Submission to Moscow - A Review of fhi Davies Film
LOW, MATTHEW
Submission to Moscow - A Review of fhi Davies Film By MATTHEW LOW uissfox rayUoetxm. a wam*r ?™. ??? Production, Starring Walter Huston. Ann Harding, Vscar Holnslka. Written by Jo*** K. Davits,...
...The Old Order ami the New Sosists/, which apportions the blame for the war net solely agon the back of German militarism, but also...
...Alexander Lotsdon, that German industry and its capital be plsced under the trusteeship of an international corporation with ???-Ax is industrialists in control, has received wide comment and the editorial approval of Walter Lipn-mann...
...A woman over te the aal quipped...
...correspondent who has been over the reute attest* that, (Aad anyway, the real Mr...
...and the C.I.O...
...The war was ensdessftftft aad German youth* were urged to establish · now Europe...
...Tbe «tadent body issued two tracts...
...We are more than certain that the Convention win call upon the Workmen's Circle as a whole and on its branches to strengthen their efforts in this direction...
...The Workmen's Circle as an integral part of American labor and as an important component of the Jewish people, comes to the present Convention with a splendid record of constructive and definite achievements in behalf of the war effort of our country and the United Nations...
...The foils* Uadoreroasd hi this Russian-Peitab denote nearly all ·#» to rial comment has completely by-passed ft lifld ficant factor in the situation that will...
...It is a handsome, well-tailored production...
...The basic ste4...
...It all adds up to sn impossible bare, la absurd aa a movie aa ? Is fraudulent aa a documentary...
...Too strong and too strange even for addicts of fantasy, not to speak of truth-loving Americans, Mission to Moscow began its motion-picture ran tide weak before as audience that waa stunned st the shocking all-out character of the defense of Stalinist foreign policy, Stalinist domestic policy, and the personal dictatorship of Josef Stalin himself...
...Its contact with the underground movements 1n the various countries occupied by the Nazis, its relief work to the needy 'n Soviet Russia, its contribution...
...Tbe last Convention was held in Chicago in 1941, and although the war was already visible on our horizon, no one could then predict its outbreak...
...A* ia the Davies booh, Schacht seems to be the ex-Ambaseador't idea of s swell Darlsn-Peyreuten I On the train te the Russian frontier: the Davies slap off their car, having hang fapjulheri on "ersatz eggs...
...And it is all the mere pernicious because Hollywood has brought ft to the screen not as a romantic vehicle nor even as a Actional historical drama—but as a practically straightforward documentary...
...LaborTeader and «? chairman of the Workers' Defease...
...greater weight and respect when tbe wort a* reconstruct!ca begins: the heroic undergreMf workers' movement of Poland...
...It purports to be a literal transcription of what went on in the League of Nations,.in Berlin, in Stalingrad, in Moscow at the time of the Purge Trials, in diplomatic circles at the time of appeasement, in Washington on the eve of war...
...The roots ef bratahty are ant tint product af par nation's soil...
...It interrupted a noted development in the expansion of oar Youth and English-Speaking Division as far - ss - membership is concerned...
...bis wife by Ann Harding, and Maxim Litvinoff by Oscar Homolka...
...In the case of Dr...
...It was ? gross under-est...
...Anti-tank trenches were dug, heerkunMe erected tp the city's QptsJrhrto...
...Ribbentrop never met Bnkharin (not even tbe Trial Record claimed chat...
...Incidentally, m that Polish seeae the picture has a map exploding with fire-but the lasses ask only tbe Western ead of Poland, indicating tbe Nazi advance...
...All of them are so busy talking or listening that nobody baa an opportunity to act Everybody makes a long speech...
...1 hour ? ? minutes...
...The Labor Party conference last year supported the truce only by the smallest margin...
...low don's ? reposal is that the German Army, banking and heavy industry would gbidjiy accept Dr...
...This is clear reaction to the challenges which Labor independents have been tossing out te the Government policy of truce Waich has been maintaining old-line Tories and reactionaries in power year after year...
