LETTERS To the Editor
LETTERS To the Editor Roosevelt's Swing to the Right This u th* I rat of a aerie* of letters from rentiers, speculating en the 1*44 presidential campaign, snd en the preneects for s new New...
...He is an able psychologist, and hii books in the fields of Gestalt Psycht 'ogy, Social Psychology and Education have made an important contribution He ii an ardent supporter of the democratic movement and has demonstrated that he believes in democracy as end and as means...
...Front STEPHEN LANCASTER...
...7ii* "Fooct Mow" Movement oitd George Hoflmonn From JOHN I CHHDProfessor of Educstion, Teachers College To the Editor: Your editorial on George Hartmann and the "Peace Now" movement did not seem to me to be up to the usual standard of The New Leader...
...On the other hand, I recognize that his values and thinking have led him to a "pacifist" position on empirical, moral grounds...
...Russia has always been imperialistic, and is still trying to devour all surrounding nations...
...This concert, also, is the last gala event of the Metropolitan Opera Compsny this season...
...1 have known Dr...
...Brooklyn, New York...
...After this is accomplished, an effort will be made to go further and enslave other nations...
...Valuable Contentt From J. PEPERONE To (he Editor: As for the new form of the paper, everyone here likes it very much...
...A MAN of ordinary resources faced with the Pre»ident's problems might show signs of frustration snd act impetousty, and"a gallant', but short-sighted man might fight a noble yet hopeless delaying action against the Right...
...Bloodshed and destruction will follow snew...
...1 need not remind the...
...Russian policy is similar to that of Germany, i.e., to rule the world...
...Liston Oak believes that this question should be settled by a "free plebiscite under United Nations auspices" because he has faith in the principle of selfdetermination of peoples...
...He hate* war and believes thst in practically all international conflicts it is the greater, not the lesser evil...
...If, in the President's estimation, the Left has made the grsde, or is likely to mske it by November, he csn be expected to sccept the nominal ion...
...As in former" years, the Metropolitan Opers House will present its superb talent for a memorable evening...
...Ticketa range from t.83 to 16.50 and can be obtained at the Rand School office...
...Moreover, I think it is high time for American liberals to reconsider the "sacred" principle of self-determination of peoples...
...With big business, industrial and agricultural, holding most of the high cards in time of war, the President is no position to educate and orgsnize his potentisl supporters, witness the ordesls of the OWI and the FCC, and the SmithI'onnelly Act provision prohibiting labor union contributions to political parties...
...to accentuate the shock of being abandoned to the mercies of the Right...
...I f thi* interpretation of th* President's action is correct we can expect a stern attitude towards the Left, and perhaps more moves to let the Left know thst we must orgsnise or suffer the consequences in s rsce where there are no consolation prises...
...Well along in the campaign, after the Republicans have sprung all of their charges and discredited themselves in the process, the President will make a few straight-forwsrd speeches, reviewing his fecord in peace and war, and unequivocally pledging himself to fight for a stable peace snd a secure economic future for the common man, social security, government spending, a planned economy and afl.rte migTit get away witli.it Aasuming this analysis of the President's policies is correct, but supposing that he decided that he didn't have enough political support to be effective as President, the expectations are not so clear...
...All proceeds of this concert will be spplied to th* Rand School's Scholarship Fund...
...He csn be expected to wage a rather unexciting campaign at first, citing his war record with little said about the New Deal...
...At this point...
...Today, they are struggling against their common enemy—Nazi Germany...
...I propose a more encouraging hypothesis, not certsin that it is any more plausible...
...If he remained on our side, we would do less than our utmost from s fslse sense of security, whereas if we get reslly worried snd prepare to light on our own, instead of looking to the President for protection, then, st Ue eievenin nonr, he could step back into the leadership of a militant Left with th* premise nf n new New Deal, stsy ia esnee snd restore his support in Congssss...
...An intelligent political artist with the rommonwesl in mind might regret the Isst of orgsnixed liberal support, yet, msking the best of things, sacrilice the immediate comfort of liberal applause in a gamble that his potential support would organize if exposed to an enlightening dose of reaction...
