NEW MILITANT SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 1936 PAGE MALCOLM COWLEY: Portrait of a Stalinist Intellectual The Saga of the Literary Cop Who Patrols the New Republic Beat for Stalin he so By FELIX MORROW their European stay.
Europe harness by those who were the officialties as a literary critic. The quals is that Marx and not any of his his metier. He can confront them tons of revolutionary theory. It An analysis is long overdue ve been for them a Roman Holiday: guardians of salvation by faith in ities he has displayed in fulfilling contemporaries is the intellectual only with attitude and attitudiniz what Cowley says about Trotaky the type mind which the Com in America they made a habitual Stalin and his works. Nor was this post as literary editor mark a leader of the working class. Cow. Ing.
were true, then we would have to munist Party has drawn to itself routine out of their petty vics. By only fear; there was also affinity. violent break with the previous lit ley probably does not know why Moreover, Cowley political mas radically revise our conceptions of from the middle class intelligentsia. 1938 they had pretty well exhaus. These intellectuals knew what it erary tradition of the New Repub. He cannot run the risk of attempt ten Terbide of analysis as the revolutionary process.
The latest and most shocking exted their febrile ingenuity and was to assume an attitude and to me. Compare him with his prede ing to say why, for fear of pulling a method in dealing with Trotsky) Revolutionists hold a Fery realample of the product of this mind were threshing about for new Hter refuse to defend it except by excessors. Francis Hackett was not a bowler. What then, does be do? and Trotskyism. The true bellev. istic view of the nature of revolaIs the attack on Leon Trotsky, Inary mannerisms.
blows; they had conducted their imagination and genial warmth, him for having written poetry when those who stand with him. They cratie control as compatible with literary struggles on that level. Philip Littell had a certain dry he was a very young man, and for shower abuse and denunciation of the fullest authority in the hands Table by its literary editor, Mal. The New Urge The irrationalism and bombast of acerbity and intellectual incisive having read Aeschylus (and in the vilest kind on Trotskyltes. of chosen leaders, and revolutioncolm Cowley.
The depression came close on Stalintem struck a responsive chordness which one could enjoy without Greek. praises him for being a in the Soviet Union they shoot ary advance as only possible when Mr. Cowley has for some years the heels of this search for new in the Cowleys, and they nestled accepting his Judgments, Edmund great lover, a Romantic rebel, a them, torture them, and imprison the leaders actually lead the rank been covertly stacking the cards styles to conquer, and further accomfortably and uncomprehending: Wilson was always distinguished persecuted soul; praises Frau Marx, them: In other countries, not least and file. It is our contention that against Trotskyism in his col. centuated the bankruptcy of their ly in the bosom of the stalinist for the lucialty and sympathetle too for being devoted wife. in America, they attacked our so long as democratic control reums. Now, at last, he has openly old literary schools. The anties of Church. They did not understand plausibility with which he rendered Threshing about for some way to meetings with clubs and brass mains alive in the revolutionary played his hand. In what pretends the lost generation ceased to be the theory of social fascism, but the visions of the great artists of connect Marx with what he (Cow. knuckles all in the name of the party, that will tend to put se nowe, Cowley Whits upon the revocation, de toutes naeven in the house beste inca dership forward.
to be a review of Leon Trotsky amusing even to themselves and defended it. They did not under our day.
The My Life six years after its pub their friends. The grim realities stand what the united front from Malcolm Cowley, however, is notion of pronouncine Marx to be were capable of carrying on an revolutionary struggle demands the lication. Cowley delivers himself of hunger, unemployment and per below meant, but they were sure completely incapable of handling the spiritual contemporary of ideological controversy with Trot best leadership available. Under of a personal distribe; nothing vasive economic insecurity crowded that it was a the thing. They did ideas. He cannot analyze them, Baudelaire and Flaubert. In his sky, therefore, Cowley mentors capitalist democracy and fascism, more venomous in tone, false in out of attention the petty feuds and not understand the implications of cannot play with them, cannot blundering way, Cowley has plcked would forbid it.
puppets may rule the leading strings are pulled from behind. But been published against Trotsky. mians, Paristan expatriates and what was good enough for the consequently, he is compelled to ferent ways the precise antithesis Everything Goes the revolutionary struggle, a strugsm outside the official Communist art for artsakers. Generous ad Daily Worker was good enough for confront ideas with attitudes usu to Marx. The revolution of 1848.
