◆ SpookStack

ert Brecht, GPU Songbird, ‘ iked Hollywood Fine From WALTER R. STOREY we Maz 1 co sevowp the necessary limitation of J: Franklin Bardin's review of Bertolt Brechys “Parable for the Theatre” (January 15) to show how Stalinist idcology has debased this potentially great artist? My in- formation is based on the section of Ruth Fischer's “Stalin and German Tommunism” entitled “Bert Brecht, the Minstrel of the GPU.” In “The Punitive Measure,” written five years before the Moscow trials, Brecht anticipated its methods and motivations. At this pluy's climax a young Communist is killed when he revolis against the party line. Then the Four Agitators justify their ruth- lesmness: “Terrible it ix, to kill. But ugg only others but ourselves we px ee fal eid, necessary. it OUT Pate: not to aig ‘confi “ne bending will aes = can we base the yeas i KS Such 2 blind willingness to destroy others and oneself at the behest of a party hierarchy can desttroy the hu- manisti: volues of art, literature, seiende and mankind iteelf. Brecht, however, gives us another warning af | 20 = W927. - enough the only butc! the lying and deccit of Communist tactitcs in this play. He has his Controtchorus say: “Who Sights for Communisn must be uble to fight and not to fight. to suy the truth and not to say the truth, to render and to deny service, to kecp a promise and to break a promise, to 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 Controk! sing: “What ritcness would you not com- mit to exterminate rileuess? Could you change the world. for what world you be tuo good? Who ere you? - Sink into the mud. embrace the buicher, but chunge the world: it weeds it.” ‘We necd no longer say, “Ob. that mine enemy had written a buok!” Brecht gives expression to Stilinist tality more forcefully than his gn the Kremlin. Let us recog- 3 gf id menace as the Negation of all vi Liy- him well for his scenario writing: Philadelphia, Pa. zA- WOT Rech ‘ i cy Date 2/4. 45 wR os 545 | Clipped at of