...The President who was sn old friend, finally found a job big — for Little Pal Jcey...
...Warner Bros., apparently pushed on by official* in national and international circles, spared no expense...
...chemical and oil industries of Europe hare been absorbed into German concern* (Gearing, I. G. Farben, Continental Oil...
...tinas afcVMnt...
...And last week, the New York ??*«* «**?> ¦pondont in HtBstboaa reported ft aha tier event, more signiftcant la that it Was smuggle*- past tb» curtain af ecxvseeaaip sent ^w«**« that hmstatjk of sach incidents may be oecermg sn Germany...
...ef Posaad, "Our fill unship t* cemented with bleed...
...Sidney Book I saw going «3 with a real stagger...
...Stalin, in song and story, . , 1 And I heard a matter, "My God...
...Under s democratic regime it has the potentialities of tremendously ine*eased production, lot this -aa only eome through a "social revolotoen" and the spciahaation of industry...
...London's proposal...
...Mowrer was scrntchrag hh head, and asked: "Do yon think Davies it reeib that innocent...
...Tbey would willingly accept a 49·· interest in ap international corporation nominated by Anglo-America ? industrialists than lose 100% of ?? their holdings through nationslisa-tmn of industry by a democratic government...
...The Workmen's Circle is also active in the Jewish Labor Committee, which is a constructive agency representing over...
...reiereaal to Tl ihstllll-aritisb'' mtrig-je is absent), eft* nipt deeasdeat* of the French, and fascists mm feels of the whom Amern* CongTnss, ?? ????* understood worm poll tie* cortactW--3 the spectacle of Dsvtue' egMsrr running *???|3 over the scree- s enouga ? mak« » *??|(3 person sick ™ A* for tbe claim that the ft m <ersiee af "Misalsa to Mssnw" "i» history exact*- ss he personally saw if—well, tbe biggest be* of ail are at Joseph Davie** keck and raQ...
...is made af MetetesT...
...The worst fears which have been expressed ia liberal aad labor circles have been eonfi rmed...
...Due to the courageous and heroic stand of Warsaw1...
...e « · Mad, exhausted and exasperated, I stumbha oat into the lobby of the Hollywood tari)tai A pair of innocent* in front ef me ssM"tm know, that was really s picture to think abed —it really bad something to say " . . Bseji me semeejie remarked...
...It was st time time that Erlieh and Alter were ? entered...
...Error No...
...As a result of this, several ambulances will be presented to the Red Cross during the present Convention...
...mate...
...The workers do not «urrendpr...
...The leaflets praised the met in $A* tecting the-girl student* and called for s f^blj recapture the right af tb> individual te adfttf bis own de*tiny "without which nc sStria«* saloon can be created...
...Everything is right . . but the facts...
...Gauleiter Gieeeler In a speech oh February 11 denounced women students ie* antog stadias at a pretext to* eape wsr ***w and aecmreo thsf ought tu sear ???-dran, even...
...He doesn't try to give us the Russian hero— but only because he never really got to know any people...
...Notwithstanding these difficulties, the Workmen'* Circle comes to its Convention with a members hip of 72,000, that is, without a loss in membership Tbe reports to the Convention will undoubtedly substantiate that the Workmen's Circle is playing an important part not only ia the social undertakings of the Jewish masses in the United States, but also that it plays an important part and is contributing tremendously to the cultural development of tbe Jewish masses in eur country...
...The picture version ef the Bertas book baa shaped up as a shameless sell-out of democratic valued aad historical truth...
...they rest is sll nations, waiting lor evil terpen of fascism to spar their grewfb • · * wesdbl ead rbo Lew One of the most deBetousiy burner sua stories ef tbe war was reported last week from Mew Delhi, India...
...During the year 1942, branches and members of the Workmen's Circle bought almost a million dollars of war bonds through the General Office...