Ele conducted by the vanguard of arty press.
vances from publishers, good fees them. If this seems exaggerated, ally irrelevant to the subject mat which brought Marx to revolution Cowley cannot, however, adopt the proletariat, can The significance of his review from magazines and lecture buone has only to turn to one of Mr. ter of his criticism, and asserted ary maturity, left Baudelaire an his masters methods against Trot. cessfully only under outstanding does not lie in the actual influence reaus came to an end for many of Cowley literary efforts as proof.
Mr. Cowley exerts among intel them; not a few faced actual ecowith precision. This gives to all cultivated a philosophy of personal public. First, because the liberalof his criticism the characteristic isolation and the cult of literature istte tradition still formally re Titanic Task ther, is an illustration resultatene up hey have deca outbe, postwar years Cowley Spills the quality of bluster. For bluster al for its own sake: he became one of tains the doctrine that discussion of mind which has espoused Stal uncomprehending, among starving Beans ways results, when an attitude the gods of the Left Bank pantheon of differences should be conducted The demands made upon revoluinism. He himself is undoubtedly multitudes in the European capl even a valid one is defended with of Cowley post war years. An on a rational basis. Second, be tionary leaders in the hour of the unconscions of what he represents: tals. Now, however, hunger and At the time of Hitler coming to out insight, without qualification, other analogy of Cowley 1 worth cause to attempt in liberal circles conquest for power are truly awefor, as we shall see the character insecurity were striking themselves power, the Stalinists were private and without imagination. One can noting because of its perfect inepti to assert that Trotsky is a counter inspiring To be able to estimate of his talents and the specific set or their friends. Their prycholo ly saying that there had been no almost predict in advance what tode. After the defeat of the revo revolutionary would only provoke the epoch, the year, the day, alof his emotions, as well ns the qual gical compulsion to find refuge and chance of a German revolution. Cowley will say and how he will lution of 1848, he likens Marx to howls of laughter. The liberal most the hour at which to strike: ity of his mind, render him consti emotional security in a world which that if there were a slight chance say it. For his attitudes are for Lucifer proclaiming to his folowers,(who is also a bourgeois) has a to drive through the party an actutionally incapable of understand had collapsed around their ears it was not worth taking because it mulated for him by political agen. All is not lost: the unconquerable pretty clear picture of what the ceptance of that estimate: to weaking the implications of the polit was intensified a hundred fold. But would disturb the status quo and cles, even for works of literature. Win, etc. At that moment, in acclass lines are. He knows that en the opposing forces by every ical phrases he uses and the posi their new orientation, like the old lead to a European war which and within the limits of his under tual fact, Marx was belaboring Trotsky is a revolutionist and possible method before coming to tion in which they place him.
was hectic and unreflective, and would interfere with the Five Year standing applies them to every those emigres who were exalting blood and bone of the proletariat. a test of armed strength; to rally equally exhibitionistic.
Plan. Pablicly, of course, the Stal work upon which he feels called the Will and thus confounding their it is for this reason, Indeed, that the myriad masses for that test, The Lost Generation It became fashionable to take inists were shouting that the revo upon to pass judgment. These at desires with the state of actual at. so many liberals feel more friendly which lasts not one day or one bat.
