Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-07

York. She was not equipped
to challenge this Marxist i'm
depreciation of poverty, mass
joblessness. and war. She
idealized me and / idealized
her.
Not many days passed be-
fore she said:
LET me help you In your
work."
Firelei was not a Commu-
mist. Her free-and-easy ma
ture rebelled against being
made a cog in an organization
where blind obedience and
totality of leadership were
paramount. She volunteered
her help out of new feeling
of comradeship, and out of an
altruiStic desire to alleviate
the suffering of helpless
people.
l strove to keep her away
from the ugly phases of Com
munist practice. She painted
posters, drew caricatures and
designed decoration schemes
for the International Clubs.
She became fascinated by
motifs that had hitherto lain
completely beyond her hori-
zon. Her work had originality
because she knew nothing of
the Russian pattern, and it
soon attracted The attention
of the propaganda Depart
ment of the Western Secre-
tariat. s.g..
IGNORED INQUIRY
"WhO Is the cOmrade who
can draw so wells" asked a
letter from Berlin.
/ ignored the inquiry. Fire
lei was more interested in the
consultations of lines and
colors, and the effects they
could exercise on the emotions
including her own, than in
the strategy and tactics OF
political conspiracy.
We discovered that we had
in common a love of the sea.
of growing things, and of a
life of motion. Each week l
deserted my Comintern duties
for one day to hire a boat and
60 sailing with Firelei on the
lower reaches of the Schelde.
At times we sailed to Wis
singer for a walk over the
dunes and to spend a night
around a fire on the beach.
We swan, won friends among
fisherfolk, made love, dug for
clans, and I taught Firelei
what I knew of the stars and
planets overhead For the
moment we asked no more.
We belonged to each other.
UNCLE ANGRY
Firelei's uncle grew more
belligerent each time his niece
returned home defiantly. /
came to regard him as my
personal enemy. Most Flem-
ings are easy-going. but they
can be brusque and harsh
when their own interest or
me honor or their clan Is In
volved. The retired sea cap
tain at first only threatened
to send Firelei back TO her
parents in Mainz. AS the girl
continued to defy his ideas of
properiety, he resorted TO vio-
lence. One day Firelei came
10 me pale and disturbed
Uncle Bert has tried TO
lock me up" Her laughter
had family historical note.
IL did not permit II anda he
beat me. What shall do
now ."
"MOve out" I said. make
no concessions. Bring him to
his knees"
where should I go?"
"To me-"
Naturally. But they'll stop
my allowance"
Freedom Is worth more
than money"
But you've barely enough
to live-on yourself"
II was true. The larger
part of my monthly salary
dribbled away to meet unex-
pected organizational ex-
penses, and there were months
in which / received no pay at
all. The Comintern had way
of demonstrating to its en-
ployes their dependence on
the treasures in Moscow and
Berlin by sudden stoppages Of
subsidies. Such porad &c
periods of penury were 10y
atty test devised by the thrifty
Piatnitzky. However, they
never lasted longer than a
month.
NlOHl haID
"When YOU and are to-
gether, there's no obstacle we
cannot overcome" / said 10
Firelei.
Firelei's uncle refused 10 AL
low her 10 take her belongings
from the house.
Beware Of the sailor" he
warned her. "Only a renegade
discards his home" l mobil-
lied a squad of Communist
longshoremen for a night raid
on the old sea captains house.
Firelei's belongings. which in
cluded several trunks full of
books. were transferred with
out a serious mishap to my
quarters under the roof a six
story tenement facing Ant