The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-08-05
Fairbanks Feeds the
Hungry and Gets the
Publicity He Wants
BY J. LOUIS ENoDAHL.


TODAY hundreds Of homeless who grab occasional
wink of sleep the grass in Grant Park Chicago's
downtown lake front, still wondering where the
meal is coming from.
Yesterday, Douglas Fairbanks, who gathers in money
by the CARLOAD movie" star gave meal and got
another burst of publicity in the daily press.
But today neither the yellow press the movie star
worrying about these hordes of hungry obess fact
the old party politicians claim they do not exist
Fairbanks discovered there was an unemployment prob
lem in the land when he sat down luncheon with Mary
Pcord window table of the aristoorac dining Of
the fashionable Blackstone hotel From the window Fair
banks could look "Bou Mich, European name
that has been given to Michigan Boulevard and the
hundreds of idle stretched the thin grass
joins the cnders from the passing Illinois Central Railroad
engines in covering the strip of land known Grant
Park
Numerous hotels like the Auditorium and Congress- in
addition to the Blackstone patronzed by the roh we'll
host of exclusive clubs front "Bou Mich" their
patrons, like Douglas Fairbanks cannot help but look out
and rest their naughty upon the outcast workers. 1t
is to them very shocking sight The police have been
busy all these years walking and down. hitting the soes
ing them away They have been trying Oberate this
shocking sight But in vain The homeless the hungry,
the obess, after hunting work thru the day THE Loop
around the big shops and factories Of the city, always
back for brief soace in Grant Park The police might
just well try push back the restless of Lake
Michigan tapping the shores just the other side Of the rail-
road tracks.
Up north, Oak Street, the police tried something
similar Bathers from the oomng house district and the
would the Gold Coast residence dis
trct of mlonares along the Lake Shore Drive and claim
the beach their 1t very shocking again. There
fights with the police who tried to drive them away
But the poetaran bathers And the Oak Street Beach
is now one Of the most frequented in the city.
But there Douglas Fairbanks at the open window
OF the Hotel Blackstones dining He not worried
by the sight of the iobess, It gave him aidea All Fair
banks ideas for his own enhancement. Here was
chance break into the yellow press with little
Fairbanks called his publicity agent and the Black
stones headwaiter. Then Fairbanks spoke:
Go there he said, land what those gentle
will have to eat. And give the bill"
And few hundred hungry, who were rounded up,
fed one meal at the expense of Douglas Fairbanks.
expenditure that he back many times the free adj
vertsng that he received
Fairbanks will not repeat that stunt again, very
The big will be that such stunt is only
once He'll have to try some other stunt the next time
But the iobIess army remains. In days of grow
ing industrial depression it daily growing bigger and big
ger The United States will not try to feed
caor gates mills the shops the factories
for WORK. to beat down the wage scale of those who
still have jobs.
The existence of huge obIess army serious
siy for the big employers fighting to maintain and extend
their open shop in the nations industries Douglas Fair
and dramatically in the public eye
But the time will when this growing army of
hungry and jobess will begin take their
dtion seriously They will be keep company
with the cnders in Grant Park, other park
will refuse accept crumbs thrown from miionares
table They will fight and conquer, they will destroy the
social system that the of
and build society that recognizes the right ALL
only to life, but to enjoy life.