davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-16
Theatre Group Will
Show Revolutionary
Plays Sunday Evening

NEW YORK. - At the National
Festival Of the Workers Theatres
held in Chicago last month, the
hundreds of workers theatres rep
resented there agreed to give bene-
fit performances for their official
organ. New Theatre Magazine, dur
ing the week Of May 20-May 81
the proceeds to be used to improve
New Theatre and widen its in
f1uence throughout America.
On Sunday evening, May 20. q
number of N. Y. Theatre groups
are giving a benefit performance
entitled New Theatre Night" at
the Civic Repertory Theatre, w IA
st. and Sixth Ave. Six new revo-
lutionary plays will be given. The
gnup represented include The
Theatre Collective, The Workers
Laboratory Theatre, The Unity
Theatre and The R. P. A. Players.
Mara Tartar will sing revolution
airy songs. George Sklar. co-author
of "Stevedore" and Peace on
Earth, Will be Master OF Cere-
monies.
All workers organizations de-
sirous of buying blocks of seats will
be given special rate. Tickets
which are priced from IS cents to
rs cents, are now on sale at Civic
Repertory Box Office, Workers Book
store, and New Theatre, 5 E. 10 St.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-16
Chicago |. W. o. Will
Celebrate Its Fourth
Anniversary MAY 20

DAILY WorkoS Midwest Bureau
CHICAGO-The fourth Anniver-
sary Of the International Workers
Order will be celebrated at Peoples
Auditorium, Sunday. May goth. A
colorful international program Of
songs, music and dancing will be q
feature Of the affair
Songs of Hungary and Italy
dancing Of Russia and the Ukraine
as well as programs by Scandina-
Wan, Slovak. Roumsnian, Polish
Croatian Bohemian, Jewish. Greek
and German workers will be pre-
sented. This affair will not only
be q merry celebration, but also a
great influence towards building up
feeling of internationalism and
solidarity.
Youth and childrens groups
promise lively, interesting features.
Doors open at 6 pm.
The TWO. requests all branches
to see that their Anniversary Com
mittees and functionaries attend
the meeting May 18th, 8 pm, at
Peoples Auditorium.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-16
The World of
the Theatre
"The Milky Way"
Reviewed by
WILLIAM FUCHS

The Milky Way" at the Cort
Theatre, is Of the Saturday Evening
Pest species. It is what is known
as gag" comedy. One character
remarks upon something or other
and a wise-crack is always forth
coming as an answer. AS wise
cracks go, some of them are good in
this thing ami some wouldn't even
be laughed at by an idiot. One of
them is particularly vulgar and ma
turally it IVES rewarded with the
heartiest applause by the strictly
Broadway" audience which was
present when this pundit was.
The story opens with middle
weight champion who is knocked
out in street brawl by his own
trainer and who suffers by the con
sequent publicity, which credits a
sissified milk-wagon driver with
performing the ceremony. This
milk-wagon driver is scientific
QUICKER; and when he ducks on q
later occasion the champ and his
manager are knocked out. again by
the trainer The publicity is again
heart-breaking. So the plot un-
winds itself. The play, however.
does not take itself seriously.
Hugh O'Connell is the milk
wagon driver and Leo Donnelly is
his manager. The acting serves its
purpose. The play is obviously in
tended for the movies. It's a lot
better, nevertheless, than many of
its kind on Broadway now.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-16
TUNING In

TOO P. .-WEAF-BaSeball Resume
WOR-Sports Resume-Ford Prick
WJz-Amos n Andy-Sketch
WABC-vera Van, Songs
7:15-WEAF-Gene and Glenn-Sketch
WOR-Dance Music
Whispering Wheels Of Prosperity
Harry Upper
WABC-Just Plain Bill--Sketch
7:30-WEAF-Lillian Bucknam, Soprano
VORTEX Fletcher, Songs
wJz-Yvette RugaL Soprano
WABC-Armbruste Orchestra
7:4s WEAF-The Goldbergs-Sketch
WOR-True Stories of the Sea
Sketch
WJZ-Sketch-M Baer, Boxer
wABC-Boake Carter, Commentator
WEAF-Jack Pearl Comedian
wOR~-Dance Orchestra
Wjz--Man from the Morgue-sketch
WABC-Rich Orchestra
-WABC-Easy Aces-Sketch
$50 WEAF-Wayne King Orchestra
wOR-Lone Ranger-sketch
WJZ-Maple City -Four
WABC-Everett Marshall, Baritone
s4S-WJz-Basebsll Commentaries Ruth
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Singers
WOR,-Italics--H Stokes Lott Jr.
wJz-Ray knights Cuckoos
WABC-Nino Martini, Tenor Koste-
lanetz Orchestra
.30-WOR-Success-Ha Bslkin
WJz-Sketch Romance and Old
Brandy, with Roland Young
WABC-Lombsrdo Orch; Burns and
Allen, Comedy
45-WOR-Dramatized News
o:3o-WEAF-Hillbilly Music
WJz-Lopez Orchestra; Male Trio,
Frances Williams, Songs
WABC-Dramstic Sketch
fo:1S-wOR-Current Events-H z, Read
10. 0-WEAF-Other Americas-Edvard
Tomlinson
WOR-Robinson Orchestra
wJz--Denny Orchestra Harry Rich
man, Songs
wABC-Albert Spalding, Violin Con-
rad Thibault. Baritone. Joan Field,
l7-year-old Yiolinist
II o-WEAF-Ferdinando Orchestra
wOE-weather; Moonbeams Trio
WJz-Pickens Sisters, Songs
WABC-Nick Lucas, Songs
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-16
DARK ARRIVAL
BY ARNOLD sUNpGAARn

