126
PARTISAN REVIEW
The war issue most intimately concerns American intellectuals. Par–
rington summarizes the effects of the last war on our culture: "With the
entry of America into the war came a sharp change in literary develop–
ment. Regimentation due to war psychology destroyed the movement of
social criticism.... The liberal movement in economics and politics came
to an abrupt end." Nor can we have any illusions about the effect on our
cultural life of American entry into this war. It will mean corruption for
those who accept it, spiritual if not physical imprisonment for those who
refuse to conform. Every branch of our culture will be set back for
decades.
What can American artists and writers do at this time?
In a practical, immediate sense, they can help make articulate the
strong opposition which the great majority of the American people still
feel to our entry into the war. The masses, who have nothing to gain and
everything to lose from another war, are far from endorsing the Presi–
dent's foreign policy. But this sentiment can again be cheated, deceived,
propagandized out of existence as it was in the last war, unless it is made
conscious and given organized expression. Here the intellectuals can be
of the greatest service.
In a more general sense, American writers and artists must put them–
selves on record against the war as a symbol of their acceptance of the
responsibilities of their profession. In the last war, a whole generation of
writers committed spiritual suicide by taking part in the orgy.
If
only for
the sake of their own integrity, American intellectuals must now signalize
their opposition not only to war in the abstract but specifically to Ameri–
can entry into this war. It would be a betrayal of the human spirit for
them to keep silent at this time.
War is the great issue today. We call upon all American artists,
writers and professional workers to join us in this statement of implacable
opposition to this dance of war in which Wall Street joins with the Roose–
velt administration.
(Signed)
LIONEL ABEL
MELVIN J. LASKY
WILLIAM PHILLIPS
KAY BoYLE
JAMES LAUGHLIN
IV
ARTHUR PINcus
]AMES BuRNHAM
DwiGHT MACDONALD
FAIRFIELD PoRTER
V.
F. CALVERTON
JoHN McDoNALD
PHILIP RAHv
ELEANOR CLARK
SHERRY MANGAN
KENNETH REXROTH
JAMEs PETER CooNEY
RALPH MANHEIM
T.
C. RoBINSON
]AMES A. DECKER
ALAN MATHER
JAMES RORTY
DAVID C. DEJoNG
CLARK MILLS
HAROLD RosENBERG
PAuL DoBBS
NoRMAN MINI
HARRY RosKoLENKo
F. W. DUPEE
GEoRGE L.
K.
Moarus
MEYER ScHAPIRO
JAMES
T.
FARRELL
CULBERTSON MYERS
DELMORE ScHWARTZ
CHARLES HENRI FoRD
GILBERT NEIMAN
WINFIELD
T.
ScoTT
PHILIP H. GRAY, JR.
HELEN NEVILLE
GoRDoN SYLANDER
CLEMENT GREENBERG
GEoRGE NovAcK
JoHN WHEELWRIGHT
WILLIAM GRUEN
LYMAN PAINE
WILLIAM CARLOS
EsTHER D. HAMILL
KENNETH PATCHEN
WILLIAMS
RoBERT HIVNOR
CARL PETERSON
BERTRAM D. WoLFE
-for
the
LEAGUE FOR CULTURAL FREEDOM AND SOCIALISM