...It seams that the leaders ef the Congress Party, including Gandhi aad Nehru, who have been imprisoned without trial since last September 8, were being held under a laar while Gandhi and his colleagues now stead illegally arrested, they are still ia Jail eh night and there is no evidence that they ass going to be released or tried...
...The Italians could not hard been so mad at the Russians aa the League seeae indicates—because the RassisnS...
...Some such setssn was expected...
...Workmen's Circle Holds 43rd Parley •y IfNJAMIN A. MtfMEJt Asst...
...Pearl Harbor made labor more aware than ever that if the fascists should dominate tile world, labor will lose more than any other part of the population...
...2: They step across the Suesiea border and there are people walking around with big plates of food, graciously offer them to tbe strangers, who stare, wide-eyed at the wonderful delicacies and through munching* mumble thrnr delight...
...I guess welt all Trotskyites now____" Next te me in the crowd for a few ailiinm were Edgar Ansel Mowrer and Sam Graftes ? the ?, ?. Post...
...Apart from this nsMive-tion, the effect of such a policy would be to intervene and halt any social revolution («haiag a-the natiopalizatien ef German industry), to "balkanise" s rationalized economy of Europe and to spresd the notion of Vansittartism an 1 innate German guilt In the January SO issue of The New Lead r this department carried a long analysis of the report on the Inter-AMied Information Committee on the penetration ef German capital into Europe...
...Surrender...
...Bat the jockeying around may mean that the electoral truce is facing a crucial test For the first time in six ?????, the Conservatives will hold an annual party conference next month...
...The packages, Newsletters and the general letter-exchange conducted by thg W. ? Service Clubs is winning praise from our members st home and in the service of «i>r country...
...Then on to the beat, and off first for Berlin...
...And it is about the issue*, of Peace, Appeasement, and War— as Stalin formulated them—as tbe Party Line changed them...
...There are new over twenty additional clubs in many cities...
...That's wf Underground Poland was born...
...LONDON, England.—A part from the question of the Weste ? ? offensive (and Lord Beaver-brook's sudden withdrawal from tbe *ˆcond-f ront campaign has ?? obvious significance), fireworks are expected for this spring snd summer in Britain...
...A new faith in liberty sndTn** dawns" ? said...
...Altho the Workmen's Circle as s Fraternal Organisation dee* not participate as such in political campaigns, the members of the Workmen'* Circle as well a.* its leadership considers itself in spirit and in actios as part of the Social ninmmtic Movement ? the United States and thu* the membership af the Wertmen's Circle and its leadership during the past few years, worked hand in bead with tbe Social Democratic force* in tbe United States...
...The second scene baa Davies with the President ia tint White House...
...The United States Treasury Department gave full recognition to the Workmen's Circle for this splendid record...
...Informed observers said that tbe Viesens, tbe Marquess of Linlithgow, could 'put me matter right' over night simply by issuing iin ordinance, which he has the right to ? under the broad power* vested in htm to...
...1 in this seeae: ?»··» feed » Poland, for tmlere at lees*, was plentiful aad excellent...
...Mission te Moscow" is net a motion -picture, it ia an ?? trage aad a national Brendel...
...What aims of eorngseat have the Nasss realised which the Germans have ? pursued fpr generatipna past end which, then add now have been aeciamied by the German masses f So, where Is the difference in this respect between Nazis and Germans...
...1W workers continue their fight' sab...
...One of the...
...i* represented as "a good guy" who merely happens to be surrounded by Nazis...
...out mar - age...
...elections...
...attitude csn chsnge if circumstances require it He baa watched with amusement the way in which Communists are now far more loyal to Churchill than most of hi* eoajerrattre followers...
...were sending oil for the Fascist machine invading Ethiopia, and as a matter ef fact the Communist Party broke the strike of Greek dock werken who had refused to hid Fascism' Nothing, of eeerse...
...Meanwhile, the Communists have been completely out of this issue, busy ss they are trying to win support for their admission into the Labor Party...
