davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-31
THE DRAMA OF NEGRO LIFE


PLAYS OF NEGRO LIFE. Selected
and edited by Alain Locke and
Montgomery Gregory. Harper &
Bro. S..
MO field of American life is more
IN fertile with dramatic material than
Negro life, and yet until recently this
field has scarcely been touched.
Within the past two years, however,
there has arisen a wide interest IN
the Negro on Broadway, which has
been met for the most part by medic
ere plays. The two outstanding ex-
ceptions to this, In Abraham's
Bosom" and "Porgy," may be said to
have established the Negro play as
a regular part of New York's theatre
cal program every year, provided, Of
course, equally good plays are writ
ten in the future. There will be no
difficulty in obtaining competent Ne
gro actors. We have seen the pion-
eering work of Charles Gilpin and
Paul Robson followed by the stellar
performances of Frank Wilson, Rose
McClendon, Abbie Mitchell and others,
and no one who has seen ''Porgy" can
doubt the availability of scores Of
Negroes capable of filling ensemble
roles to perfection.
The publication at this time of
plays of Negro Life" should serve
as a useful measuring stick to the
dramatic output of the past and a
convenient guide-post to Negro play
writing in the future. Here is ap-
parent for the first time to a reading
and theatre-going audience alive to
the subject the debt we owe to
Ridgley Terrence for his mastery
pioneering in the field of Negro
drama over ten years ago. His
Granny Maumee" in this collection,
originally presented by the Stage So
ciety of New York and later by a
group of Negro players in the spring
of 1917, is model of realism and
poetic rendering and blending togeth-
err of the tragic threads of Negro
life in this so-called civilized" land.
The original production of this play
went by almost unnoticed by the New
York theatre audience except for a
truly prophetic comment by Carl Van
Vechten in the New York Press. SIT
is" he said, "as important an event
in our theatre as the first play by
Synge was to the Irish movement"
Another beautiful one-act play (and
all except O'Neill's Emperor Jones"
in this volume are one-acters) by this
author, ''The Rider of Dreams" and
an exquisite ballet of the Mardigras
in New Orleans, THE Dance Calinda,"
are also included in this collections
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-31


police, liberal judges" (more fraudu-
lent than the outspoken judicial muir
derers such as Governor Fuller and
Judge Thayer) could have been
shown.
More clearly than ever before,
American justice and government
could have been shown, through the
educating influence of a Labor Party,
in it's true role and real character:
as the most corrupt, venal and vindi-
cative capitalist government in the
world.
Labor Party Could Push Impeachment
of Thayer and Fuller.
A Labor Party could have pushed
impeachment proceedings against
Judge Thayer, Governor Fuller, the
heads of the Department of Justice
and others involved in this frame-up,
and in this way could have rendered
service to the masses of workers.
A Labor Party could have been ex-
pected to raise the general issue of
class war and political prisoners in
America, country which still passes
as one which stands for free speech,
free assenblage, etc.
The Labor Party and Other Class
War Prisoners.
Not only Sacco and Vanzetti, but
Mooney, Billings, the l. w. WIS in
San Quentin and Walla Walla, Nc
Namara and many others-why are
they rotting away in Jail and prison?
Release these victims of American
Wall Street government could have
been the cry of an awakened, class
labor party.
A Labor Party would OF course
have to recognize the fact, and act
accordingly, that if the protest move
lnent were to mean anything besides
words and phrases, its strength lies
not in its resolutions, letters. etc, but
in the mass strength and level of
class-consciousness of the trade
unions and political parties and bod
les in the Labor Party ready to fol-
low the lead of the Labor Party in
a campaign on behalf of political vic
tins.
If the Labor Party followed mill
tant and correct line, the cry of de-
monstrations, mass strikes, could
have been raised BY every local union,
every district council, and in the coun-
ellis of the A. F. of /. Executive.
A political movement of the work
ing masses, correlated and united
with the mass trade unions in all
struggles-wage demands, amnesty
drives, political demands Of broader
kind-could cause even the powerful
American plutocracy to think twice
before it executed workers who fought
for working class organization and
power.
But no one should have any illu-
sions about what even strong Labor
Party can do under the e0nditians-asad
limitations Of capitalist - 10 -
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-31

