The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-10-06
GREAT RUSSIAN
POET INSPIRES
LOCAL CROWDS
MGyakOUsky Tells of
Soviet Culture
BY NJ. A. skRoMNY.


One Of the most enthusiastic meet
lngs ever held In the Russian colony
Of Chicago, took place Friday night,
Oct. 2, when a crowd Of about 1900
people damned the Temple Hall to
listen to the famous Russian poet,
Vladimir Mayakovsky. Before the
meeting was over the crowd unani-
mousIy voted TO invite comrade May
akovsky again to Chicago before he
leaves this country.
The meeting was opened with the
International by the Freiheit Singing
Society, and after a short introduc.
ton by the chairman, Comrade Stolar,
Vladimir Mayakovsky began to talk.
From the start until the end he held
the crowd spellbound. At times they
we're cheering and at times they were
laughing until tears streamed from
their eyes.
Plays Win 10000 Actors.
He described the new theater,
where Comrade Meyerchold, the
great impressario, perhaps the great
est in the world, is staging shows in
which 10000 people are participating
as actors. :.
He described play about the gas
workers which was staged at the gas
works instead of an artificial stage
with painted machinery. He told
about many other things that are
taking place in the Union of Socialist
Soviet Republics, that would look
grotesque and fantastic to the "sane
and respectable" playwrights, poets
and actors.
Comparing Culture.
Comparing the interest that is
shown by the wide masses to litera-
ture and poetry in the "barbarous"
land Of the Bolsheviks with that of
the civilized" countries, he cited the
fact that the powerful Chicago poet,
Carl Sandburg, was able to draw a
crowd in New York Of only about 300
or 400 people, while the Russian
poets usually speak to crowds Of thou
sands. AS a matter Of fact. there were
about 1900 people in the hall while
he was talking.
He said that when he tried to find
out how big the output Of poetry was
in this country, he was informed by a
publisher that the so-called "intellec-
tuals," the dentists, physicians, law
yers, ETC., are sometimes buying books
of poetry, not to read. buts1to keep it
as furniture, to show "a good taste"
This, while the Russian poet Dem
jan Bedny has had over $500, 900
copies of his works printed since 1917,
while the speaker (Mayakoysky) has
over 100000 copies of his books pub
lished since 1917, the books of the
poets Of the civilized" countries are
printed only by the thousands and
even by the hundreds.
Writes Poems on America.
After short intermission, between
the sips of Russian tea, he answered
questions, and read some Of his own
poems, not published yet. The audi
ence almost raised the roof by wildly
cheering his American poems, The
Discovery of America, The Woolworth
Building and the Girl, and Havana
Willie. Five hundred copies Of his
poems that were on hand, were sold
out.
To Speak Here Again.
The next lecture by Comrade May
akovsky in Chicago, will be held Tues
day, Oct. 20, at Schoenhoffen Hall
corner Ashland and Milwaukee AYES,
1t will be his last lecture in the Unit
ed States as he has to return home.
The request to speak here again post
poned his home going, as he was to
leave this country in about a week
Comrade Mayakovsky promised an
article for the DAILY WORKER on
Russian literature, art and poetry.