The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-08-14
Reviewed by
GRACE HUTCHTNs

TOR the first time a pamphlet ap~
pears in English on young work.
ers in the Soviet Union. An excellent
pamphlet too. Lillian Andrews has
written it after a first-hand study
Of the subject and she well knows
the difference between the situation
Of youth in the United States and
Of youth in the workers state.
Workers remember that Lillian
Andrews was in prison in Ohio,
convicted of criminal syndicalism"
by steel and coal jury for leading
the struggle Of the young workers
for better conditions. She was
later released and then had the
chance to see for herself the land
where children and youth are
first consideration. Out of these
experience she writes wildly and
convincingly.
With a picture on the cover Of
laughing young workers. girls and
boys, in MOSCOW May Day demon
stration, the pamphlet gets off to
good start. Two worlds are de-
scribed, the Russia Of pref zarist
days, the kind Of world In which
Americans still live. and the Soviet
Russia of today. The part played
by youth in the remarkable con-
struction Of recent years is set forth
in a section entitled Socialist
Giants Built by Youth" Dniepro-
stroy. Kerchsteel. Bobricld. Names
full of significance to Soviet youth
become significant to Americans as
we read Of giant after giant rising
where before there was nothing.
Figures are woven into the pic
lures, giving facts for many
speeches by youth organizers in this
country.
Education under the Soviets."
another section Of this valuable
booklet, presents latest data on the
wiping out of iIliteracy. Today,
ninety per cent of the POPULATION
can read and write. Here, too, are
figures on the growth of the school
system and Of the cultural life in
the U. s. s. R. Comparative fig
ures, from official sources, show the
decline In Germany, France and
the United States.
Not only in industry but on the
agricultural field, also, youth are
taking an important part in the
building OF socialism. Comrade
Andrews describes this work in
section on Soviet Youth on the
Land" When trained young work
ers from the city go out to show
older peasants how to work, the
sparks sometimes fly, but this
pamphlet tells of the cooperation
between city and village by which
youth Of big plants In the cities
give direct assistance to the youth
in the villages.
In two closing sections, ION
Guard for World Peace" and
'Lenin's Young Generation" the
pamphlet presents a challenge to
the youth Of America to follow the
example of Soviet Youth. This
argument is especially timely as
fascism spreads its tentacles, like
a gigantic octopus, over the chill
dren and youth Of capitalist coun-
tries. We have no time to lose.
Boys and girls in the working class
of the United States must be freed
from the ideas promoted by the
Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, and
such organizations.
This 44-page pamphlet, selling
only for five cents and for less than
that in bundle orders, is one
method of counteracting fascist in
fluences on American youth. tt
sounds trite to say it, but Youth in
the Happy Land should have the
widest possible circulation in the
United States, wherever there are
young workers = and where are
there not?-who viii look at pic
lures and read English. 1t is at
tractiyely printed and illustrated
with nine good photographs. It
lends itself we'll to wide mass
distribution.