◆ SpookStack

Ws ° ~ ert. Brecht, GPU Songbird, <‘ iked Hollywood Fine | From WALTER R. STOREY = , May I GO BEYOND the necessarr Jimitation of John Franklin Bardin’s review of Bertolt’Brechys “Parable for the Theatre” (Jonuary 15) to show how Stalinist idcology has debased this potentially grent artist? My in- formation is based on the section of Ruth Fischer's “Stalin and German Pe etn Weed Rianeht sho RHI DIUDIBH CHL St eet, Ge Minstrel of the GPU.” In “The Punitive Measure,” ve years before the Moscow trials. Brecht anticipated its methods and motivations. At this pluy’s climax a roung Communist is killed when he revolis against the party line. Then the Four Agitators justify their ruth- Jlesmness: “Terrible is ix, te Lill. But ugt, only oters Ont onrselnes we B kill feed becomes necessary. . tek it owr- sclyps pot te ri aig? nl our wae cet ear tl car we base the pacasute.” bending will to Such a blind willingness to destroy others and oneself at the behest of a party hierarchy can desttroy the hu- manisti: volues of art, literature, ssiende aril mankind iteelf. Brecht. [ sciense_ on Brecht, however, gives us another warning of hed ~—f < - enough the only butc [727 DD M7 HOT RECCKHER 45 WR os 845. | fie awe eee oom = op, a, the lying and deceit of Communist factites in this play. He has his Controichorus say: “Who fights for Communiam must be uble to fight and not to fight. to suy the truth ond not to say the truth, to render and to deny service, to kecp o promise and to becak a promise, tou go into danger and to avoid danger, to be known and to be unknown. Who fights for Com- munism has of all the virtues only ong: that he fights for Communism” Again, Brecht has his Contrvk: sing: ’ “What rileness would you wot com- mit to exterminate rile weas? Could you change the world. for what world you be tuo good? Who are you? - Sink into Ge mud. embrace the buicher, but change the world: it weeds it.” ‘We need no longer say, “Oh. that mine enemy had written a book‘ Brecht gives expression to Stalinist tality more forcefully than his in the Ererlin. Let us recog- eb, sigtti d gpenace as the negation of all es. Ironically Brecht embraced was a Hollywood, which Philadeiphia, Pa. ‘ A- ae SUEY | elipping fros ne aa ef 7- aj Date 3/4.