ganizational and political character
istics. Such Illusions would make for
rcformism.
The Sacco-Vanzetti case presented
US graphically with an American i'm
perialist class, a CLASS WITH
POWER, beating down brutally a
CLASS WITHOUT POWER, but in
dicating its potential power-a rising
class getting ready to overthrow CAPT
talism and establish it's own political
supremacy as class.
A Labor Party might have saved
Sacco and Vanzetti from the electric
chair at least. Certainly it could have
helped tremendously in vast organ
led protest and given American CAPT
talism a taste of working class
strength when released for mo-
ment from capitalist theological fet-
tiers.
But the American ruling class, i'm
perialistic America, which burned
Saceo and Vanzetti to death, is also
the ruthless Imperialism which has
caused the loss of hundreds If lives
of Nicaraguan workers and peasants,
trying to establish a Nicaraguan ma
ton independent of Wall Street dom
nation.
1t is the same American imperial
ism which is responsible for the death
of thousands OF Chinese workers
fighting for the independence and lib
Grafton of China from foreign and
native exploitation. 1t is that same
brutal, vulgar capitalism which al
lows, condones and gloats over the
lynching Of Negro workers in the
fair south" when these colored work
ers assert their human and social
rights.
Labor Party Can Make Start on the
Right Track.
A Labor Party of the American
toilers and farmers, nevertheless, can
struggle against all these capitalist
evils: can start the American working
class on the road toward independent
political action as a class against capl-
talism.
In these struggles, the American
working class will learn the necessity
of having as its main objective the
overthrow of American imperialism
and the establishment on its ruins OF
workers and farmers government
Such struggle and objective re-
ouires in the last analysis the lead
ership of revolutionary party OF the
workers, Communist Party.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-31
B 90 K S

day equal o'Neill's Emperor Jones"
in power.
In comparing the plays by Negroes
in plays of Negro Life" with those
by Terrence, Green and O'Neill, per-
haps we are doing an initial injustice
to the Negro aspirants. After all
most of the plays by white author
on Broadway every year could not
hold a candle to the plays by these
three writers included in the present
volume.
The best of the plays by Negroes
in this volume is "Cruiter," by John
Matthews, a teacher of romance LAM
guages at West Virginia Collegiate
Institute, who received his academic
training at Western Reserve in Cleve-
land and Columbia University. The
play deals with the recruiting of Ne
gro labor in the South by the agents
OF northern capitalists in 1918. Also
worthy of mention are THE Broken
Banjo" and 'The Flight of the Ma
tives," by Willis Richardson, of Wash
ington, who is the most prolific o.
all the Negro playwrights to date
Sugar Cane" by Frank Wilson, who
is now learning more about the thea
tire through his contact with the Thea
tire Guild, and "Sahdji an African
Ballet" by Richard Bruce, one of the
most talented of the younger group Of
Negro writers, who is also acting in
"Porgy."
The book is beautifully illustrated
by Aaron Douglas, whose ilIustra-
tions in Gods TrombOnes," by James
Weldon Johnson, have been adiudged
among the so best book illustrations
of the past year.
ROLAND A. GIBSON.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-31
The New Plays

rPERPHEitlE drama by Frantk LANCER be the fourb
production OF Max Renhard opening Monday night at the Cos
mopoitan Theatre The is by Alexander Mso;
Dagny Servaes Hermann Timing Hartmann Hans Tb;
and Arnold Korff. " "s
RED DUST new play by William COLLISION at Dalys Gard e.
Theatre Monday night, with Sidney Shields Curtis Coosev
shirley Warde and Leonard Mundie in the 800
SHE MY BABY musical comedy the Globe Tuesd.v rh.
Guy Bolton, Bert Kalmer Harry Ruby wrote ~ h
hard Rodgers and Lorenz and lyrics Ra
Lille is - 1850 Dea'ice
HALEl Shakespares tragedy, will revived for four nor
iormances by Walter Hampden beginning Wednesday .fon
at Hampdens Theatre ''oon
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-31


