The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-14
What
a
World
By Michael Gold
Our Own Flesh aRd Blood

| described briefly yeStstoaS vac
first page Of the New York Times for
last Saturday, September pn.
II was a picture Of tax-fightS, graz
war threats and revolutions IN CUBA
and Spain. In reporting this capl-
tslist chaos one prejudice was OBVIOUS
+he New York Times reporters oe-
nlored change, and hoped to preserve
canitaUst law and order, the status
quo and a safe 8 per cent on invest
ments. They avoided direct state-
ments of this prejudice, but tnat Is
one of the techniques OF capitallSG
Journalism. -. .,,,o.+s
Going through the foreign reports,
one finds 80 much reading ulaVeeI
that any description here Woulo III
several columns. The New York 11Ines
has resources and wealth 70 grole
+he globe. But there is no unity IN
these reports. More chaos, con1ncG-
inc nationaDsu, each reporter oe1lnl-
+eIv of course. committed only 10
American imperialism and its inter-
ests.
Take the Naz business. The Times
IS owned by an old German-JeWlsn
family. and quite naturally, hates the
brown Syphilis that has attacked
Germany. But only in spots ana
snasns. There is no consistency
words of romantic praise have ap-
reared for Hitler-the most slcKen-
ing sentimental word-painting by SOD
sisters male and female. IL Is naro
to know what to think about sucn
inconsistency, until one recalls traI
fine Times must appear neutral, an
objective" record Of daily history.
whats Good in the Daily Worker
have begun on an essay that coulo
easily become a book; yes, one copy
If the New York Times seems to con-
fain the modern world. One could
1eview the beer advertisements, the
6enartment store bulletins, the births,
deaths, editorial pages, personals,
Snort pages. etc. But it's BOOK,
and who would read book woven
around copy OF the New YORK
Times?
1t is easier TO go through the elght
psges of the Daily Worker. Saoe py
side with the pompous Times, our
pspsr looks like an amateur effort
Ous press is Anticipated, and the
makeup problem is too much Tor
evervone. The ads are unski1fully
composed, the news display is spotty
there is no style of any sort, and yet
ana YET
Reading the Daily Worker for a
month. one would come either to hate
or love this new world. Here on
Saturdays page, an average day, one
finds the same facts as in the Times.
But the slant is frank and powerful.
No hypocrisy. the banner headline
SAYS it, U. S. Workers Demand Hands
Off Cuba. The news columns gives
the story, and editorials buttress the
appeal against imperialism.
The news in the N. Y Times made
one feel that Cuba was in q senseless
chaos, bloody meaningless primitive
outburst of savage workers and peas
ants. The Times news would make
one approve American intervention.
But the Daily Worker would really
enlighten a virgin mind as to the
meaning Of Cuban events much more
than would all the shoals and reamS
of hypocritical news in the Times.
For the Daily Worker explains why
the Cuban masses have staged this
revolt; the forces pushing them to-
ward it, and why workers here must
help them.
II is a clue TO the troubled modern
world, and every worker can be help
ed to understand himself on reading
such a news story. There is also
other news, tremendously important
news to the nation within nation,
the 100000 wage earners and their
families. Bread prices are rising
rapidly one headline says, 10 per
cent increase; the Times might have
printed such fact, but it would not
slant it so that a worker would feel
the injury done him.
The Paterson silk strike; unreported
in the Times for that day. The
fight against the shoe workers strike
injunction: unreported in Times. An
analysis of the Tammany moves to-
ward higher taxes; the Times family
deplores, but the Daily starts arous-
ing the masses, and more; making
it plain how to meet the city budget
by tax levies on the rich, instead Of
sales taxes on the poor.
Inside, the truth about sports, in
stead of the romantic hokum that
builds up the Camera takers. Ar
ticles on the plight Of the Negro min
eTS, whole page OF correspondence
from working miners in all different
fields. Is this not more truly the
voice of America, this corresponds
than all the Times editorials, with
their feeble claSsicism and nnrnby-
pamby reformism that Is 80 fond Of
Norman Thomas?
An article On tbs auto workers OF
Detroit. A discussion ok the liberal
attempt 10 form . nsw labor party;
an exposure Of Q cheap labor spy in
the Communist Party who had been
hired by Ham Fish and Ralph Eas-
ley; serial novel By Q sailor describ-
ing life on American vessels; q story
on the irish Wo9Es1 Of New York;
the movement q tbs }obasn for work
or insurance paynasmts; TIE organized
fight against the nezt war, and
against the Naxia, &c.
But I must end here for space
reasons, without having scratched the
surface. The New York Times, any
one must admit, furnished it, read
ers with at least dozen times more
concrete facts than did the Daily
Worker of the same date.
But these facts were meaningless
chaos, since the capitalist world Is
such chaos. A Jobless worker, or
bankrupt small grocer, q mortgaged
farmer or oppressed miner would find
no way out suggested for him in the
massive bulk of the Times news; ex-