IT'S not an easy thing delivering
babies in the dark. or even with
a feeble candle spluttering by the
beside, or a kerosene lamp burning
weakly on the chair. The DAYS Of
grace for paying the gas and light
bill were gone long past. Sam
Nolan vas used to reading old
papers by the window until the sun
went down. Revolution in Austria.
Dog-show poodles wear gold brace
lets. Such were the things he read
while ne wondered if the baby
would be coming in the dark.
A Negro feels conspicuous in a
spacious waiting room at the gas
and light office. Sam Nolan felt
conspicuous anyhow with the click
ing of the typewriters, the secre-
taries walking in and out, and the
heavy carpet hardly giving him a
place to put his feet down COM
fortably. But they had shunted
him from clerk TO clerk and now he
waited in fright to see Mr.. Davis
who was managing director.
They all said he should see Mr..
Davis because he was interested in
the human side Of things. OF course
not, they told him. baby can't
be born in the dark. But you've
got month vet so don't worry.
1t isn't such a bad world after all.
And then he went into the Of
flee. Mr.. Davis offered him cigar
cite. Damn fine man. Davis. No
race prejudices about him. Of
course you understand my position
in this thing. Nolan. It's an odd
request TO ask for light when your
bill is five months due. l know
you only want light while the baby
is born, but ! think you ought to
see the charities first. They handle
those things, you know. Tell them
I sent you. You can use my name,
Nolan.
At THE charities they smiled.
"A Well, if Mr.. Davis sent you I
think we can fix you UP with a
job. That way you'll be earning
it yourself. It's not a bad job.
You'll be cutting weeds in the park.
We're cutting weeds with c. w. A.
funds.
They cut weeds in the winter in
the park. It's the kind of thing
to give a man morale and put him
on his feet This emitting waedc
through the snow. But Sam Nolan
froze his hands because they didn't
furnish gloves. Then they sent him
to the clinic.
Well, where's your money? If
you can't pay quarter you've got
to see Miss Bowen. Charity patients
60 through that door Here, don't
forget your card Next, please.
The next day with frozen hands
he cut the weeds. They didn't re-
member him when he went to the
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-16

| gas Office after the first pay day.
I'm sorry, but you owe for five
months. You'll have to pay that
before We can turn on your meter.
Well. that's enough for one month.
Now please don't argue, there are
others waiting. Don't hold up the
line.
The lights were still out and it
was very dark when the baby came.
The doctor came and the student
nurse came.
Where's the light7 Don't this
switch work? What, no light2 How
about the lamp All out Of
kerosene? Get an extension and
hook it up from the hall. Let the
landlord pay for the light.
Sam broke into the cellar and
got long extension. He screwed it
into the hall socket and brought the
lamp to the bedside. The doctor
and the student nurse were bend
ing over Sans wife.
Get some warm water. Quick.
There amt no gas, either.
Sam held the light while his wife
writhed In labor
The landlord came walking down
the hall and saw the cord in the
socket. For crisis sake, what the
hell's goin' on here. He ripped the
cord loose and the light went out
over the bed.
The doctor shouted. Hey, leave
that goddam light on.
1t was a few minutes before the
plug was in the socket and the light
shone over the bed.
The doctor went TO Sam. He
looked at him and then returned
to his sstchel. The kids dead, he
said, from strangulation.
Sam held the light.
Mr.. Davis was right. A baby
can't be born in the dark, he adj
mitted. A guys gotta have light.
A guys gotta have light.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-16
GEORGE CROWN"
"A Categorical Answer