positions avowals won not by lution was on the order of the day, titudes Cowley calls Marxian. Since fairs. One could go on like this to Stalin than to Trotsky: Stalin, tle but years of civil war and inMr. Cowley has called himself a study or reflection, but suggested by that Hitler would not last the next they are reached not by thought from sentence to sentence; for Cow. apostle of the international status tervention; to lay the foundations member of the lost generation the dramatic possibilities of the sit. month, that already the masses but by his sense for the dramatical ey cannot write a line even about quo, is closer to them politically of the workers state even before (the phrase is Gertrude Stein untion and by what literary friend were girding to smash him, etc. ly appropriate, he invests them the personal details of Marx life Cowley can scarcely attempt to the enemy is entirely vanquished: The lost generation consisted of or foe was doing. Some became etc. The real line was for private with the patter and jargon of Marx which does not cry for correction. peddle the usual Stalinist balder in the midst of civil war to call that specific group of post war in Catholic. Some became Babbitarian distribution only. Cowley showed ism without any conception of the Not a word has he to say, how dash about Trotsky: for a bour together the vanguard of the world tellectuals who were unable to in Humanists or Southern Agrarians, how little he understood by blun real meaning of Marxian principles. ever, about Marx idens. Marx seois liberal audience, he requires proletariat and organize the nstegrate themselves in relation to Some became Communists. Some deringly giving away the real line metaphors? Yes. But the sense of a different kind of clap trap. sault on all the citadels of capitalther social environment. They became Communist because others (New Repubile, April 12, 1983. Cowley as a Thinker the metaphors? Cowley finds no The tisual Stalinist methods are ism throughout the world such could read no pattern into the war had become Humanist, and vice Trotsky alternative policy, room for that, in the longest review certainly not too low for Cowley. were the tasks of the Bolshevik and its aftermath of imperialism, versa.
with its continual threat of war In other words, Cowley has made of the season. Reading Cowley He uses them himself, he solidarl leadership from 1917 to 1923. These revolution and counter revolution; Gorham Munson, whose career 0, shattering of status quo a theory of criticism out of his in review, in fact, one would get the ses himself with them, outside the tasks could have used supermen; and they sought to escape from capacity to think Or if he thinks, impression that The Life of Marx pages of the New Republic. The fortunately there were geniuses to what they could not understand. so closely rallels Cowley s, and would be justified only in case thinks (so to speak) with his was a series of dramatic actions by murder and Imprisonment of Bol do them, men who were intellectual It is even too flattering to imply with whom Cowley and his friends there was an imminent chance of guts. Like most viscerally minded a romantic man of letters. That shevik Leninists in the Soviet Un glants and proletarian revolution somewhere hearted, men selffrequently found themselves in that they sought to understand and the West. Can it be reason people, he is baffled by ideas and Marx was a revolutionist 18 men son does not stir him from his com less enough so that they could be could not; thelr course was rather critical and even in physical comarguments.
ably expected?
Unable to respond on tioned only once, and then with a placency. He has never been known transformed into the embodiment a purely emotional refusal to come ling through all the coteries of litbat, is a case in point. After passNo, sad Cowley. And in the the level, his esponses sneer, as if that was the least sig. to object to thuggery used against of the historical process. Who was to grips with the life around them.
and he is over. nificant aspect of his thought and Trotskyltes in America. After Trotsky? In those heroic six years They regarded politics as a mys brought him to Irving Babbitt re est (because unconscious) state whelmed with a sense of frustra life. He was above all a revo the 111 famed Madison Square Gar Lenin Trotsky was the synonym Bohemia, the depression sume piece he gave one of the bald came blocked tery or bore. The American actionary Humanism and finally, ments of the Stalinist theory of tion which can only be listed by lutionary as ten thousand people den aftalr, when John Dos Passes of the revolutionary movement.
scene was something to run away to the Social Credit Utopia of Mas revolution. The American prolesome violent release of energy. have quoted from Engels address and other writers addressed let According to Cowley the man en from, if you had the money. They jor Douglas.
tariat is weak, sald Cowley. But his left Bank literary days, he at the grave. One is a revoluter to the Communist Party pro trusted with these sigantic respon eat around, these literary people, the word intellectual implies a Malcolm Comes to. In this country is not the weakness blow or a night or, as he has con temperament something like being slaught on the Socialist meeting was a peacock and a mountebank of the proletariat; it is rather the fessed, by threatening to beat the poet. Ideas have nothing to do Cowley refused to sign the letter Is this not the ugliest libel on the did not have In the European cap. Stalin strength of the middle class. How, head off a hostile critic like Ernest with it.
or to make any protest. As a mem revolutionary movement?
