davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-03

We in this country are still too
circumscribed by circumstance to pre-
sent an alternative as yet to bour-
geois art. Our efforts in this sphere
are necessarily confined to political
satire through the workers theatre
movement, to songs and verses and
cartoons. Isolated attempts of writ
ers, close to the proletariat, there
may be to anticipate the future, and
express the class Struggle in art, such
as Toller's plays and Martinet's
might" Some may try to interpret
the new Russia through the eyes of
an observer, like Ralph Fox in "Ghe
People of the Steppes," in which
there lives the spirit Of the East and
of Bolshevism as new leaven at
work slowly transforming Asiatic
Russia into something orderly and
new, or Maurice Hindus' Broken
Earth" which mirrors the working
of the new forces against the old in
the Russian village. But not all
which have Socialist theme are nee
essarily either literature or proletar-
ian; and much of what is thrown up
by our movement at present is bound
to lack form and quality, while some
Of it may be defeatist in spirit and
not revolutionary, or a mere copy of
bourgeois forms, with the hero re-
versed. For the renaissance which
will replace the decadence of bour-
geois art-its introvert preciosity
and tendency to mysticism. or its
sheer commercial philistinism as
seen in the cinema and the stage
we must wait till the bursting of the
shackles of bourgeois society has I'M
loosed here as in Russia new creative
spirit and new creative experience.
MAURICE DOBB
(Plebs. London)
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-03

ONCE art is an expression, an emo
y tional systematisation, of feeling
and experience, it was natural that
the Russian Revolution should have a
profound influence in this sphere
The emotions aroused by social
conflict as deep as that of 1917 are
generally richer and more profound
than the emotions of individual ex-
nerlence; and the pains and the hero
SIN, the uprooting of old relation
ships and affections of this period,
were bound to enrich artistic expert
anceo and the sudden revolutionary
break with the past to loose flood
tide of creative energy.
In the hectic days of hunger and
civil war there was little pause for
finished artistic creation. Emotional
energy was fully absorbed in the
rhythm of .machine-guns or of the
hammers in the railway shops; it had
no room for the rhythm of the SON.
net. The artist was employed to rush
put posters overnight, to splash illu-
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-03
B COOK r E VIE w S
FRUITS or CLASS COLLABORATION.

WRECKING THE LABOR BANKS. By VIM T. Foster
Trade Union Educational League Twenty-Five
cents. Distributed thru the Workers Library Pub
fishers, N. "
WHEN the Executive Council of the A. F. of L. warns
the labor unions and members that great care and
Judgment should be used in investing money in labor
banks and investment companies and President Green
makes danger signals something has obviously happened
to trade union capitalism These mis-leaders of labor
have not given up their class collaboration with the
bosses. 1t must be something else
What did happen the crash of the labor banks
and investment companies of the brotherhood of loco
motive engineers which exposed in all it's rotten
ness at their last convention This not only meant
loss OF about twenty million dollars of the money of
the workers in those trades but nearly wrecked one Of
the strongest unions in the country The corruption of
the leaders, the robbery of the treasury the rfng of
the insurance and pension money all the vile PRACTICES
of class collaboration became known to the American
labor ement.
The membership, even tho notoriousv conservative
alstocrats of Labor forced to rebel and spoke
out in plain language in convention They spoke SO
freely that not only the engineers leaders fright
oned but all the reactionary euenants capitalism in
The A. r. OF l.. became seriously worried This was
pombshe that exploded all the theories of class col
alteration and make the whole practice so obvious To
the membership 1t proved every word of the warning
made by the Left Wing in the unions and substanated
every charge of the Communists.
Foster has put the facts together in most readable
fashion just as they happened 1t record so start
ing as to be almost unbelievable It is hard to imagine
nat the workers could have been robbed so brazenv
Since 1920 banks and investment companies grew ia
tne enormous proportions of $150000O00 The control
OF all this wealth lay in the hands of reactionar nm
scrupulous officials How they stole these funds how
they saturated the membership with capitalist ideas how
ney maze policies that betrayed the workers Foster
tells US IN this book. To what extent all this had gone
can be seen from delegates expression at the conven
ton that GU stand here today confronted with stua-
no that DO not believe labor organization at any
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-03
WALT CARMON.
PERIODICALS.