THERE isn't space reply letter
with few categorical dognas:
all heartily
time occasionally the
daily struggle which he reflect study him
self and the world What that he
Hitlers brutal capitalism mystic theology
and Intitve" dogmas 1t avowedly irrational anti
rational The Soviet philosophers continue
rational tradition foundation
letter mystic grounds any
revolutionary expressed
bourgeois esthetes concept of static world in which there
fundamental I suggested
that Hitherto; he
that form of tyranny But today when all philosophers
themselves translated highly
the phosphc completely
mind of anything that helps fascism.
Cronyn effect, that
isn't good this being
sand times by happily growing band of Mars literary critics
matter Of fact the
mist art in America today, very often, good art
with you Jack
Yin lifetime hated Soviet Russia the
Eastmans Durants present
They
the first in his passionaey reasoned loyalty
would dangerous
minority artist individual
Well George this merely sentimental Jack Reed
the rebel
greatly Somethnghe
gass and today
the individual artist?
and of hundreds of others that Com
nunm rightly understood. discpnes
every slight talent
And with this George
If YOU haven't the Workers Bookshop
18th St and fine pamphlets
these bet red haven't had time
Nad up this, Good luck
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-16
If Jack Reed Were Alive


"Edioraly in The Daily Worker you of
things exceponno because feelings
couerrevolutionary or words to
because believe that misunderstood position
thing the publication The
Feo of Venus having brought little bunch Of jack has
bourgeois psychology
mysticism. Nothing could be further from the truth
u.s. of little than six months of
leisure to cuperae from several years OF carrying on Two JOBS
smuaneouhat of earning living and that of writing at
will of anything that pleased whether brought in
monetary not the latter category book belongs
you together your terat Of
believe that hours stolen from the
survival wholly prose
poetry exempyng the evils of the capaic system clarifying
heroes Of order entirely
ance have BEEN long
monkey personal the
powers spoke from platforms of the old w w
do not denv that poetry or literature in general or art NAV not
perfectly proeean
they only the imagination of the creator vastly mu
subject hand when the imagination not
taIic. stuff, it not worth damn except
propaganda, and straight propaganda will be better
mention book have named hohorse poetry
Perhaps long time But Peire Vidal
defence of the heecs Of Provence at
time hereto little dangerous than being
Communist in Germany today You may say that being hereto
economic determinsm return that
existing predatory order Just important the
twelfth century in the twentieth One cannot defy capitalism
under medevaism, But have CUTS.
why should have chosen Pehe Vidal troubadour
of the twelfth century the proagonst Of book that
him of the don't the
deihd by the John Reed Clubs the Jack
Reed knewoet rebel indivduast fighter and not nquen
writing poetry of the
ganda) Reed smashing strikes Jack Reed dng down
the the Third International shaking his fist Lenn and
being quietly samroredand Jack Reed laughing in his
the of his postmoem sanchcaon the foot of the
Krenin
IF ask believe that Jack alive today he would
constitute the active minority party
Russia Because capitalism Communism
will to fear indvduam and above ALL
Reed individuaist.
one thing more You have linked nv name with that of Hitler
Frankly don't the connection Hitler is
there the similarity That dictator
with his absurd racial natonaliSc completes than
the dunhi dcaying oshot of the late
treaties garbage. dangerous
harmless unatic? And unatc feel
should
grounds, produce
results follow bypoduc much the better The thing
g vitality.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-16
''When Negro, White
Unite in StruggJe''

