New-York tribune., 1919-05-05
Brownsville, Which Boasts
of New Tenements, Low
Prices and Clean Streets,
STEPPED With Radicalism
Children Aid Loan Drive
Bond Posters Conspicuous,
but Section Is Flooded
With Socialist Papers


Just east of New York, down in the
brownsville section of Brooklyn, the
Aower of Bolshcvism ard radicalism is
blooming Greater New York harbors
within her bosom the seeds of all that
is Red" and revolutionary in this
Little Russia" part of the metropolis.
And this, too, where there seems to be
plenty of everything and where prices
are so low as to tempt the visitor to
make his purchases there.
Liberty bond posters are conspicuous
everywhere, and children are out with
subscription blanks for the Victory
loan. There is a. conspicuous newness
about the tenements and other dwell
ings, and the large, handsome school
buildings and smooth-paved streets and
sidewalks suggest anything but Boil
shevism.
Inhabitants Aliens
The inhabitants of Brownsville are
Russians and Austrians-mostly of the
former-and there are sprinklings of
other races. 1t is reading public
1.-The New York Call" "The Rebel
Worker" "The Revolutionary Age"
"The Liberator" and "The New York
Evening Journal" taking first rank
among the English-language papers
and periodicals sold or distributed
there. Besides these there are about
half a dozen foreign-language news
rapers. Most Of them are printed in
New York City proper. The parts of
this Little Russia" most radical and
claiming the greatest number of fol-
lowers of the doctrine of the Red Flag
ire the dirtiest and most unsanitary-
and this, too, with the dwelling places
conspicuously new. the streets and
sidewalks we'll paved and lighted, and
where there is no dearth of sunshine.
Boishevism Rampant
Casual observation or these things
shows no such extremisu as the Boil
s,hevists are credited with. One can
hardly believe that May Day demon
stration in which children and others
took part with red sashes and revolu-
tionary banners was ever really held.
The whole appearance suggests rather
q busy little corner of Gotham, where
everybody attends to his own business
and has plenty to eat and wear and
abundant time for recreation.
But at 229 Sackman Street is place
called the Brownsville Labor Lyceum,
a large, neat brick building which
houses dozen or more workers
unions and headquarters office of the
Socialist party, council chamber, as
sembly hall and q billiard room and
bowling alley. The Socialists gather
at this forum, sometimes for entertain
ment, musical and dramatic, and fire.
ouently for political discussion.
AS barber across the railway tracks
told reporter for The Tribune, "If
YOU go down there and they find you
are not Bolshevist, they'll lynch you" ,"
the Lyceum is chiefly for the purpose of
advancing the cause of the foreign
workingman as opposed to society and
organized American labor in the alb
stract.
A poster on the bulletin board az the
entrance to the Lyceum reads: "Strike
or Amnesty? Debs, twenty years;
others in Prison! They gave their Lib
erty to make us free. Let us give our
Lives TO restore their Liberty"
The reporter asked a newsdealer, an
elderly Russian, from whom he OBJ
tanned the copies of "The Rebel
Worker"
"Why, what's the trouble ?" he said
quickly, looking up over the rims OF his
glasses.
The reporter told him nothing was
the trouble, but that he was merely in
terested in knowing where such things
were distributed from. The newsdealer
then volunteered the information that
he got all of his papers from "Wein-
berg" Asked where was the office Of
Mr.. Weinberg, he was told Somewhere
between Pitkin and Belmont avenues"
Denies Handling Paper
The reporter struck out for the Office
of Mr.. Weinberg, and found it at 1876
Snedeker Avenue. Mr.. Weinberg was
out in front, working on his fve-pas-
senger automobile. The reporter
walked into the little narrow brick
building (also conspicuously new used
as news depot, and told an employe
he wanted to buy late copy of The
Rebel Worker" The employe said he
had never heard of the publication, re-
5erring the reporter to "Struggling Rus
sIa," which the Office acted as agent for
Struggling Russia" however opposes
the idea of Bolshevism and seeks only
to defend the Russian masses gen
orally. Alter selling the reporter a
copy Of this periodical the employe
took him to Mr. Weinberg in regard to
he Rebel Worker" Mr.. Weinberg
said he never had handled this paper.
''The Rebel Worker" sub-titled the
Organ Of Revolutionary Unionism
and containing bitter invectives against
Gompers, the American Federation Of
Labor. the convicters Of Debs, Mooney
/ Mrs. O'Hare and others, is published at
~ East Fourth Street, New York City
and, according to its own figures, is in
It's second year. A late copy carries a
headline across the top Of the frs,
page which reads as follows: "I. W. w
organizing to Control the Worlds In
fustry," and another smaller head
ssatlng that this "Organization Cannot
Bs Suppressed"
"Subjection" AssaiIed
"A paragraph from an article on
The international Proletariat" reads.
7is It not shame for you workers
OF America 70 tolerate such treatment
ana such subjection at the hands Of
Ju3ticc Just al Ii time whom 4bo