RIPOSTES
MINUTIAE OF LEFT-WING LITERARY HISTORY
T
HE
Communist Party-the
New Masses
in the literary field-is
never content to "prove conclusively" that all critics of Moscow execu-
tions, the People's Front or the American Writers Congress are Fascist
agents. The charge is added that the culprits are old hands at the game.
Whoso applauds what the C.P. does, he is an old Bolshevik, or at least
an honest fellow whose innate worth the Bolsheviks always sensed. The
grumbler is a pre-destined "enemy of mankind," long since branded an
obstacleto human progress. A glance at the
New Masses'
earliest volumes
(1926-27) hardly confirms the contention in some leading cases.
During those years, the
New Masses
published 268 signed contribu-
tions by 150 writers. Seventeen of the writers (11 %) who are today
"enemies of mankind" contributed 53 of the items (19%). Of the 106
writersmaking one appearance each in the period, six are now "enemies."
Another 81 items (33%) were by 34 writers who appeared from two
to four times each. Of these, five-Leon Trotsky, Edmund Wilson, V. F.
Calverton, Travers Clements, Arnold Roller-are now "enemies"; three'
others-C. E. S. Wood, Witter Bynner and Waldo Frank-are suspect,
having questioned the Moscow treason court. The remaining 80 items
(29%) were by an active core of 10 writers, each appearing five or more
times. Of these, two-Max Eastman and James Rorty-are now con-
firmed "enemies of mankind," and one, John Dos Passos, is doomed.
Two writers contributed more than 10 times each: one was Mike Gold,
pillar of orthodoxy, the other, James Rorty, limb of Satan. Moving
down the columns in the accompanying table, the importance of the
categories to the life of any magazine increases. Simultaneously, the
relative weight of the future "enemies of mankind" tends to increase.
Thus, 5-time contributors
(III)
had a 25% higher chance of becoming
"enemies" than did 2-to-4-time contributors
(II).
Whoever contributed
but once (I) was almost predestined not to become an "enemy." Those
in the most important category (VI) had an even chance of becoming
I·enemies."'*"
Total
"Enemies
of Mankind"
6
8
3
3
2
%
"Enemies
of Mankind"
5.5
26.5
33.33
20
33.33
I.
Contributed 1 item
106
II.
Contributed 2 to 4
34
III.
Contributed 5 or more
10
IV.
Members Executive Board
15
V.
Editors
6
VI.
Editor, also on Board, and con-
tributed 10 items or more
2
1
50
• Would it seem that whoever did not write at all for the
New Masses
59
