From War Plays to Jazz August 16, 1910 Pure to THE COMMUNIST ing jazz number appeals only to old women. And the hootchie kootchie danes formerly exhibited only in questionable It was Karl Marx who declared that positive factor thus far in capitalism side shows is now wriggled in the lead.
the prevailing ideas of any given epoch reconstruction program is the desire to ing ball rooms of the nation. In a de.
are the ideas of the ruling class of that destroy the proletarian revolution in generate society degenerates hold sway period. The moment the ideas of the Russia.
and the slogan of capitalism should now To accomplish this end there ruling class ceases to hold sway in the are no depths of human depravity to minds of a larger portion of people con scenario writers will not sink in order to which the lickspittle playwrights and be All power to the degenerates.
No possible stimulus will ever revive stituting a given society a period of reyolution ensues in which that society is misrepresent the proletarian revolution capitalism and its crumbling institutione annihilated.
In reviewing the history of capitalistic far there has been one redeeming feat rapid y sinking to the lowest depths pos society and its apparent contradictions ure about these anti Bolshevik plays, sible. Neither science, literature, musie or art can advance until capitalism has they have all been such atrocious and in the process of its development one been destroyed.
cannot help but note the manner in palpable lies that even the gullible AmerIt is only in a new society, freed from which all institutions change to conform ican theatregoer resents them as an inthe fetters of class rule, that intellectual to the new demands of the ruling class.
sult to his alleged intelligence.
This adaptibility is particularly obvious The confusion, hesitancy and anarchy advancement can take place. Play in the capitalist press and in the church.
of this society as it approaches destruc wrights of the future will not exist by But equally as efficient as a reflex of the tion is visibly reflected in the amusement prostitution to a ruling class, but will truthfully depict life as it really is.
world. Unable to cope with the vital ideas of a ruling class is the theatre.
Sometime within the next decade some problems that confront the world today, Before the war the public was surthis institution with the class it serves, playwright, as yet unknown, will write feited with hundreds of superficial plays sinks into idiocy. As a substitute for a war play and use for his topic the based upon the sloppy sentimentality of jingoism in the amusement world we saturnalia of agony and ashes and bloodthe eternal triangle. In a thousand now have jazz music and shimmy shed from which we have just emerged, variations the matrimonial shipwrecks dances. These barbarisms could only wherein will be depicted the real incencaused by two women in love with a man tives and issues involved. Then will be originate in a degenerate society. From or two men in love with a woman were depicted, invariably closing with the the vile dens of the degenerate Turks laid bare the sordid motives of capitalist vindication adventurous showmen used to secure imperialism which plunged the workers of bourgeois morality. hootchie kootchie dancers for the pur of the world at each others throats and Which of the three should be shot, or pose of cajoling the dimes out of the the words making the world safe for hanged, or exiled depended entirely upon the viewpoint of the playwright pockets of the rural population of the democracy will be the signal for conand the ingenuity with which he manip country. These exhibitions were usually temptuous and derisive laughter.
concealed in alleys behind circus tents The proletarian revolution comes, not ulated his characters.
After the declaration of war the the. however, the musical comedy or vaudeand were considered indecent. Today, only as the emancipator of the worker, but as the saviour of human society. atre, like the press and pulpit, schools ville performance without its shimmy and colleges, became an instrument of propaganda and we were assaulted with Czarizm in America deluge of war plays that for shallowness and artificiality eclipsed in stupid Alexander Stocklitsky, translator sec When it was apparent that he could ity anything ever previously attempted. retary of the Russian Federation, was furnish bail the Detroit officials evidentAny hack writer could write a war play arrested at Detroit, Michigan, on Friday, ly wired Chicago officials, as both Stokprovided his intellect was of that undelitsky home and office in Chicago were veloped type compatible with capitalist August 1st, as he was entering the House raided Monday afternoon and all his of the Masses to deliver a lecture. He personal papers and correspondence, jingoism. No matter how senseless the play or how atrocious the barnstorming was surrounded by a dozen police and even pictures, were taken.
of the actors, a liberal flag waving, in detectives and without any explanation The principal charge against him terspersed with a generous damning of hurried into a waiting automobile and seems to be that he is active in the orthe Kaiser as the incarnation of evil, was taken to a police station. The privilege ganization work of the Communist Party sufficient the ensure its success. War of consulting a lawyer was denied him. of America, and those familiar with the plays were written, not because the play. The arresting party had no warrant, but tactics of the immigration authorities wrights had anything important to say after a few hours Stoklitsky was in realize that a strenuous effort will be about the war, but because of a commer formed there was a presidential war made to deport him to the land of Kol.
cial calculation that they afforded the rant somewhere for him and that he chak. The United States government is most easily interesting topic for exploi. was charged with violation of the immi using this tactic to rid itself of some of tation.
gration act, or in other words considered in the vaudeville theatres acts that its political enemies, and every official an undesirable alien.
connected with the government knows under other conditions would have been He was searched at the first police hissed from the stage were inflicted upon station and then during the night was that deportation of a man like Stoklitsky the public under the guise of flag wav transferred a number of times from one to the territory controlled by the Czarist, ing patriotism. Thousands of ribbon Kolchak, means the firing squad.
station to another. The authorities were clerks and hash slingers became actors evidently afraid some effort would be It is the same tactic used by this govovernight, covering their defects as sing made to secure his release and were deernment in the deportation of the hiners and actors with a generous supply termined to hold him as long as possible. executed every Hindoo who has been dedoos to India. The British war lords have of red, white and blue bunting.
None of his associates could learn of his The signing of the armistice was also whereabouts or the nature of the ported from this country that we have the signing of the death warrant for the charges.
any record of. The same tactic is now He was finally taken to the war play. In a few short weeks the war department of justice, where he was to be used, with Kolchak as the executioner.
play fell into such disrepute that the held for five hours and later to the managers of theatres had to solemnly As rogues gallery and questioned by de stop. These soldiers in the ranks of the COMRADES! This deportation must sure the public through the advertising tectives, who hurled the vilest conceiv. army of the revolution must not be sacra colunms of the press and the billboards able epithets at him, alternating their that their attraction was NOT WAR personal insults by indulging in obscene ficed to these international executionen.
PLAY!
tirades against the Bolsheviki.
Arrange protest meetings and let your The ruling class is now voices be raised against these crimes.
confronted Monday morning, after being held with the problem of reconstruction, but three days incommunicado, bail was beAlso get busy immediately and raise the theatre and other institutions, which cured and at six o clock in the evening ing this and other cases. Sead all codefense funds for the purpose of defendserve the interests of capitalism, seem ho was released from custody. His hearunable to originate anything that will ing before the immigration authorities tributions to Stllson, Treasurer, Do fense Fund, Communist Party of Amor serve to enthuse the masser. The only It set for August 20th.
ica, 1221 Blue Island Ave. Chicago, Il.