tain party gives the trade union lead
er an important job in connection
with the campaign and places certain
funds at his disposal, which he uses
for his own purpose. In this way he
obtains :. high prestige connected with
his job. Il turns out, therefore, that
the leaders of the trade union sup
port one or the other of the bour-
geols Parties. Naturally, when there
IS any talk of forming a third party,
a LABOR party, these labor leaders re-
fuse to do anything in the matter.
1heys argue that if a third party were
formed there would be split in the
trade union movement.
DOUGLAS: The fact that only
skilled workers are organized in trade
unions is due principally to the fact
tina in order to be able to join a
UNION a man must have money and be
wei off, because the entrance fees
arg high and the unskilled worker
cahnot afford to pay. Moreover, the
un!skillnd worker is under con-
slant danger of being thrown out of
work if he attempts to organize. The
uniskilled workers can be organized
on&y with the active aid of the skilled
workers.
In the majority of cases this aid is
not; forthcoming and this is one of
the principal obstacles to the organi-
zatfpn of the unskilled workers. The
principal means by which the work
ers can defend their rights are po-
litlcal means. This in my opinion lis
the Principal reason why the unskilI
ed Workers are unorgan.ized. I con
sider fhe economic condition the prin
clpal Factor in the uLnorganized stat
Oh tne unskilled workers in the DO
lltlcai end indus trial fields I mus
point TO "a speci al feature of the Amer
lean electoral system. The direc
primary election, in which anv ma,
may get fte the election booth. d.
clare himlseH democrat or "a
publican and cast his vote. I am con
Vlnced fthat Gompers could not keer
the Workers on a nop-partisan politi
cal program if hes did not have the
argument of the direct primary. III
Always told the workers that if they
Wished to act politically, they could
tjoin either of the existing two no.
litical parties, get the responsible no
sitions in them and command infln-
ence. With this argument Gomnars
managed to keep the workers awav
from the idea of organizing the work.
ing class and of forming a Labor
Party.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-31
CORONER SITS ON FossILs.

LONDON, Dec. 30.-Although Il
remains Of two skeletons found in
coffin hewn of solid granite, acco,
panied by horn-drinking yes
probably belonged to two anci
Britons. and are calculated to
about 1000 years old, the British
requires that an inquest be made
as though the deaths occurred yes
day. The bones were unearthed
Rainham, Essex, yesterday.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-31
SAYS sAURIANs HAD T. r

NASHVILLE, Tenn, Dec. 30l =
Even the huge, husky dinosaur was
plagued with the toothache, tubercu-
losis, rheumatism and other annoying
diseases 100000 years ago, de-
clared Arthur Sterry Coggeshall, cur
ator Of the Carnegie Museum, but
alas, these prehistoric creatures were
very dumb.
Coggeshall explained to an assem-
blage Of scientists here that paleontol-
ogists have unearthed diseased bones
and enlarged joints which prove his
point.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-31
BOOKS RECEIVED

Industry's Coming of Age. Bv X.
ford Guy Tugwell. Harcour,
Brace & Co.
A President Born. BY Ernest Poole
Macmillan.
Juggler's Kiss. By Manuel Komroff
Boni & Liveright.
Trees AT Night: Drawings. By Az
Young. Boni & Liveright.
The Belt. A Play. BY Paul Siftor
Macaulay Co. "a
Earth: A Play. By En- 10 BASH
Maeaulay Co.
George Washington: Rebel n +
triot. Vol. 2. By Rupert Hugh
William Morrow & Co.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-31
ROLAND A. GIBSON.
RY ALL odds one of the most ia
uous journalistic performances

BY ALL odds one of the most ia
~ uous journalistic performances
the present year is "The Nations
Honor Roll for 1927" contained in the
current issue. With the annual poetry
contests abolished by recent viii
lardian edict, the magazine has now
achieved another bit of buffoonery.
Col Charles A. Lindbergh, at pres.
ont touring the vassal countries of
the American Empire in an effort tt
distract them from the presence O
U. S. marines, bombing planes ar
machine guns, heads the Nation list.
Dwight W.. Morrow, partner in the
Morgan firm, is saluted for 'geaving
one of the thrones of the banking
world for minor seat in diplomacy"
And VIII Rogers, the clown of Amer
lean business is described as Nor
rows assistant ambassador
Under the head of Literature"
Mark Sullivan oos.si--,,- -,-.--e ,o--ss
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-31
PHOTOS OF COMET.

