Evening star., 1926-04-27
WR|TERS|N RUSSIA
SUFFER HANDICAP
Publishing Houses Find 1t
More Profitable to Pirate
1.
Foreign Books.
By JUNICS b. WOOD.


Daily News
MOSCOW, L. S. S. r., March 10.
Foreign writer's on serious subjects
or novelists whose plots harmoniZe
with the Communist program fur
irish most of the new literature of
Soviet Russia. Their works are pop
'ilar with the reading public, but
more than that. they are popular
with the government, which controls
the printing office.
American writers can appreciate
their Russian popularity as long as
royalties in the United States per
nit them to live in comfort. They
may not need pay from Russia for
their ideas. However. Russian writ
ers are barely existing, chiefly be-
cause 1t is more profitable for pub
fishing houses here to use foreign
novels than to pay for Russian pro-
auctions.
A government publishing house
buys single copy of an American
novel. pays a translator S1o0 or so
10 turn out a Russian copy OF it
and runs off as many editions as the
public will buy.
Lack No Encouragement.
The Russian author, on the other
Hond. may make two-year or five-
Year contract with a publishing
house, which assures him ROYALTY.
fGe contract can be renewed IN
deliaitely. Recently a decree was
promulgated making the rights OF
BFitnorS heritable. Consequently Rus
SIAN authors are an expense TO the
government and are not encouraged.
IL. i, ExrNf fI.Dl
Council of Writers it was announced
that of the 800 books published in
Russia in 1924 97o We're translations
rf foreign books. and Of the l.60"
published to October !. 1928, l,0i0
were translations.
Russia makes a big demand 70"
books on science, art, mechanics,
travel and adventure as well as flc-
ton. Among the latter Upton Sim
clair's writings are the most popular.
Jack London is next. All his works
have been translated.
Other Americans whose books have
been printed in Russia are: Q. Henry,
complete works: Sinclair Lewis.
"Babbitt." Main Street; Henry
Justin Smith. 'Deadlines" Wood
ward. Bunk" "Lottery"; Sherwood
Anderson, Horses and Men, Tales
ot Winsberg"; Mark Twain. Prince
s,rd Pauper." tom Sawyer: Long
fellow, "Hiawath'; Edgar Allan
Poe, complete works; Walt Whit
man. Leaves of Grass.
No Literature of BOlshevism.
The new arrival in Russia might
believe from a cursory glance at the
many book stores with striking win
dow displays of paper backed vol
nmes that the reading public was
large. that there was a great de-
mand for books and that the develop
1nent of a new school of authors in
sympathy with the age was being
encouraged. Illiteracy has greatly
decreased and the thirst for some
thing to read has increased, but n
literature that will perpetuate the
soul of the new Russia movement
has not blossomed. The reason is
obvious.
1.-THE bad material condition of
writers compels them to work i'll
Offices or other establishments in
stead of devoting their time to writ
ing said Comrade lnkulov at
meeting of the writer's union. "An
author must pay the same taxes and
lodging rates as are fixed for the
free professions. Frequently these
charges are 43 per cent of an
authors earnings. The income of
the average author is $50 a month. OF
which $3.50 is available for living
necessities
The government publishing houses
contend that better pay for authors
would increase the price of books.
Even the magazine field is growing
smaller. This year only 50 survive
out of "a that existed last year.
Their aggregate circulation has in
creased. however. SO that those that
remain are on a more stable basis.
Newspapers have increased in num-
ber and circulation.
Political Limitations Imposed.
The imagination and style of the
Russian writer today are cramped
by the requirement that all literature
be Of a prescribed political type.
Drama. opera, movies. novels and
even statuary and paintings, have
been produced on this schedule. but
they lack spontaneity. One class of
society must furnish all the heroes
mentally and physically allpowerful
creatures with all the Soviet virtues,
while other classes of society typify
everything that is base. Academic
political or economic theories. not
human emotions. must be the motif
Of the story. 1t does not meet a
universal demand now and will be
less popular after the fight is over.
Thus financial and artistic limita
Tions have put a damper on liter
ary production in presentday Rus
sia. The only exceptions are the
political treatises that can represent
only small corner of a, school. Into
them enthusiastic writer's have put
their best thought. and those by
Lenin, Bukharin, Trotsky and 6,
few others are worth while and will
survive.
Copyright 1925. by Chicago Daily News Coz