The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-02

cultural groups that function in their own
language; we have a situation where the cul-
tural organizations of each nationality work in
almost complete isolation from all other ma
tionalties and from the great body of American
workers When I say most workers" I refer
rather to the class conscious workers; the over
whelming majority of the working masses Of the
United States have no contact whatsoever with
out cultural groups and are left prey to the
Y. M. and Y. w. G. AS various social educa-
tional and sports clubs, all the poisonous agen-
cies of bourgeois culture such the press, the
schools, the movies, ETC. Bourgeois culture is
an immense corrupting influence, penetrating
iQAp every nook and corner of the workers
liveA combating our political propaganda at
every turn.
Moreover, most of the proletarian cultural
organizations which do exist tend to function
in a formal sectarian way, catering to an adj
vanced few comparatively cut off from the
rnanstream Of working class struggles. AS
result we often find tendencies toward an art
for arts sake" movement-With a proletarian
flavor, Of course.
Turn to the basic organizations of the work
ingclaSs, the trade unions-the revolutionary
trade unions-and you find an almost total abb
Sence of cultural activity.
What's to be done? Obviously, coordinate the
together the numerous cultural organizations in
a federation, broaden and intensity all proleta-
RAN cultural work. bring it into the shops and
factories, into the deSolate industrial towns and
farming communities into the trade unions.
Such an idea has often been preached, but
left hanging in the aair though majority OF
those comrades working in the cultural field
strongly favor it. There are, of course, few,
still living in the past who can't see beyond
their own noses and prefer to stick IN their
safe familiar ruts. They will have to be per-
suaded that there is world (and what
worldD beyond their noses, and they'll have to
breathe into their lungs some OF the air OF
this world or die of suffocation.
The first concrete step was taken by the world
conference of revolutionary writer's and artists
that was held at Charkov, U.S.S.R last Novem-
Der. This conference assigned to the organiza-
ton of the American revolutionary writers and
artists, the John Reed Club, as one OF its CHIEF
tasks the initiating of a cultural federation lts
taken lis several months to get started, but now
we're on our way.
First the job is to organize the federation
in the New York district, the chief center Oh
proletaran cultural activity in the United STATES
After that the national federation. FOR thiS
purpose conference has been called LOT oun-
day. June a. at 1890 am. in Irving Plaza'
18th Street and Irving Place. Every organlza-
ton in New York and vicinity, no matter now
large or small, that is engaged in some form
of proletarian cultural activity, IN Whatever
language. should be represented at this con-
ference (send two delegates).
One thing should be made clear: when we
speak of organizing federation, we don't mean
a rigid, centralized organization. 1t should De
loose federation, one that will not interfere
with any existing group, but on the contrary
will permit broadening and deepening OF ac-
tiv,tv constant interchange of experience ana
material, that will give tremendous impetus
to proletarian culture in the United States.
The June IA conference is in sense historic
the first step toward much bigger task whose
horizons are linitless. For after all, as reVo-
h,tionists we are fighting to win the majority
If the working class not only politically, but
culturally as we'll And the Russian workers
and to large extent the German too-naVe
shown us the way.