...Courageous and Clear Thinking To the Editor: From ELENA H. KLASKY Congratulations on your new format and always my appreciation of what I consider the most honest, the most courageous and the most interesting of newspapers...
...The Irrepressible Polish Question From ROBERT JAMES HARRISON To the Editor: Dr...
...There wilj be scenes, in costume, from several operas...
...Let the Four Freedoms be our goal...
...When Mr...
...Oak applies this principle to Eastern Poland, he apparently bases his argument on the premise that ths persecuted minorities will be attracted to a liberal Polish government...
...We can repudiate Dr...
...They now realize that a liberal administration may itself turn reactionary or give way to the reactionary administration of a different political party...
...2. Liberalism in Polish politics rests in a foreign committee, not in the minds of the Polish people...
...I,et not our justified hatred of Communism make us blind to these facts in the case: 1. A liberal post-war government may workers in Eastern Poland, or anywhere not solve the problems of the oppressed else, fwr^that matter...
...He might deride that the quicker the reaction came the better, or he might decide that anything would be better than a Republican victory...
...Oak calls this government "as liberal and democratic as any other European government...
...Hartmann's views about the stake we have in this war, and believe, with you, that there is a "possibility of danger-' in his present effort...
...The Voice of Ukraine* From WALTER KOLODV Secretary, Ukrainian Cultural Society, Detroit, Michigan To the Editor: *?*HERE is a growing dispute between * Russia and Poland about their eastern boundary...
...In the past, the Ukrainians have fought their aggressors—the Russians as well as the Poles...
...However, the contents is so valuable and of such high calibre that I am sure there is no equal...
...However, let us suppose that immediately after the war, Poland does have a liberal government...
...Oak then offer a plebiscite to the Jewish and other minorities of Poland...
...But it is pertinent to ask what would be the future of the exploited minorities of Eastern Poland, if the reactionary government of the pre-war dictatorship should return after a few years of a liberal administration...
...will take part in settling the argument...
...editor that the American masses at one time placed their hopes in a new deal administration...
...iijutin, < 1 nc > >> v. I! u1 . garia, Rumania, Hungary, Russia...
...LETTERS To the Editor Roosevelt's Swing to the Right This u th* I rat of a aerie* of letters from rentiers, speculating en the 1*44 presidential campaign, snd en the preneects for s new New Deal—or the victory of reaction...
...This issue has important ramifications...
...Hartmann'* conclusions snd indicate the possibility of harmful consequences of his drive for "Peace Now" without attacking the scholarship, the ability or the personal integrity of the man...
...goad School Concert For the thirteenth consecutive year the Woman's Committee'of the Sand School, under the sponsorship of the Trade Union Concert Committee, U taking over the Metropolitan Opera, House for its Gsla Concert on Sunday evening, March 26...
...He has been a loyal and active member of the American '/ederation of Teachers, a unit in the organized labor movement...
...H. Paxton Howard once remarked that, if India were given her independence, the extremely backward Hindus would exterminate the progressive Moslem minority...
...He may hope that s year of rough handling will arouse the Left, and he can count on our reactionaries to provide plenty of scares...
...I profoundly disagree with Dr...
...Hartmann for many years and I do not believe that he can propirly be grouped with either the "innocents" or the "slightly clacked" uiaiuUtr* »f out society...
...Personally I like the paper so much that I wouldn't care if it was written upside down...
...Explanations of his recent sctions rsnge from the improbable suggestion thst he isn't very bright to the more plsusible observstion that in time of wsr the csptsins of industry are in s strong bargaining position and ran make demands which the President dare not refuse...
...the Editor: TUK course of history, and in turn our livea, will be ao much affected by the President's actions during the commit months that many observer* have tried to interpret and explain the n.otives behind his policies, to find some clue to whst msy be expected from him in the time before the elections...
...In my opinion, total defeat of the .'ascist forces is an essential condition for democratic reconstruction...
...Other, wise a war to end wars, and all the sacrifices we undergo at present, will be all in vain...
...The Polish government-in-exile is, Indeed, liberal But is it representative f I believe thst it is ss representative aa a German government-in-exile would be if formed outside of Germany along similsr lines...