...Haile Selassie orates in Geneva", Stalin discourses in the Kremlin, Vyshjnsky sounds off in the coert-room, Huston burns up the sound-waves ia the U. S. capital...
...to Bolshevik Russia...
...flevorf AMtatf PemcJesn IN the pamphlet Italy Against...
...organization matters...
...For Mission te Moscow is not a film-.which tries to create friendship between the Russian and American peoples...
...Or as our coueague Matthew Low ouipned...
...There is a $5,000 WPB ceiling on scenic ugpsneei which was smashed sky-high, for what's a little legal misdemeanor among comrades...
...The entertainment to lue fat nil, bat ss I write I bear the morning Warnen commentators on the radio here gushing over the "inside revelations of thia amazing Mission...
...17...
...tbey do net appear In the bam...
...It opens with the appointment of Joe Davies, corporation lawyer...
...Last weak t|t Polish Labor Group here (at 56 West 42nd EM issued an attractive and stirring booklet csSjeft "Unconq.uered Poland...
...Joe Davies (except for a protogae, in which the ex-Ambassador gives himself an elaborate build-up as the Benjamin Franklin of the 20th Century) is played by Walter Huston...
...It is unfortunately the way in whiea too many of- ear diplomatic corps are selected...
...So far I have indicated the activities of the Workmen's Circles pertaining to the war effort and relief...
...Litvinoff was in official "disfavor," is at least one of the scenes where Davies has him making a big speech...
...It is not a film which tries to restate the common faith of common people...
...How little chance they have was indicated last week by the statement of Harold J. Laski, prominent left-winger...
...Tnai-Reeor...
...Dsvie* bad tahea along seteral refrigerators tall of delieaeiesU Error No...
...Marshal Takha-chevsky never confessed and never appeared in the Trial (he was taken care of "in camera") The detail* of Russian politics are in a similar ¦seas...
...Loudon's motivation is the fear of a German industrial phoenix rising from the ashes to being % third world war...
...What a fraud: What * terrible shame aad disgrace See —' «1...
...Prima Minister Churchill (in 1937 the arch political outcast) will address the conference as the party's leader...
...My notes which I scribbled in tbe daak at the press preview outlining the Moscow Farge Trials—the interpretation is straight from tbe GPU* file on Loon Trotsky, whom tbey murdered two fears ago in Mexico, aad now are gboutohly maligning...
...Loudon the proposal .t accompanied by a Vaasjttartian mentality, in the saw speech efffiaj for the creation of inter national corporation*, given before the Daughter* of the American Revolution ia Washington, the Dutch Ambassador says: '. -History teaches us that Prussian militarism haft enguHed Germany and the Pru»-siaahta«en of the German bum* has made Gerrnsox* an...
...Sehacht...
...e* ?? But s ward abbat the picture proper...
...Its documentary appearance is reinforced by the scrupulous way in which Haile Selassie, Laval, Stalin, Bnkharin, Roosevelt are cast, and the effectiveness of the news reel inserts of dramatic world incidents (which give the picture the only power it has...
...nation...
...Pank ?? -the 2ft* socket book edition of the Davies' beat sad yeall find eftViai report after report which stand as fiat deeSal ef the movie...
...The agenda has been worked np mainly under the influence of Lord Hinchmbrooke, who has farmed a "Tory reform" group ia the party...
...Mise-zyslsw Niedsmfkowski when be rgfaaM te sign the declaration of Warsaw* ssaitalfc tkm after a three-weeks' defense of the aim in September, 1939...
...the duration of the war...
...Very bad The Roosevelt voice was not an unreasonable imitation, but we trust that the President baa s conversational tone and doesn't utter every sentence ail dar in tbe "My Friends" vein...
...Mere teem all this, the him saaae* asaaa af the British (although al...
...Much more can be said about our participation in various agencies and services in behalf of the war effort...
...The picture is about officials— Stalin's officials—loyal officials...
...American labor began to prepare itself for the fascist onslaught on democracy...