NEW HAVEN, Conn.,, Dec. 80. -
Rare votographs and a detailed re-
port of the Skjellerup comet was pres
scented before the American Astrono4
mical Society yesterday.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-31
Party Leader
Points Need of
(. Organization

NOTE: After the interview of
the American delegation, with
Stain, he in turn asks this ques.
ton which is of special interest
to American workers. 1t is one of
the questions in the newly published
Questions and Answers to Amer
lean Trade Unionists," issued by
the Workers Library Publishers,
"
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-31
By MARTIN ABERN.

Article ". in the Labor Party Series
Probably in no other field could a
mass American Labor Party, rooted
in the trade unions, exert a greater
influence than in campaign on be-
half of the class war and political
prisoners wearing away their lives
in San Quentin, Folsom, Leavenworth
and other dungeons of American CAPT
talists.
Particularly could this have applied
in the case of Sacco and Vanzetti,
whose lives were snuffed out by a
combination of Massachusetts, and
United States judicial and govern
mental Bourbons, under orders from
the financial and economic rulers Of
this country.
European Labor Parties Defend and
Aid Political Prisoners.
In all other countries, the labor
and revolutionary parties, as in Eng
land, and the working class parties
in general, have through their pres
sure on capitalist governments often
compelled the capitalists to release
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-31
Babes Escape Death While Parents Work

The children of workers have no
nursemaids while their parents are
shaving in the shop or factory. Pic
ture shows James l.. White, 226 Nc
Dougal ST., Brooklyn, with his two
youngsters, Robert 3, and Arthur, 10
months, after they were revived from
the effects of gas asphyxiation when
they were left alone at home.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-31
Education By Mail in U. S. S. R.

MOSCOW, Dec. IS. by MALL
Education by correspondence is be-
ing rapidly developed in the Soviet
Union. At present more than eighty
thousand people are being educated
in this manner.
Railway workers have instituted a
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-31
STEAMER GREW pEscITEn

SAN FRANCISCO, Calf, Dec. &c.
The crew of the Doris Crane was
rescued by steamer pas by when
the Doris Crane wer NJ flamas
far out n ne So.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-31

- $3.50 ~~-As .
for dull Washingto,
book "Our Tines
reveals the social
sight of a police
The GROWING
sion of the name
creating Model
advertising exper
vertising can be-
The names of
Bartolomeo Vanzett
bottom of the "Ho
Senator Norris, Mo-
blacl1face comedians, and {
Reed have received their
SENDER GA
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-31

Eugene O'Neill is represented by
The Dreamy Kid" in addition to
The Emperor" This play was first
produced in New York in 1919 by the
Provincetown Players, who deserve
great credit for their work in the field
of Negro drama at time when the
established theatres were either
afraid to touch it or lacking in mag
nation to vision its future. It was
this theatre that later made dramatic
history with its production of "The
Emperor JONES'" with Gilpin and later
Robson in the title roles. The repu
tations of both O'Neill and Robson
were made thereby and the attention
of the theatrical world was definitely
drawn to the possibilities of Negro
drama.
The work of Paul Green, of the
Carolina Playmakers of the Univer-
sity of North Carolina, deserves spe-
cial mention and is represented in
this book by two plays besides the
original one-act version of In Abra-
hams Bosom" Green was the first
Southern white man living in the
South to turn to Negro life for gen.
uine dramatic material, and the uni
versity group where he studied is one
Of the cases in that artistic and social
desert.
Turning to the Negro writers in the
book, we find nothing to match the
ability of the three white masters, but
the reason for this should not be diff
ficult to assign. Negro life to the
Negro has until recently been too
much of struggle for him to obtain
the objective viewpoint toward it nee
essary for the perception of its dra-
matte possibilities and the clear ar
tistic expression of them. And yet
Negroes have been writing present
able poetry for decades ard few novels
and stories of Negro life have sur
passed those written by Charles w. !
Chestnut thirty years ago. The i'm !
portant difference between these /
realms of expression as they have /
been open to the Negro, however, is
the fact that Negroes even in slave
days could obtain access to their mas
ters' volumes of poetry and fiction
and could learn how to write from
them, but in few places outside of
New York could they see plays. In
d. c., for instance,
where the Howard University Players
vas one of the colored groups to do
,arly work in drama, Negro cannot ;
gain admission to theatre without
10 much fuss and sacrifice of self
aspect that all enjoyment of the play
md artistic profit from it are lost.
And then, where else but in New York
S there a real theatre in America.
With the migration of thousands Of S
Negroes to Harlem since the war, I
owever, the publicity given to the
Niger Heaven" now existing here
or young writer's, AMI the coming
alto its own of Negro drama on :
Broadway, we may soon look for the r
reduction of fine plays by Negro t
'riterss and one of them may seme f
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-31