Train, Red Rust and other So
Wet plays. and there is something
in the technique Of these plays that
American revolutionary plsywrights
can learn from. " he said.
There are two main aspects to the
criticism Of "Stevedore" by the
capitalist press dramatic critics,
Peters says. One is that the play
is naive" and the other that the
play is "nelodramstic."
In reply Peters counters that
"the sheer struggle for bread, the
struggle for the simple essentials
nf life. is always naive" As for
being melodramatic: "a class
struggle play must necessarily be
meiodramatic. You can't have 4
strike without clubbings and
shootings by the bosses police"
The bourgeois critics are simply
shocked and frightened by working
class struggle. but refuse 10 admit
it, Peters insists.
Tn the Soviet Union that's the
way they write plays-snd they DO
it unabashed. This has given writ
ers ike myself the greatest moral
support in facing the attacks (often
hidden by sweet words Of faint
praise) Of the bourgeois critics"
Critics Learn a Lesson
Unlike their attitude to the The
atre Unions previous play. Peace
on Earth" the reaction Of the crit
les to "Stevedore" has been more
favorable. Just the good old mass
pressure is what did it, Peters says,
They saw how the workers and
their organizations are supporting
our theatre. and the critics simply
had to change their tune"
The Theatre Union differs from
all previous workers theatres in
many respects, Peters asserted. TT
differs from the most recent ven
ture, the New Playwrights Theatre,
in that the latter was not specif-
cally interested in a workers audi
ence; its prices were not geared
to a workers audience, and IL did
nOJ seek the support Of workers
through their unions and mass or
Eanizs tons"
Like other working class organ.
izations, the Theatre Union Is bv
no means free Of financial troubles
In spite Of the fact that more than
$4,000 persons saw Peace or
Earth" $4,000 unemployed saw II
free, the play never paid produc-
ton costs Running expenses fol-
"Stevedore" amounts to $500 a
week, although there is none Of
the Broadway pyramided overhead.
and executives of the theatre get
less than the actors, with some of
the former working for nothing.
The next production Of the The
atre Union will probably be a sa-
tlrlcal musical show 10 be called
The Fourteenth Street Revue"
For one thing it will reveal-per-
haps to the chagrin Of some who
shall be nameless-thst humor. too
can serve as a class weapon.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-16
BY SENDER GARLN

IN January, 1888, Peters relates. sew
eral thousand Negro and white
steel workers in Fairfield. Ala,
marched together to the city hall
and forced the town council to re-
woke an ordinance banning black
and white meetings. Following this.
the foundation Of a non-Jim- Grow
union was laid.
Peters asserts that the drawing
Of black and white into the same
organization has been especially
successful among the unemployed
in the South. Mixed demonstrations
for relief have been held in such
cities as Chattanooga, Birmingham.
New Orleans, and Atlanta. In Bir-
mingham a demonstration of Ne
groes and whites was ledsbv An
gelo Herndon, 20-year-old Negro.
who is facing term Of 1920 years
on q Georgia chain gang" And
he calls attention to the present
bitter struggle of Negro and white
miners in Alabama to show the
growing unity of black and white.
Peters points to the heroic fight
Of the members Of the Sharecrop-
pers Union to prove the authenticity
Of the last act in "Stevedore." He
recounts that when Negroes at
tempted to protect their mules
against seizure by the sheriff near
Camp Hill, Ala, they were set upon
by posse and shot down, and Cliff
James, leader Of the sharecroppers.
later died from gunshot wounds.
AS In 'Stevedore,' they shot back
in Self-defense. A msn-hunt then
followed and the entire Negro COM
munity was terrorized. The most
significant development in this in
eident, however, was the action of
the white share-croppers in the
neighborhood who hid the fleeing
Negroes from the sherif's posses. &"
The chief sources from which he
and George Sklar drew material
for 'Stevedore. " Peters reveals.
we're the so-called "race-riots" in
East st, Louis and Chicago in 1919.
The match that kindled the East
st, Louis killings" he asserts, twas
lust such an event as is dramatized
= the first scene Of 'Stevedore. "
~aters, who was a student at the
University of Chicago at the time.
witnessed the 1919 riots"
6 6
pETERS has never visited the
Soviet Union, but he is tremen-
dously interested in the Soviet the
atre. i have read the 'Armored
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-16
Cibulski To Sing at
Festival and Bazaar

NEW YORK. --- Mass entertain
ment will be the basis of the pro-
gram Of the Festival and Bazaar
of the New York District of the
Communist Party. taking place at
Manhattan Lyceum, Sc E, 4th ST.,
from May % through May o. The
only exception to the group features
will be the appearance, on the OPEN
ing night, of the well-known
singer, Andre Cibulski, This fine
artist, who has sung in opera in
Italy and has made many concert
appearances in this country. also
sings revolutionary songs which he
receives direct from Moscow and
Leningrad.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-16
Methods of Teaching at the
Workers Schools
BY A. MARRIOTT