THE "New Masses, in it's December ISSUE laws off the
dalectic and publishes instead two articles on the
mine situations in Colorado and Pennsylvania-which is
as Oswald Garrison Willard would say-a step in the
right direction.
Altho Kristen Svanum's Colorado on Strike" is
merely chronicle of the leading up to the Colo
RADIO wak-out that and colorfu bit of reporting by
Don Brown of Pennsylvania mine town furnish the
December issue with certain stamina which the two OF
three preceding issues of the magazine have lacked
The issue contains nothing startling but the mine
stories, an article by John Dos Passos the revou-
tlonary theater movement, article southern mill
town by Art Shields and story by Alice Passano Han
cock called Escape" are all worth reading H n.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-03

*Gorki's latest book "Decadence.
recently published in England by
Cassell (7-6), is interesting as a pic
ture of the rise and decline of the
Russian bourgeoisie over three gen.
erations.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-03
BOOKS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS LATER

Short History of Women. By John Langdon-
Davies Viking Press.
Venture A Novel BY Max Eastman Albert &
Charles Boni.
For Freedom A Biographical Story of the Ameri-
Negro By Arthur Huff Fauset. Franklin
Publishing Co.
The American Songbag By Carl Sandburg. Har-
court, Brace & Co.
Standing Room Only: Study of Population BY
Edward Alsworth Ross. Century Co.
Trader Horn. By Alfred Aoysius Horn & Ethel
rada Lewis. With foreword by John Gals
worthy--Smon and Schuster.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-03
COMMENT.

THE current issue (No 64) of the INPRECOR Inter-
national Press Correspondence is found most in
teresting wealth of detail the controversy in
the Communist Party Of the Soviet Union. 1t includes
articles by j. Stain reviewing the history of the OPPOSE
ton and the expulsion of Troskv and Znovev by the
Central Committee of the Russian Party
The Workers Library Publishers of New York have be-
come sole American agents of this important publication
which and feature service to revolutions
airy papers thruout the world.
"Minor Music volume of verse, by Henry Reich
Jr will be published next Thursday it is announced
Reich is frequent and popular contributor to The
DAILY WORKER and has written much notable poetry,
His poem the death of Sacco and Vanzett is in
Guided in the "Sacco-Varzeth Anthology" edited by
Ralph Cheney and Lucia Trent.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-03

WRECKING THE LABOR BANKS By VIM. Z. Foster
Trade Union Educational League. twenty-five
cents. Distributed thru the Workers Library Pub
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-03

time before this in all the history Of the world had
combat Another delegate ikened the situation to the
San Francisco earthquake The temper of the delegates
can easily be guessed from the fact that Assistant
Grand Chief Engineer Burlington who himself was all
involved in the financial disasters was forced to plead
Il hope to see the day when can forget about
investment companies holding companies, realty CON-
panies-and get back to the old Brotherhood a labor
organization"
Never was there such presentation of the dangers
OF class collaboration This will do than any other
ten books on the theory of it. The book reads easily
1t extremely interesting popular in style and damns
the whole business of the higher strategy of Labor as
1t has never been damned before If you want to dc
the trade union movement service-put this book r
the hands of the in your union. This is mental
dynamite This is book that will your brother
members on some heavy thinking
WALT CARMON
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-03

can know all that is worth
moving about anything by the
simple expedient of reading one
Or two books. We thought Will
Durant with his Justification
and vulgarization of the history
IF philosophy had reached the
owest depths attainable in the
3o-called literary and historical
ield. But Mr.. Van Loon in his
)ook "America" has crawled
ven beneath Durant.
From beginning to end the
york is a crude, smart-alecky
ndeavor to reduce history to
Jazz. In the confines of 463
ages, printed large and pro-
fusely illustrated, Van Loon
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-12-03
HISTORY ACCORDING TO VAN LOON.