itals, and the great post war mass then, win the middle class? The Boyd. But in print, the violent re with an eye on those Trotsky ber of the editorial board of the movements swept by their cafe Cowley was among those who classle Marxist answer is that a case of energy by which he breaks itex who are always giving him Book Union, Cowley countenanced An Ugly Libel tables and the Cowleys had not the proceeded to avow Communism. powerfully organized and deter the impotence produced by argu a pain in the neck by answering the publication of Barbusse Stalfaintest inkling of what it all They did not know what it was but mined proletariat will draw to it mentis accomplished through the slanders of the stalinist press, in, a combination of fantastic adul With some people, it is more immeant. They looked upon indivi. they had a notion that on the po sell all those elements of the mid labuse or denunciation or their cowley tries to make Marx out as ation of Stalin and character assas portant to watch their fingers than duals who concerned themselves litical scene it corresponded to Idle classes which have similar eco Quivalent in innuendo. Most often a man too proud to answer those sination of Trotsky that is so re listen to their arguments, Trotsky with social problems or actively what surrealisme represented onomic interests with the proletariat this means that when Cowley must who denounced him. Marx dia pulsive, that even the more sophis once said. Cowley is an example participated in the class struggle as the literary scene. It was extreme and which functionally and cultur review a book of Ideas. he will not answer these personal slanticated Stalinists are embarrassed in point. His portrait of Trota species of cultural barbarian. It broke with everything. It sim ally stand to gain under socialism. write about its author. If he can dors, says Cowley mugly and by it. Only a few weeks ago, be sky is built up by downright misThose were the herole days of the plified things and made possible The struggle to win the middle deliver some thwacking slaps at wrongly. It would be truer to say fore the collapse of the Stalinist representation of what Trotsky Communist International: the al dramatic gestures which cost very classes begins with the organization the author, or the author grand that Narx never failed to answer slander that Trotsky was writing says. We can take space only for ternative destinies of Europe were little. It rada liturgy whose rhet of the proletariat. Not so for Stal father. he feels he has delivered any one who attacked him, even for Hearst, Cowley was hawking a few choice examples.
poised on the edge of a knife; all orie left something to be desired, inism and Cowley: the only thing himself of his critical obligations those who, like Vogt. Ruge and this slander around in literary cir In effect, this book is unjust who had eyes could see that the but which did have some fine that can turn us aside from that lately, he talks about the author Bakunin, specialized in slander. cles. This is the measure of Cow to Trotsky and makes him seem future of humanity, of culture, was strong words like class struggle, steep path into the sex (Fascism) class without even attempting to ractically everything Marx wrote ley. The only reason he does not smaller than life. In effect, it with the masses. But to the Cow. proletariat. and revolution. It is the influence on the middle class establish an organic connection be was an answer to somebody. write as he talks, is that he can reduces his tragedy to the dimenleys the masses were an object was at least as autoritarian as the cx of the Russian experiment, the ween the ideas and the class.
get away with it in the New Repub sions of a personal quarrel. This of distaste.
Hunnium and Catholicism of tees of socialism one coun caso in point that comes to Discovering Trotsky lic, and that his usefulness to the Is partly the result of a story Stalinists at this stage lies in add that he brings forward to explain their literery foes, thus providing try. The only thing! Never mind is Cowley review of a book The Bohemian Life then with the emotional refuge was stalinism stated more buldly en Pareto, areto is meat for a His review of Mebring Marx, ing his outside voice to theirs. his fall from power. It seems they sought. Yet It was much more or indeed, stapidly: for to put Marxist. It is an easy task for according to Cowley, brought a In a pinch, Cowley will even deny that when he was a second year Intellectuals consisted in the or Kenneth Burke, has explicitly for how away.