...te Moscow" if yoe must, bat remember that " that kind ef "truth" is on the march, sat Heaven help us if nothing eaa step It...
...Many of our members have given brood for the Red Cross and it is worthwhile mentioning that we have almost 900 members in the armed forces...
...12«) anxtou* es entreaching theaserlvns is power" 171...
...Be then round tbe Trials -ahnet-ing** (p...
...American labor and Jewish labor foresaw many years ago the tragic consequences of the rise of Nazism...
...It the Hollywood Theatre i* Sew York City...
...The theme is struck on the opening page "'The worker* de not surrender...
...Both parties still have their arms formally interlocked in the Government Coalition, and don't seem anxious to let anybody know what the other hands are doing...
...We want our lib*** back...
...And that is where the crime lies...
...We gre confident that the Convention—the reports, the deliberation* and tbe entire spirit of T. —will manifest once again that tbe Workmen's Circle is an effective instrument in the fight for human rights, the war effort, in tbe struggle of the Jewish people every obere for survival and 'rue-dam...
...Needless to say that the war rendered difficult the conducting of an extensive organizational campaign...
...It is not a tribute to Russian sacrifices or Soviet heroism...
...There sin4 no such animal!'" I prefer (he mere reasoned anftiyst* of the roots ef the war made by the British Labor Party in its...
...Not a seeae, not a line rings tree...
...So the picture goes on...
...Ne one will forget how they supported tbe war from September ft, 1939, te October 7. 1939, then denounced It as an imperialist war until Jane 22, 1941, when it became a crusade...
...National Secretary, Workmen's Circle The 43rd Convention of the Workmen's Circle will open on Saturday, May 1st, in New York...
...This year's ceaf«reute i* now only five weeks away, and several federations and about 36 divisional labor parties hare filed motions demanding an end to the truce...
...The Convention will also devote considerable time to reports and plans on its own...
...tbft wemec »tade-" jeered sad ? men s t ? deft** formee protect lOemsdjip •olicsmxen charged- The next days chs.k ;n*er» tion* ep Munich boose waOft bore the waft*-"Revenge for Stalingrad...
...Edmund Wilson bsd ad in the seat next to me, and we bad ftnnofnj each other no end' all through with vionM and simultaneous squirming . . . What a hoax...
...Caldwell and Lend...
...Now come the ponderous upholders of tbe status qua oat* bellum to talk ef "international corporations," of the break-up of Girmen heavy ladustry...
...Let's look at the script...
...aad working through a "secret police Which is in the saddle aad riding hard" (p...
...So read the million -dollar publicity releases for the world premiere of Joseph E. Davies' Mission to Moscow...
...For two fnll hours the film compounded Be upon error, deceit upon misinterpretstion, . prejudice upon distortion...
...The report sbowed that the entire European economy, industry and finance had been almost completely overhauled and integrated into German cartel aad banking life...
...However, unless something unexpected happens, it is not likely that the challenge will be serious enough to be carried over the Labor Party's top Ministerial leadership...
...Voluntary contributions from members of the Workmen's Circle, sent to the'General Office during 1942, for the Red Cross Campaign, amounted to $10.000...
...to the valiant Red Army, its relief work for the oppressed and lub-jugatod Jewish people ia the nazi-occupied lands, is monumental...
...The fantastic paradox/ of Dr...
...after pi...
...A 1,000 Times Stranger, · 1,000 Times Stronger Than Fiction...
...Tbe solid trade-unionist is likely to remember how swiftly that...
...Tbe Deut tabs Bank eontroi* er dirpstly administers banks in nearly every large «Hg on the continent At the »ame time small beainees has seen pulverised aad the men squeeaed into the army or the factory a* industrial werker...
...Three Munich University students were saft-cuted, two ef them aoidiar* after student raw over the speech by a Nasi Gauleiter...
...Said Laski: "No one finds it sftey te believe that the Cem-psjnjst* want te eater the Labor Party te strengthen it No one seriously accept* their assurance that they can loyally abide by the Labor Party's constitution and policies...
