The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-01-14
By G. GERNFENETTO

that / had been elected one OF the
delegates to the " Congress Of the
Comintern and the u-of the
Profintern.
The Party decided that the dele
gates should endeavor to get legal
passports TO so abroad. / went to
the prefecture Of the police. The
commissioners was pleasantly sur
prised.
So you want 10 so &bRoAdF I
should think that would be quite a
good thing, really. DO you intend
70 stay there?"
yes, of Counsel" I replied.
He beamed at me.
zone less Of these" he evidently
thought.
viii it take a long time TO get
a passport
mo, no! come in about thrse
days time"
In three days time I called
round and strange to say-was
handed a foreign passport! It was
obvious that the commissioner was
in a hurry to get me off. He was
extremely polite, and wished me
pleasant journey.
And your colleagues won't try
to play any tricks with me at the
frontier?" L asked.
"Oh, how could you think Of such
a thingl"
MY CRIME" is DISCOVERED
For the few days that remained
until my departure for Russia I
lived in a state of feverish anxiety.
I was still afraid that something
might happen to prevent me- One
morning policeman attached to
the Labor Bureau came to me and
said:
1.-THE commissioner wants to
speak to you Immediately"
My heart seemed to stop beating.
That's my trip knocked on the
headt'
It appeared to be as follows:
Among the Grimes" committed by
me as a journalist, was that Of
Iese-majeste Insulting the king.
This was what was called up for
now. =
It had happened at the end of
August, 1922. The "Stefani,n the
government telegraph agency, had
announced in the most florid Ian
guage few days previously that
Our well-beloved monarch was
present yesterday at the fire which
took place in the hut of a poor
mountaineer. Instead of worrying
about his own personal safety, His
Majesty actually tried to help the
unfortunate victims
The entire Italian press had SEN
timentalized about this as if it was
a tremendously important event. I
made some inquiries and wrote q
short paragraph for our paper. I
remarked that the king had not
poured even one bucket of water
on the fire, and that even if he
had, ne was we'll rewarded for any
thing like overtime work, since his
pay was 60,000,000 lire per annum.
The firemen, who really risk their
lives, receive much less than the
king, and when they are killed at
work, as often happens, "Stefanr'
does not think it worthwhile even
to mention their names. The
article was signed Copper beard"
VIE KING WAS OFFENDED"
It appeared now that the king
had been offended by this. The
commissioner advised me to admit
that I was the author. I denied it.
I'VE know perfectly well that you
are "Copper-beard," the commits
sioner said.
You don't know anything Of the
kindl" I protested, frightened for
the first time: after all, Russia and
the Congress and Lenin were at
stalker
"You haven't the courage to ad-
init it'll the commissioner tainted
me.
ooh, I know that trick. Don't
lose your self-respect and things
like that You won't catch me
with that, signor commissioner" 1
had already got myself well in
hand. You'd better tell me, If you
have read the discriminating article,
does it really correspond to the
truth? Although I'm not the
author, I'm quite ready to be con-
fronted with the offended person!"
Il forbid you to speak in such a
tone about His Majesty" exclaimed
the commissioner, and let me go
with that.
I could hardly restrain myself
from turning somersaults in the
street.
In three days time 1 went away
with three or four comrades.
ME crossed Europe as if in fog
W and at last, on the eleventh
day of our journey, cane one cold
october morning to the frontier Of
the Land of the SoYietsl We en-
braced the first Red sentry we saw
like brother. At Sebej we ate
our first Russian borshch, and
sllivered at the first sting Of the
approaching Russian winter. What
was the cold to us We had
stepped on to the glorious soil Of
the victorious october Revolution.
We turned our faces toward Mos
COW, the Red fortress, to which the
hopes and yearnings Of the toilers
OF the whole world, and the hatred
and indignation of their oppressors,
are directed.
ENINl There was no name in
l. the world more popular than
this. In Italy it was known in the
in barracks, in fishing settlements,
refnotest villages, in the big cities.