard J. Stern Milton Howard © William Browder JOHN REED CLUB—430 SIXTH AVE., N. Y. Sail with Angelo Herndon and Mother Bloor’ on board the “Ambassador” sailing up Long Island Sound “ From Pier 1, The Battery, Tonight at 8:30 1 TONIGHT AT 8:30 Tickets 65 Cents in Advance 90 Cents-at the Pier Union Sq. — Always Cool On Sale: Workers Bookshop, 50 E..13th St.; New Masses, 31-E. 27th American League Against War & Fascism, 213 4th Ave.; World Touri: Flatiron Bidg. Auspices: Comm. for Support of Southern Textile Org, M.W1U., Amer, of this struggle, League Against War & Fascism. Chartered thru World Tourist, x seat EY SST