AMERICA. By Hendrix Van Loon Bon & Liveright.
Price SIS.
THE author of the latest "hstory' is one of those
"popularizers" who have surfeited the market these
past few with what they imagine to be the know
1~e of the ages, smpified and condensed that
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-01-29

III, made tremendous impression
on Lenin. He was only II years old
at the time and was greatly attached
TO his brother, but he took the terri
bic blow calmly. clears are of no
avail" he said, 81 must ayenge him"
And from this time on he became
more serious and began to think pro-
foundly. At this time the whole coun-
try was seething with unrest; peas
ants were burning estates, Tsarist OPP
preston was at its fiercest. Lenin
also felt the oppression of the mar
row, religious, conservative atmos-
phere of the petty bourgeois provin-
cial town he lived in.
Meanwhile, there was already
stigma on the Ulianoy family in con-
nection with the eldest son. On leav-
ing the high school, Ilyitch was only
granted his gold medal with reluc-
lance. All the former friends of the
family deserted them. Life became
unbearable and the family left for
Kazan. All these factors and the ex-
ecution of his brother made Lenin
think about the necessity Of the re-
evolutionary struggle.
Refused admittance to the st.
Petersburg University, Lenin entered
the University of .Kazan. Here he
took leading part in a students riot,
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-01-29
Flashlights on Lenin, The Man

Tor French, German, Latin and
Greek.
BY the time Lenin was Is, he was
IN ardent chess player and book
worm. Tolstoy's "Anna Karanina"
was one of his favorite books at this
period His father having liberal
views, benin had fair amount of
freedom. Although there was a rea-
sonable amount of discipline, he could
develop his inclinations as he wished.
AS a youth, Lenin was extremely in
terested in everything surrounding
him and very impressionable. 1t is
not known exactly when he first be-
came infected with revolutionary
ideas. but he was undoubtedly greatly
influenced by his elder brother, Alex
ander Ulianov.
He loved to sit listening to the
various political exiles or revolution
aries who came to see his brother.
Once a visitor when speaking on
secret matters pointed to the young
Vladimir sitting nearby. "Don't wor-
ry," said his brother Alexander, she
is born conspirator."
The execution of his brother Alex
andef Ulianov, in connection with
plot to assassinate Tsar Alexander
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-01-29

tectives. He taught the comrades
how to inscribe various secret signs,
how to write with invisible" chem
ical inks, how to make codes, etc.
In Prison and Exile.
In 1895, LeniH went abroad to es-
tablish contact with Plekhanov. He
returned to Russia with illegal So
cial-Democratic literature. He was
shortly afterwards arrested and inn
prisoned for over a year. He soon
learnt the technique of getting things
out of prison, and maintained contact
with the outside world by correspond
ing in books, and passing out notes in
his soiled linen.
He even wrote whole pamphlets
which he got sent outside while still
in prison. These included son Strikes"
and Draft Programme of Russian
Social Democracy" This term Of i'm
prisonment was spent in writing his
first important work, "The Develop
ment of Capitalism in Russia"
In 1897, exiled for three years to
the little village Of Shushensk in ST.
IBERIA, he lived in a small clean room
in peasants house with whitewashed
walls. There were only two other
political exiles here-a Polish worker
and a Finn. Lenin soon began to
teach them MarsSism and explain
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-01-29

being the youngest out of thirty-two
participants. He was expelled for
this exploit. 1t was in Kazan that
Lenin first studied the works Of
Marx. After getting his degree in
law at st. Petersburg, as an external
graduate, Lenin settled in Samara.
At the age of % he worked as as
sistant juror in the Samara district
court. In this capacity he had to de-
fend many peasants tried on various
charges, such as stealing. He nearly
always pleaded for reduced sentences.
In one case, when a merchant was
charged with whipping his wife with
knout, the young juror, Lenin, was
asked to plead for a reduction Of SEN
tence. This Lenin refused. During
this period Lenin took part in Samara
Marxist circles.
When he came to st. Petersburg in
1898, this was ostensibly also to prac-
tice at the bar. He actually defended
few criminal cases, wearing his
fathers black frock coat. But he soon
established contact with workers cir
cles and started revolutionary activ-
ity. The police were Immediately on
his track. But even by this time he
was skilled at conspirative work
He not only knew how to dodge de-
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-11-13

