The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-09
Land of Promise
Novel of Je ~ S
In Hitler Germany
LAND OF PROMISE, by Leo LAMA
Macmillan. $3.50.
Reviewed by
GILBERT DOUGLAS

Reviewed Dy
GILBERT DOUGLAS
I AND OF PROMISE is the story Of
Ia Moses Mendel and his daughter
Esther; the tale of petty-bour-
geois Jewish family who seek in
Germany a haven from the post
war pogrofns Of Poland. They live
in Germany until the installation OF
Hitler, and then escape to France.
The story of the MendeIs-the jew
as Scapegoat everywhere-is natur-
ally overshadowed by the history Of
Germany in the past decade (the
rise Of Fascisn); for in this history
lies the story of thousands Of Moses
Mendels Ito say nothing of millions
Of workers of all faiths)
Given novel of such scope
both in points of time and ir1trin-
sic Importance 49, certain problems
must be faced by the author at the
outset. Three above all. There is
the question Of how to indicate the
passing of time; In other words, a
feeling for movement. There is the
question of that selection of Incl
dent which will best illustrate the
period: characters, mass movements,
and the like. Finally. there is the
question of interpreting the mate
rial; the ability to give events the
logic and inevitability and direction
which, when properly understood,
they possess. LAMA fulflls the
first condition very well (and for
our purposes we may leave the
point here; the second partially;
the third badly.
LAMA obviously knows the tragic
history of postwar Germany. In
memorable pages he sums up the
successive betrayals Of the workers
movement by Social-Democracy; in
equally vivid pages he traces the
spread of anti-semitism, the rebirth
of q deadly lingo spirit, the quick
Towering Of fascist ideas amongst
the bewildered, DECEASED petty
bourgeoisie. But Of the workers
movement directly and explicitly
there is nothing.
If the reader we're to rely on
Lania's history he would certainly
be led to believe that There was no
workers movement to speak Of and
that Fascism grew more or less
spontaneously; that it was not foS-
tered from above as result of the
pressure from below, but arose as
a movement independent of the
capitalists and in opposition to them
In short, LAMA has presented an
incomplete picture of the class an
tagonismS giving rise to Fascism.
To that extent he has fallen short of
historical truth and lessened the
impact his novel might otherwise
have made.
! OPPOSED to Lania's unconcealed
" contempt for Social Democracy
is his open sympathy for the Com
munists. But it is an admiration
warped by his lack of understand
ing of the entire revolutionary
movement; and this failure de-
termines his final judgment on the
workers movement. His argument
runs something like this: the Com
munists are the only ones Who have
shown militanoy, who know what
they want, who-if anyone can do
| the job-will lead the workers to
revolution.
But the reservation is aI1-impor-
tant. LAMA falls into that category
Of people who sincerely hate reac-
ton in all its forms, who ardently
desire a decent world to hive in.
but who feel that the fight is hope
less. Adninngly-and a trif1e Won
deringly-he speaks of the workers
faith, of their striving. of their de-
sire ito coordinate knowledge and
action, intellect and reality" But
in the same moment he speaks of
these endeavors as 80 pitifully
childish"
There is nothing to be done.
SO Moses Mendel and his daughter
Esther flee to France. And the
reader remembers: Moses Mendel
escaped the pogrons Of Poland only
to face those of Germany. Is this
the answer to the problem of anti
senlitisn? Is this the way in which
Fascism will be wiped out Of exis-
tence? Is this really the best LAMA
can offer as? Is this all we can
look forward to? The growth Of the
revolutionary movement in Ger
many, and throughout the world
have already outdistanced LAMA;
and will yet give him what he de-
sires despite himself.