There has been practically no dis
cussion in our press regarding the
methods employed in the teaching
at the Workers Schools. Yet. it is
very important problem which
must be solved in a satisfactory
manner if We are to make our work
fruitful.
There are two questions we must
answer in connection with this
problem:
/. How much ground should we
attempt to cover in given period
Of time? The correct orientation on
this question is especially inn
portant; here we have erred very
much in all our schools, in the eve
ming courses as we'll as in the full
time training schools.
One general rule must be OBJ
served, not to tax the students too
much. The average human mind
can absorb only a small amount Of
knowledge in given unit of time.
Even when we deal with the student
type, those who do not work in
shops and factories, those who are
accustomed to study, have had their
minds trained, etc. even there the
amount of theory that they can alb
serb is limited, The limit is still
greater when our students are work
ers who come to the school after
day Of hard work. with the speed
up and super exploitation in the
factories. shops and mills. The
worker student is fatigued before he
comes into the class.
Our aim therefore. must be to
concentrate on one or two major
points in the subject matter. We
try to clear up these. points dealing
with them from every possible side,
linking it up with the concrete con-
ditions and problems the students
are faced with. 1t is useless to try
to cram into the minds Of the stu
dents lot of material, for most Of
our efforts go wasted. The pro-
verbal teacher described by Charles
Dickens stands in the class ready to
pour imperial gallons of wisdom
and facts" into the heads of his
pupils, Our instructors are there
not to pour wisdom, but to make
sure that certain important ques-
lions are cleared UP so that the
student coming out Of the class
feels that he understands the points
discussed, that he will be able TO
transmit it to other workers in his
own language, that he will be able
to apply the knowledge gained to
the problems facing him in his
practical daily struggles.
In this respect we should always
remember what Comrade Lenin used
to say, Better little, but better"
The teacher therefore, in plan
ming his lesson should develop uues-
tons around two and sometimes
even one major point in the hour
or hour and a half at his disposal.
Whether there is a general outline
on the subject or not the instructor
must plan his lesson carefully.
The second question, What should
be the methods Of presentation of
the subject in the class and how
can the students be best involved
in the discussion Of the subject,
will be discussed later.
We again call on the comrades
engaged in this work to contribute
articles for this column. We do not
want to monopolize the space. Send
your articles to A. Markof. IS E.
18th st., Room 301. New York City
This column appears every Tues
day.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-16
Joseph Brodsky To
Speak in Chicago

CHICAGO-Joseph Brodsky, De-
Tense Attorney for the Scottsboro
Boys and National Recording Sec
rotary of the International Work
ers Order, will appear at the Ash
land Auditorium on Sunday, May
20, the day of the celebration of
the Fourth Anniversary of this
workers fraternal order. In addi-
ton to other we'll known speakers,
there will be a colorful concert of
national songs and dances with all
the language sections Of the Order
participating. The Youth Section
will present mass pageant and
the Junior Section will take part
in mass chorus.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-16
MINNEAPOLIS District
School Needs Funds

The full-time four weeks District
Training School in MINNEAPOLIS is
now in its second week. We have
an urgent appeal for funds and
food for the students to be sent tn
the School Buro 1929 Logan Ave.
No, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In preparation for one month
District Training School. the
Young Communist League in
NEW YORK is calling confer
ence of all mass organizations on
Saturday, May 10Th, at $3.50 P. M,
at the Workers Center, 50 East
18th st. John Little, District Or
rainier, will be The main speaker.
They urge all orgsniza ticns Of less
than 200 members to send one
delegate each to this conference
and larger organizations to send
two delegates each.
The analysis of the student body
Of the Los Angeles Workers School
in the first term of its existence
shows that the majority of the stu
dents are proletarian-67.1 per cent.
the next largest section Of the stu
dent body is the Office workers.
per cent.
1913 per cent of the students are
American-born. 50 per cent Of the
students are Party members. The
most successful classes are the
classes in Principles of Communism,
Party Organization, Agit-Prop, po-
litical Evonony, and the classes for
developing leaders for the children's
work and for the women's work.
The Los Angeles School has es-
tablished a branch class in Party
Organization in Santa Monica.
A forum is conducted every Sun
day night at the school head
quarters, 230 South Spring St. Los
Angeles. The next lecture will be
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-16
CHANGE
THE
WORLD!
By MICHAEL GOLD

IN THIS column recently appeared letter from George
Cronyn author of the novel, Fool of Venus in which
letter friend George who has had background of mill
tant struggle the revolutionary farmers and workers
movement revealed the sad fact that he had gone mys
tic, passive bomgeois-esthetc.
Cronyn he talented and Wrile person.
necessary him. His
merely personal expression but the voice of large
section the nteecu The events of the depression have shaken
anany viewpoint it still powerful negative
force that holds many Of the best Of them in bondage
George written which print
I recognized there was
shred personal feeling perhaps sharp answer to him
personal oyer-senstve these discus
They any matters Of
life
days all must speak and think frankly
responsib fate and the fate Of the world
depends the growth revolutionary consciousness in
facionas malice and that nfanle
peness organized for instance into the lead
ership of such group Party"
George Cronyns second letter in full: