The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-03-14

HPEAKING in the discussion az JI6
y nth Party Congress of the Com
munist Party of Soviet Union, on
the report Of Kaganovich on organi-
rational questions, Panferov (au-
thor of "Brusski"-a novel Of life
in collective farms) spoke Of the
tremendous assistance rendered by
Stain to Soviet literature. Stain
and Kaganovich frequently met
writer's, discussed literature With
them and gave them useful direc-
tives.
Let the writer learn from life.
If he reflects in a highly artistic
form the truth Of life, he will not
fail to arrive at Marxism." The di-
receives of Stain and the liquida-
ton of the RAPP (Russian Associa-
ton of Proletarian Writer'S united
the Soviet writer's and raised young
talents from among the masses.
Soviet proletarian literature has be-
come an 1ndisputable fact.
The Theme of Joy
We have here achievements, con-
tinued Panferov. But we also have
difficulties, difficulties in mastering
the themes. The thing is that any
theme taken from our life is a world
theme. Let us take the theme of
JOY, and permit me to illustrate it by
one example. I have known a GER
tain peasant, typical representa-
tive Of the village for nearly Is
years. I met him for the first time
in the trenches. He was q red
haired and silent man and ALWAYS
shot from the trenches gritting his
teeth, and it was only when some
one began to grumble owing to some
disorder that he broke out and ex-
claimed horsely:
You don't like it here, then 90
over to the other side of the trench
es and We will send a bullet through
you" and became silent once more.
And in periods of rest in the
woods, he was walking about NUT
tering something to himself. I be-
came interested and went UP and
asked him:
What are you conjuring here,
Uncle Matvey2"
well, the grass is green here. "
Yes, the grass is green here, why
not lie down and rest?"
lie down and restl It is all very
well for you to do nothing else but
sleep, but when I see green grass.
1 begin to want to plow."
AND here I understood that Uncle
IL Matvey was fighting against the
whiteguards for the right to pillow
his own land freely.
I also saw him in the period of
the NEP. He cut into the land as
its fun master. He was not
seen much in the village. Bare
footed and without a hat, he was
spending his days and nights on
the fields.
He bought a red-brick house from
a Spectator, got pair of horses,
some COWS, sheer and pigs. Not de-
string to spend a ruble unnecessar-
lily, he mercilessly exploited his
family. Visiting me on one occa-
sion and having previously had some
drink, he began to complain that
there is discord everywhere and
people do not want to live in COM
mon.
He dried up and became thin.
He no longer slept on bed, he
slept sitting in order not to miss
anything, and once, after having
taken a drink, said choking: IT will
peg out soon"
And he was really fading away
but dragged on, rejoicing with his
own Joy, the joy of a petty pro-
prietor.
Now if one were to describe the
life Of Matvey and leave it at that,
absolutely nothing would be added
to literature, since dozens and hun
dreds of authors have written of the
Joy of a petty proprietor. Some
have condemned this joy, others
adopted a liberal attitude towards
it and others again have treated it
with fear.
Then the collective farm wave
arose. First one son and then an
other joined the collective farm.
And later Mstvey, having sold his
cattle with the exception of one
horse, Joined the collective farm
himself.
In 1882 I looked him UP in the
collective farm and asked him how
he was getting on.
ri live well, to tell the truth.
one should keep in pace with Soviet
power" he at first said pleasantly,
and then, shuddering and making
wry face, he burst out: land if
you do keep in pace with it, you
get poke in the ribs"
Whats that2"
"You have taken away the JOY
from everything"
What is that2"
Pointing to a horse which at one
time belonged to him, he exclaimed:
See here, the same horse but there
is no joy in It,"
IN THE Spring Of 1893, we took
l him to the opening of the Chel-
yabinsk tractor plant. Automobiles.
tramways, buses were running in
the new city and many people were
walking about. Coming out OF the
auto, and proceeding to the plant,