The Civilized life for these exciting. close friend of Cowles. Il such terms gives the whole any competent Marxivt to evaluate nuery from a reader who wanted that he is a Communist meaning student in an Odessa high school, Pareto ideas and show that they to know why, it Marx was great that he does not carry a member the boys Enve a concert to an cannot adequately neemt the beenuse of the things recounted ship card. He is more useful with unpopular teacher. dozen of with a ritual of gin, fornication and tous comprench to communism in Criticism a Crime them were caught and punished, structure and development of any about him by Cowley. Trotsky was out one.
dandited rowdyism, which permit many recent articles.
social Institution. But all that not entitled to the same kind of but Trotsky, the bright student, reest personal expression It painting Russia as a paradise Cowley could grasp about Pareto homage. This, says Cowley, led Character Assass was not suspected. particularly to everyone. Dvery fad hnd its own The Cowleys were genuinely sur stupid and lisagreeable boy coterie and its own catch words of prised when the Communist Party, is the way to stop Fascism and is that a Marxist cannot accept his him to read Trotsky My Life And he promptly pro and to review it in the New Re ination named Danilov was so jealous of his intellectual prestige and so of sterile excitement these coteries ers and at that time none among of the Stalinist bureaucracy be ceeds to annihilate Pareto by public of April crime. The distinction be some choice epithets about Pareto It is significant of Cowley menCowley comes on stage, therefore, angry at his going scot free that would dissolve in a quest for new the stylized intellectuals, greeted comes hostile bourgeois criticism pretensions and difficult terminolo tality and of his purpose that he with his neutral make up, on, and he accused him of being responsible for the whole affair and isins. Everything was at a premium slving then a political education and revolutionary Alarxist criticism Ex. No argument, no development of does not refer to the voluminous regretfully reports that Trotsky and teaching them a little mental of Stalinisin is a distinction which the Marxist position to understand political writings of Trotsky which Autobiography is a disappointing the bright student was expelled.
even though several friends came The one member of the lost gen atselpline ned them ex window. The Contestare finere publes of monk which the poor fellow pafufully have appeared in the six years book. Why? There then follows Any statement of doubt or scans every copy of the Dails since My Life was published. an essay portraying a vain pea to his defense. Such. Trotsky eration who really possessed cre Communism came to the Cowleys Tientament. Unable to defend what not even the faculty of stating in ptece on Trotsky does not obscure poseur and ham actor whose name The malicious dishonesty of his cock, indeed a megalomaniac, a says, was the first political test underwent. He believes that ative talent of a high order. Ernext with the suddenness of religious they believe, they turn upon distelligibly the position with which Cowley specious pretense of ob is Trotsky. This approach is call the pattern established in Odessa Hemingway, was the minnesinger, conversion and like all ww con the inmortalizer of the group. The vert to a gripe their zealotrynting views with fierce impa he disagrees.
jectivity. He says he found his culated to reach an audience of was repeated all through his life, Sun Also lises was an unforget wak in inverse proportion to their sienteret for use the learned about to Towards an Under Therefore asset myself the task of tion of Marxist standpoint with reader letter perturbing and liberals, who have not the informa and that Stalin, whom he calls the outstanding mediocrity in the This was amusingly clal and political problems; they bohemianism, their complete lack evident in their reactious to Love.
reading and reporting on Trotsky which to detect Cowley nimble Party played the same ignoble of social or personal responsibility, stoneite Hacialists, and those who want only the luxurious emotional standing of Marx My Life. Thus, he seeks to finger work.
role as Danilov. Other Bolsheviks their utter disintegration and hope were defending Trotsky against the security they have won by their evoke the atmosphere of an unpre. The attack on a man character helped Stalin because they were lessness. In Farewell to Arms, malicious slanders of the Stalin new allegiance the labor of think But it is when Cowley reviews Judiced Judge, who is sifting the is one which, if plausible, makes a pecoming self satisfied Philistines Hemingway explicitly stated ints. The Cowleys did not know ing ist too high a price to pay for books on Marxism that he reveals evidence in order to come to a fair deep Impression on liberals. The and were made uncomfortable by through the mouth of his chief what it was all about, but they the truth.
himself most, as in his piece on decision. This plece of chleanery reason for this is simple enough Trotsky revolutionary virtue.