| dated rural school south Of San An
tonic, with n total Of AS scholastics.
Ten teachers are employed, and the
school expects 10 secure full affilia-
ton with the University Of Texas
this year. Seven years ago the dist
rict had less than so scholastics and
a small one-room building was ample.
The Santa Rosa consolidated dist
rict Is completing a new $4,000 high
school, and the present building,
which was erected four years ago,
will be used for the grades. The
district has 3S7 schoiastics and 10
teachers are employed.
The Santa Maria district. which
completed a new building in 1924.
has 1858 ~scholastics and is contem-
plating the erection Of an addition
al structure next year. The school
has n faculty Of 2.
New School AZ Los Fresnos
The Los Fresnos district In Cam
eron county this year opened n $685.
600 high school building, and part
of the structure which formerly
served for n high school has been
converted into a teacherage. The
district has three grade schools and
employs Il faculty Of 2.
The Highland consolidated district.
south Of San Benito. completed a
$4,000 high school last year. and has
a well equipped school plant. The
district has $50 schoiastics and en-
ploys 3 teachers.
The Tabasco consolidated district
west Of Mission. serves a large ter
ritory and has 662 ~scholastics. The
large 20-room high school was com
plpted in 1925 and II very elaborate
~ equipped. The district maintains
eight small grade schools, and en-
pl0ys a faculty Of %. "A large teach
erage has been erected near the high
school. and several Of the grade
schools also have homes for teach
ers.
The Wilson tract consolidated
school. northwest Of Harlingen, COM
pleted a $4,000 addition 70 is main
school structure this year. In ad-
dition 20 the main school in the CEN
trail part az the Wilson tract the
district maintains q grade school ut
Combes. The report for 1927 shows
327 ~scholastics, az increase Of 102
over the 1925 report. The district
employs 10 teachers
Hidalgo consolidated district,
which includes the old town Of Hi
dalgo on the RE Grande south Of
McAllen. contemplates the erection
az M least one additional building
next year. The district has q ten
room high school and four grade
schools. and employs a faculty 81 IL.
Teacherares are supplied for three
Of the schools.
Olmit0 Building School
The Olmito consolidated district,
which was recently organized. has
started the erection Of a $4,000
structure in the town Of Olmito
which will be ready for the opening
OF school next year. A large teach
erage will also be provided, utilizing
the frame structure which now serves
for the school building. The district
this year employs four teachers.
Point Isabel has also been organ
lied rs nm independent district and
Continued on page twc.}
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-11-13

This group OF Valley school
buildings shows the thoroughly
modern type which has been
provided by practically all dis
tricts. CD Junior high at San
Benito. completed this year; (2j
Wilson Tract consolidated rural
school, which completed a $4,000
addition this year 90 Main audi
torium Of the Edinburg junior
college. part Of the large school
plant erected BY that district this
year. ca Junior high Mt Wes-
laco. CD Stephen f. Austin grade
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-11-13
VARIETY,
/ FARMER SAYS
Advocates General Di-
versification OF Veg
etable Acreage

The only limit to quantity and va
fiety Of Valley agricultural produce
tion depends upon the ability Of the
Valley grower 70 market profitably,
il the opinion Of +. G. Whittlesley,
Mission farmer, who grows u great
variety or vegetables
Mr.. Whittlesley came to the VAL
ley several years ago, and bought
ten acres just north on Mission.
Part Of the acreage was set 10 citrus
which il now bearing. and the en-
tire tract will be planted this year.
In addition 20 this acreage he
leases about 20 acres each year up
on which he grows cotton and cane
hay and some vegetables.
The seasons record Of two bales
Of cotton to the acre was made on
the Whittlesley farm this year, n
twO-acre patch" CT his land produc-
ing a total Of four bales.
III don't know how Ii was DONE
Mr.. WhittlesIey said. ~ maintained
the soil In coed condition, kept the
cotton free from pests, and, like
TOpsy, IL 'jes growed.'
I'VE started poisoning early and
often, using about fouE pounds of
| poison 90 the acre and going 0ver II
I &C least once each week. The bcol
weevil and leaf worms never got q
start. / believe every boil developed.
The ground was well irrigated bernre
the cotton was planted, and no fur
ther irrigation was necessary. We
kept the cuitivnt0rs going and main,
tanned a good mulch on the surface
with the result that the plants got
all the benefits Of the moisture In
the soil.
Raises Variety Of Vegetables
MIR. WhittlesIey has evolved "a sys.
tenn OF vegetable production which
never fails TO assure profitable re-
turns II raise everything from Tea.
nuts 40 cabbage" was the way hr
described his activities. As a rule
his acreage Of any one variety ID
not large. He considers three or four
acres or cabbage sufficient for any
one farmer. Beans, tomatoes, pars-
ley, cauliflower, lettuce, blnck-eyec
peas, IL plant, beets, cmrr0ts-ni.
more every known variety OF veg.
etable-has its place in his fields
and he has made N speciality Cf plant
ing hts crops nc a time when they
will mature for the top markeA
II am marketing commodities every
month or the year" MIR. Wittiesley
said During the summer months
generally find q good local mar
knt. sufficient Go mill che
vegetables we have 10 sell, and In
the mall and spring I ship 70 enc
Northern markets. but generally try
to Eet my vegetables ready for tht
top prices. I have found that q
little effort In this direction adds
materially 10 the farmers profits
in the Valley.
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-11-13

