RUSSIAN AUTHORS AND COMMUNISM

Chronicle (Levin), 12 January 1948, Page 5

RUSSIAN AUTHORS AND COMMUNISM

Received Fridajq 9 p,m. LONDON, Jaii. 9. Discussing Russian literature gnd its approach to 1948., Mr. Alexander Werth says in the Manchester Guardian that the Russiah ec,ononxic and politieal thinking, all- aftisti,c, literary 'aird even many scientille theaHes, are esseu'tialty antagonistic to what ex-ists in; "-bpurgeois" West todayV . Most typical of all is the Russian co nclemnation of western, literature, Tliis- js typieally set out in a recent article iiCthe magazine October by the Soviet writef \Anisimov who pours seofn upon many contemporary British, . American-. and French authors. Anisimov (leacribes the latest works of the Sitwells Muut. Evelyn Waugh as " luystical rubbish'40 Ivoestler's latest boojc on Palestine as "poisonous saliva", and Slepheli Spender as, "a once progressive poef ' Anisimov attacks French literature even more bitterly, charging it with attempting to discredit Cohi'niunism aua savs that American writers are preoccupied with sex,. psychtf analysis, anti-Communism and insanity. % Mr. Werth explairis that Russian writers are being told today ' tli hf literature miist serve an immediate artd useful purpose. It must stimulate the- ■ five-year plan, portray life in industry, build up heroes of industry 'and must not forget the Communist Party. it was because they were considered to have failed in these objectives that two leading Soviet novelists, Fadeyev and Simdnov, were recently severely rappdfl over the knuckles. IMr. Werth emphasises "that although Russian literature today -may seem dhll ind primitive to sophisticated Western ninds, its important effect in conditioning the Russian mind must not be forgotten or underrated. Simonov's latest play, "The Russian Question", deals Avith the antics of "villainous" American press magnates and Moscow audiehees seeing it mauifested a most obvious . anti- American feeling.