The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-19
Interview r eveals the
Aims, Methods of
Organization
BY SENDER GARLN

Their headquarters. consisting of
a couple of shabby rooms at 2G
Barrow Street, in Greenwich Vii
lage, are not particularly impress
sive But neither was the beer
cellar in Munich in which Hitler
Matched his "putsch" in 1923.
The reporters for the capitalist
press discovered the Utopian chiefs
the other day and wrote up their
program at length, some of them
earnestly and others with a touch
of contempt because their head
quarters was located in a Green
wich Village apartment instead of
in the Empire State Building.
What They're After
you, too, Brutusm exclaimed
Eugene R. Reed, the chief Utopian,
when I introduced myself as rep
resentstive of the Daily Worker.
Reed is chairman of the board of
the Eastern as well as the Western
division of the Utopian Society. He
is former investment broker of
Denver.
Reed who was in frightful
hurry to leave, put Durham Thorp,
one Of the co-directors of the
Utopians in charge of answering my
| questions.
Thorpe. who is 80, started his
career as a seaman. so he says. but
later found movie publicity in Hol-
lywood more congenial to his spirit.
Now he is one of the triumvirate
which guides the destinies OF the
Utopisn Society.
What we're after? Well, we're
focused on one thing: to change
the system and to get new sys-
tenn. There are different steps. but
our definite job is education. We've
endorsed no candidates. We have a
hands-off policy on darn near every
thing" Except the initiation fees.
of course.
suggested to Thorpe that such
long-range program presented
few problems unless one took an
active part in day-to-day struggles
OF the American masses. What
was the attitude Of your society
toward the West Coast striker" I
asked.
Must Watch Our Step"
1--WE issued no statements on the
strike. pro or con. We had plenty
of issues in our organization with
out going afield. We keep clear of
all official stands on strikes. We
must watch our step all along the
way. One of the most fundamental
things is not to get tangled up in
debates"
Exploiting the growing discon-
tent which reflected itself in the
recent California election, the
Utopian Society has enrolled thou
sands of members on the basis of
their vague shadow boxing against
capitalism Officials of the organi-
cation claim that they have an en-
rollment of 100000 members. At
SO crack for initiation fee. the
! Utopians have undoubtedly hit on
Sure-fire business proposition which
thrives precisely because of the
crisis.
What is your basic program"
asked Thorpe.
Our program calls for change
from what we call the economics
of scarcity to the economics of
abundance We hope to build I'D
real mass organization-of mil
lions, if possible. But until we reach
that goal we don't propose to make
trial of strength"
He's Got All the Answers
AS to the political action, eff some
other party goes our way, we'll sup
port them; otherwise. we'll put up
candidates of our own. In the
meantime we consider that we're
doing important social spadework."
MIR. Thorpe was convinced that
the capitalist class would give I'D
their possessions without struggle.
He was sure of this despite the fact
that a well-thumbed copy of 1.-THE
Communist Manifesto" lay on a
bureau in the room.
The democratic machine is good
enough" he assured me. THE con-
stitution has certain resiliency. The
principles Of life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness are a more
important part of the constitution
than the selfishness that has be-
come embedded within it." Then.
as though to give his point the final
touch of fnality, What the devil
it's largely matter of interpreting
the constitution"
Chief Program: No Struggle
Mr.. Thorpe was not impressed by
my reference to Germany and the
scrapping of the Weimar constitu-
ton. Nor would he acknowledge
that constitutional rights" are a
myth for the working class of the
United Statesmen though his
Utopian Society blossomed out in
state where Tom Mooney has been
a prisoner for 10 years and where
bayonets and tear-gas are the chief
strikebreakers.
The formula Of the Utopian So
ciety leaders is simple: no strug-
gle against capitalism. but instead
a vague, loose program of taking
over the country some time, some
day. somehow. And in the mean
time members can join by paying
the So initiation fee.
A Favor to Mr.. Arthur.
Thorpe's arguments bear the
stamp of fascist theology I'VE don't
see eye to eye with you Commu-
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