Of AZ. The district includes n large
rural area, and seven busses are en-
ployed to transport the children
from the country. Il owns five blocks
TN the city Of Donna providing am
pie room for extensions Of its school
plant.
New Junior High at Mission
The Mission district has opened a
new junior high school building
which was erected and equipped at
a cost Of SOS. 900. The district also
has a large senior high and two grade
schools. and employs 80 teachers.
A junior high building was COM
pleted by the Mercedes district last
year at a cost Of 100000 and is one
Of the finest and best equipped
school buildings in the state. The
plant Of the district consists Of a
high and three grade schools with a
large senior high the new junior
faculty OF 40.
The Pharr-San Juan consolidated
district. which comprises the Pharr.
San Juan and Alamo sections. IN one
OF the large districts OF Hidalgo
county, reporting 1859 ~seholastics
this year as compared with 1868 last
1EAAH HE WArhAAAA 80 MWW &MkAAE4
In q 100000 building program.
which includes additions to the high
school. and additional ward schools
IN each of the three towns in the
district. The district employs a IA
Guilty or a.. and In addition 10 the
high school which II located between
Fhnrr and San Juan. maintains grade
schools in each Of the three towns.
Harrington last year completed n
Sfh. 600 junior high school. and ~
now pyeRaring to inaugurate an ex-
tensif building program which will
ne completed In 1928. The growth
81 the city has been rapid. and the
enrolment this year is over $50 in
excess Of 1926. The plant Of the dis
trict includes n senior and junior
high and three grade schools, served
By \ faculty Of So.
The San Renito district. which has
aSIb schoiasties. completed an extern
save building program his year
whish includes a high school, erect
ga a. a cost ~ $iSO.n90. and a grade
school costing $4,000. APPROX
mately $4,000 was expended in re-
modelling the old high school which
Il now being used Nv n iunior hirh.
The plant 81 the district consists Of
the high school, junior high and
three grade schools, employing r. IA
Guilty az SO.
Consolidated Schools Build
Erection Of ncw school buildings
has not been confined to tke cities
and towns. Many OF the raral dist
ricts have erected large structures
ard In practically ait the new towns
on the Southern Pacific and Mis-
souri Pacific extensions temporary
structures have been erected 20 serve
the growing communities. and per-
manent structures are being started.
The growth Of the consolidated
rural districts the past year has been
almost phenomenal. and in practical
Is all districts where additional
buildings were not erected the paxt
vera, building programs win be nee
essary mex year.
I'll Jardin district east Of Browns
vile. last year completed an $4,000
building. and Is the largest console
Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-11-13

school, part Of the Edinburg sys-
tenn. (6l Highland consolidated
rural school near San Benito.
Cd Junior high school at Harlin-
gen completed last year. go To-
basco consolidated rural school
west Of Mission. (9) Junior high
school at In Feria. The high
school at Santa Rosa IL being
erected upon the same general
plan. G0) One Of the four
grade schools or the Edinburg
district. This school is located
at Hargill.