...German tank*, rumbling into the weetesft sabinW on ??-' •ember 11, were beaten bach w4tk been tosses...
...Woman threw bottles of gaaptme at the teaks and sat them afire...
...gnibotinedAM ¦Wfttll of ftflftmoalt attivrcics1 he told A* "I am not a Communist, I am s Germa...
...At a terrifying inhuman cost Europe en* achieved en economic unity towards which it has been floundering for centuries...
...It was apt Lenin who conceived the First Five-Year Plan—hut Trotsky...
...The American Labor Party found in tbe Workmen's Circle member ship, understanding and cooperation...
...tbe inginarreset and (oacthm-ary force* in Britain aad France, as wail ap tbe U. S. that preferred a partnership with the Nazis rather than social change at home...
...1 * by the Italian anti-fascist mtdergreund publication Quadsrni Iteljsmi, edited by Brun* SaTo there is this striking thought section* of IteMb youth, completely eat off frees the oute«** 0*ep -„and the heritage of democratic thinking are tafft-ing anti-fascist in simple homanitari*- isgewfte to tbe blight of tbe fascist regime...
...India "V" stands for Vieereg...
...500,000 Jewish workers in the United States...
...It had nothing to do with "old friendship" which plucked «im etat of a uihntg trip to sehd him to the Kremlin...
...It did have spaatbing to do with the marriage to Marjorie Peat Button in 1935 and Democratic Party campaign finances...
...Tories Meet Labor Challenge to Election Truce by 'Reform Talk' HpldFirstParley In Six Years, Laski Hits C. P. Spseiql to ? as \*w...
...It supported The New Leader, the Social Democratic Federation and the President Roosevelt's New Deal candidate* in State, City and Feder...
...In the fight against Fascism, Nazism and anti-Semitism, the Jewish Labor Committee plays a unique role and conducts all its activities in dose cooper ? tion with the A.F.L...
...The enumeration of these contributions would occupy too much space...
...tee- Niedsialkowski was murdered by ? Germans in 1940...
...Clippings and Comment By Daniel Bell THE proposal by the Dutch Ambassador, Dr...
...AB is quiet oa tbe Eastern frent—although Stalin rushed in division sfter division...
...So off be goes...
...It is worthwhile to indicate that ambulances were also pre" sented to the Red Cross by the Workmen's Circle in Montreal, Toronto, Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles...
...Ml take about (9 weeks to get over this...
...Effective shots of Hitler and the unfokimg Nazi military power...
...4ft), instances ef "the tyranny af s state, a party, a maa" (p...
...people, the small but valiant gamsor ef the city could withstand the German presses* for three weeks...
...proteatjn| affa+net Nazism and its suppression ol indtehfpP thinking...
...D. C, know* why Joseph Edward Davie* received an oralis sua dorship...
...Directed by Michael Cwrttz...
...All ef it is spurious...
...The workers continue their flight...
...Th* whole Darias ??» CobMnn Thenjb* contrived years after he left Russia, ?? »j, admittedly "a study in hindsight" . . . and _ "WMsJeht...
...The USO was not overlooked by the Workmen's Circle It received several thousand dollars from our- New York branches as the result of a campaign that lasted only a few Weeks...
...Davies skirts off to see Hjahnar flclmeht ia an extraordinarily significant seen...
...It hi purely and simply dedicated to the proposition that the Stalin regime is a great and admirable institution, wise, efficient, trustworthy, constructive and beneficent Davies doesn't try to sell us Stalin's "democracy"—bat only because be ie a man without real political'values (the Four Freedoms...
...That's'the first scene, and it is as phoney as the rest Everybody in Washington...
...The National W. C. Service Club originated in the City of New York...
...I bnagine that if the millioib »ho will see it through the country's movie houses this year wi|l find It dan and unexciting, they may net remain aalaflaontcd by the burden ef the picture's propsganda...
Vol. 26 • May 1943 • No. 18