correspondence course.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-24
M|TTENS REVOKE
OFFER TO UNION
Management Firm With.
draws Proposal to Direct
Banks of Engineers.

BY the Associated Press.
PHILADELPHIA June 24.-Mitten
Management, Inc, of Philadelphia to-
day withdrew from the proposition to
assist in the direction Of the banks of
the Brotherhood Of Locomotive En-
gineers.
The proposition had been before the
national convention of the Brother:
hood of Locomotive Engineers for
more than a week. 1t provided for
Mitten Management, Inc, Of which
Thomas f. Mitten is the head, to di-
rect brotherhood banks in various
parts of the country.
A bank in Philadelphia controlled
by the Mitten interests and one own
ed by the brotherhood here were re.
Gently merged under Mitten Manage
ment.
The following telegram was sent to-
day to William b. Premier. president
of the brotherhood, by DIR. A. A. Nit
ten, vice president of Mitten Manage
ment. and a son of Thomas K. Mitten:
1.-The apparent impossibiity of there
| being a sufficiently unanimous accord
of the convention in approval. prompts
us to now request that the proposition
| by which our organization agreed tc
assist in the development Of your
banks and, at the request Of your
advisory board. Mitten personally act
as trustee in the working out OF
| Venice and your other slow assets
over an extended period, be now
withdrawn from further considera
| ton by your convention"
Venice, mentioned in the telegram
| ia a real estate development in Florida
| p+x rf,t1
trolled by the brotherhood is inter
| asted.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-24
HOOVER RETURNS
TO FLOOD DISTRICT
Will Attend "Graduation Ex-
erciSeS" of "ReIief Uni
versity" for Counties.

Secretary Hoover was en- route back
to the Mississippi Valley today to at
tend graduation exercises" arranged
by some of the counties in his unique
flood university"
Counties in this university" are
eligible to receive their diplomas
when they have progressed through
the various tedious stages of flood
relief to the Threshold of self-sup-
port. Then they are permitted to
forego charity and venture forth once
more on the road to self maintenance.
Has Optimistic View.
Mr.. Hoover left Washington last
evening with optimistic visions Of a
successful commencement" He ex-
poets a number of counties in Mis-
souri,, Arkansas and Mississippi and
perhaps one or two parishes in
Louisiana to qualify for graduation.
Each graduate means a corresponding
decrease in the number of families
cared for by the Red Cross and a gen
eral strengthening of morale through
out the flood region. he points out.
Only two counties have graduated
so far-Lef1ore and West Boliver
Counties in Mississippi They were
stricken from the Red Cross list just
prior to Mr.. Hoover's return to Wash
ington from his inspection tour a week
ago. Since that time examination
papers have been distributed through
out the valley and these question
naires fully answered, will he present
ed to the Secretary upon his return
to the valley next week.
Will Stop In st. Louis.
Readiness of the counties to fare
for themselves will he Judged from the
replies they make to the long list of
questions regarding the flood situation
in their respective localities. II water
still fingers on farms and in homes to
such an extent as to warrant con.
tinued support by the Red Cross. the
counties will have to remain on the
relief budget.
Accompanying Mr.. Hoover are Vice
Chairman Fieser of the Red Cross,
Capt. l.. A. Pick OF the Army Engi-
neers and George Akerson, Mr.. Hoo
ver's assistant. They are travelling
in a private car provided for their use
by President Baldwin OF the Missouri
Pacific Railway. The first stop will be
st. Louis, where a brief conference
will be held with Missouri relief off.
cials. Other conferences will be held
in Little Rock, New Orleans and Jack
son, Miss. 1t is expected the party
will return here by the end OF next
week.