The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-10-11

DEPORTS Of the artists commis>
II sion-which included Santos Tin.
gall Maurice Merlin, Stanley De-
Graft, Gilbert Rookie and Joe Jones
from the Midwest-revealed ths
effectiveness of q revolutionary pro-
gram in winning the economic de-
mands OF hundreds of artists and
in turning them against war and
fascism.
Reports by Boris Gorehck Of ths
growth Of the Artists Union in
New York, and by Gilbert Rookie Of
the development Of the Chicago
Artists Equity, demonstrated the
vast opportunities for the organi-
cation of artists on an economic
basis. Joe Jones-whose mural in
the st. Louis Old Courthouse was
the center Of bitter struggle-told
Of local experiences in organizing
the artists. In one report, Jack
Kainen analysed the dangers Of the
rise Of a acknowledgements school
Of painting in this country.
One Of the most eloquent adj
dresses was made by A. Trachten-
berg, who stressed the Importance
of a creative revolutionary litera-
ture in the fight against the en-
emies Of the working class. He
joined in denouncing the secterian-
ism of the cultural movement,
pointing out that we frequently
underestimate the radicalization
of American writer's and artists.
Joseph North dealt with the i'm
portance Of the New Masses in
winning the middle class intellec-
tuals and professionals away from
fascism and reaction. He called
upon the cultural movement to
assume more active part in ex-
tending the influences Of the msgs-
zine.
THE organizatioral commission,
L which included representatives
from clubs throughout the country,
stressed the necessity Of accelerate
ing the peculiar development Of the
John Reed Clubs in order to fo-nl
autonomous groups of writer's and
artists; ana Of concentrating upon
expression through craft media as
the unique contribution of the clubs
to the revolutionary movement. The
organization commission proposed,
concretely, that each craft group
should adopt craft task dealing
with the general subject Of the
struggle against war and fascism;
and that creative workers outside
the organized working class move
ment should be invited to con-
tribute to these projects.
Jan Wittenber, Chicago artist.
reported on the Hills5oro case;
Santos zingsi, on the recent Mil
wsukee case in which he was ir-
volved; M. Reynolds. on the terror
against the Carmel j. r. C. at the
time of the San Francisco general
strike. A resolution pledging the
active support of the clubs in the
campaign against the criminal syn
dicalist laws was adopted.
Other resolutions called for ex-
tending the circulation Of Interne-
tional Literature and the New
Masses; for a creative reportage
contest for worker writer's; for as
sistance to the German revolu-
tionary writer's by trsnslating and
publishing their work: for the
winning of Negro intellectuals on
the basis of a partial acceptance OF
the J. r. G. program, etc.
The concluding address was mace
by Orrick Johns, who was elected
national executive secretary. II
stated that the new national com.
mittee-which include Phelps,
Hayes, Gorelick, Jones, lie Sueuc,
Romano, Rookie, Wright. Bayly,
Calmer, etc.-would take the ini-
tiative in sponsoring a broad con-
gress of American writers to be
held in New York early in 1885.