...New York...
...It seems that our peacemakers arid politicians are not aware that they are ¦nuking a tragic error all over again, forfeiting, the principles of the highly publicized, idealistic Atlantic Charter, and creating a Tower of Babel...
...That does not mean that the Ukrainians want to be under any other foreign rule, whether Polish or Russian...
...New York...
...Granted that the President probably could have and should have begun in 19,12 to educate and organize an enlightened political support which could now give him the power to withstand the pressure from the Right, the fact remains that hi* support ha* never been either well organized or enlightened...
...believe Mr.- Oak is more concerned with the Communist bogey -man than with the working masses of Eastern Poland...
...3. The existence of a few socialists in the Polish government-in-exile does not mean that the capitalist structure of Poland will suddenly become humanitarian...
...Would Mr...
...Let every nation, no matter how large or small, be permitted to achieve its independence, and our great task will be perfectly concluded...
...Roosevelt's record aa the New Deal President indicates that he ia probably a sincere humanitarian, not a great social theorist, but a great politician, snd s man' for whom the weak and meek can be most thankful in this time of social change...
...I. F. Stone, in the Nation, implies that in the relative tranquility of our political impotence we don't appreciate the thankless beating the President takes with such good humor in the course of trying to snatch our salvation from the frightened maneuverings of domestic groups snd sovereign ststes...
...The political development of Poland does not augur well for the future af the Polish government-in-exile...
...4. Russia's "unilateral action in deciding the fate of Polani'" may be a bitter pill tut Social Democrats to swallow but, everything considered, the Soviet Union offers the greatest hope to the workers of Eastern Poland...
...But suppose that post-war Poland tie velopa a Nazi government...
...SadoiT hopes that the problem of the Polish frontier will be settled by the return of the disputed area to Russia because "there will lie hope for the masses...
...Oak's remaining important argument, that this is a "United Nations problem, not an exclusively Russo-Polish question," is based (I) on the fear that a Soviet plebiscite will give the legion to the Communists and (2) on the hope that a United Nations plebiscite will give the region to a liberal Polish government...
...Alabama...
...I'm thankful that the responsibility for the actual decision isn't mine...
...His request for a national service set, however, could not be explained sa retreat before the force* of reaction, because apparently the request was not forced by organized preaaure groupa, but was made largely oji lit* own initiative...........------Jonathan Stout, in the January 15 iasue of The New Leader, suggest* that President Roosevelt is plagued by repressed feelings of guilt, thus is soured on his liberal and labor critics and projects hi* resentment by imagining misconduct tailing for new means of control...
...A nation which-Hs greater numerically than France or Poland deserves a right to freedom and self-determination...
...Oak cannot deny that his faith in the plebiscite is based on his belief that the Polish government-in-exile will in fact, or in spirit, govern post-war Poland, and therefore, that the masses may expect a better future under such a government Mr...
...The question then arises, "Should the masses of the disputed area turn to this government in the hope of a new deal...
...The Republicans will wage an energetic campaign, confusing issues, attacking the New Deal and the President's domestic policy during the war...
...The President's swing to the Right has cast some doubt on the expectation that he will continue to be the champion of "the forgotten man...
...Since time is short, he might deem it necessary to withdraw his support from the Left in a rude and dramatic way...
...The latest press dispatches from Washington, D. C, hint that the U.S.A...
...aria* by famous sing, era, numbers" by the Orchestr* and the Corps de Ballet...
...It is high time that we stick to idealism, such as expressed in the Atlantic Charter...
...nor Russian, but Ukrainian, and therefore should be treated as such...
...To be sure, it is not pertinent to the% present discussion to ask what the American workers are thinking at a time when the New Deal is losing ground and when a Republican victory is quite possible in the coming elections...
...Louis Sadoff's letter to the editor in the January 29 issue is very interesting...
...The lives and happiness of thousands of people are a* stake...
...Can he be making a serious comparison of the Polish govemment-in-exile with the government-- of Ku-i-tpe...
Vol. 27 • February 1944 • No. 8