character, the lost generation dis were irritated whenever serious ditXote what happened when the the English translation of Franz on Cowley part is not fortuitous: In bourgeois politics, the political. But most people accept a diftrust of abstract ideas and conferences arose. It only, they groaned line of the Communist Party Mehring blography of Karl Marx. It is a necessary part of the job differences between opposing groups ferent explanation of his fall, and tempt for thought Hemingway mingly. these eternal quibbles changed and all the earlier dogmas To rend Mehring book for the he wants to do on Trotsky. are generally insignificant; and the one that makes him seem more himself made great literature out would let 1! They read little of except the infallibility of Stalin first time is a profound intellectual An honest controversialist would liberal, 1s sophisticated enough to important. Trotsky originated of the chaos about him. Creative Marxist literature and understood were thrown into the discard. With experience for any intelligent rad. have no need of such devices. realize this fact. His choice in pol and refused to abandon the idea writers and artists are never lost loss. Some leaders of the Commu uut sopping so much as to draw a cal; the book is one of the most trained Marxist is fair enough to itics narrows down. therefore, to of the permanent revolution.
They are sustained by their work. nist Party had at the outset enter breath, or change their tone, or attractive introductions to the in his opponent to state the latter choosing the best men. And (My emphasis. But the group of which Cowley is tained the fear that these Intellec give any reasons, the Cowleys con tellectual life of Marx and his position accurately and to use since he will not draw the neces The interested reader will not representative substituted dramatte tuals would try to function as in tinued their chorus of amens to the epoch. It is notable for the way against him accurate and relevant sary consequences, the liberal con realize the enormity of Cowley symbols, through conspicuous forms tellectuals, ie, think. They were pronouncements of Browder and in which it weaves a skill ul pat material; but he disdains to simu tinues to look for men of charac dishonesty in the above paragraph of public exhibitionism to get the soon reassured It became clear that Hathaway. Instead of the dicta tern out of Marx ideas and activi late a neutrality he does not feel. ter eren after it has become abun unless he compares the phrases assurance that they, too, counted their whole nast had failed to pre torship of the proletariat, the cry ties. Mehring presents Marx This method of polemic has brought dantly evident that his yesterday emphasized with those portions of in the world.
They possessed no pare the Cowleys for such a func. now became the People Front ideas in their time and context. Ich results in clarification of choice may be a fine man but must Trotsky book which they purport creative talent, and their headless tion: only the most rigorous re all the people, including Repub evaluates them, does not hesitate thought and enunciation of post carry out his class role. These to deal with. Trotsky book, thodgh Ferdination of this song terature about training could have transformed licans and Democrats, not to speak to take the not always happily tions; it is the method of Marx considerations make the question of couched in the form of an autoblotheir work personality profoundly important graphy, gives a great deal of space themselves.
Communist Party would not and somersault was not unlike those of the least one could expect of a is written from this standpoint. to the liberal. That is why Amer to the struggle between Leniniam When the European currencies could not give them such a train their literary past, when the slo critic of this book hot to speak of But this method is a closed book loan capitalist politics is so large and the post revolutionary reaction were finally stabilized and these lit ing.
gans of objectivism followed the a Marxist critic Is to describe to Cowley. Its primary requisitely a campaign of character assas and its expression in the theory erary Valutasehweine (as the Gerslogans of expressionism without these extraordinary qualities of the is the mastery of ideas and the abilsination. And that is why Cowley of socialism in one country. So mans mtterly named those who Love at First Sight very much concern for meaning or work, to make a concise statement ity to weave them together, counter. chose this device with which to much so, indeed, that Trotsky finds fattened on unfavorable rate it necessary to explain this in the of exchange) regretfully returned Moreover, to their ignorance and It is only in relation to the fore thought of mankind and to attempt to facts and modify them when But to Marxists. Cowley por. Foreword: to America, they transplanted their unwillingness to learn, was added going background that Cowley to summarize no matter how brlet facts so dietate. In the light of our tralt of Trotsky is not only a have dealt In especial detail cliques and brawls and gin parties. the fact that Cowley and people type and its significance can be un ly the significance of Marx ideas. analysis of Cowley and his type, it slander against Trotsky himself with the second period of the soTheir American period was perhaps like him feared nothing more than derstood. This background has ac Cowley ideo phobia prevents is clear that this method is allenbut, much more important, it is a viet revolution, the beginning of even ugller and tawdrler than being thrust into the outer dark centuated his personal characteris him from even suggesting why it to him. Dealing with ideas is not slander against the very founda. Continued on Page 3)
the tween