GUIDE TO GOOD READING Changing human nature subject of Soviet novel A BACKWARD farm, with ord- inary people—many of them as backward as the farm. How often we are told by the eynics: “Ah, you can’t change hu- man nature—selfishness, laziness, quarrelling, money-grabbing — it'll be just the same in the Soviet Union.” And how such critics would have crowed had they seen what was happening on the First of May Collective Farm in the Dis- trict of Ugren, in 1946. Here — under capitalism _— would be good material for a sor- did and thoroughly gloomy novel. But the woman writer lived among the backward farmers, and found their story wasn’t sordid or gloomy. She found the farm was chang- ing and that as the farmers changed their farm they changed themselves too. Ordinary people became lead- ers, discovered hidden talents that no one had suspected. Hus- bands and wives learned to know each other after being spiritually separated for years. Teamwork grew, a collective spirit, a pride, a happiness. ... The recovery of this farm from the devastation of war is the story of Harvest, by Galina Niko- layeva (obtainable in Vancouver at the People’s Cooperative Bookstore, 337 West Pender, price $2.25). She has based her Stalin Prize novel on this reality. The result is both real and excit- ing. * * * HERE ARE people like our- selves, with their weaknesses, their stubbornness, their troubles. . The war has taken their best people, seared their lives with personal sorrow. The soil is poor, the equipment far from the best. With the cattle starved, horses sent to the front, machinery ‘worn, out, many of the men dead or wounded and the fields ne- glected, the ee oe spirit of the farm has vanished and each PACIFIC ROOFING Company Limited CE 2733 2509 West Broadway N. Bitz - B. Kostyk weneiie DL (eee SUL PENDER AUDITORIUM (Marine Workers)- 339 West Pender LARGE & SMALL HALLS FOR RENTALS | Phone PA. 9481 Castle Jewelers Watchmaker and Jewelers Special Discount to all Tribune Read- fi ers. Bring this ad with you 752 Granville St. rm — 4 ~ ~—|— family fights for itself alone. They extend their own land holdings, keep back seed, work up bast and flax at home to sell on the market—all at the ex- pense of the collective. This is the situation that faces Vasili Bortnikov’ when he re- turns to take over as farm chair- man, after five years in the army and in hospital. His first. re- action is to try to drive the people back to collective work, but in vain. Personal leadership and friend- ly discussion, not force and dic- tation; joy in work, not threats and goadings, humility and re- spect for the individual’s needs and latent potentialities—these are the qualities, Vasili discov- ers, that are required in a farm chairman. Step by step the sceptics are routed. Human nature does change, but not by force nor by any sudden change of heart. The basis of the change is technical advance, electric pow- ef, new farm machinery and, above all, new knowledge of meteorology, of agronomy, of stock breeding. The new tech niques furnish. the possibilities for creating and then develop- ing collective work, and thus for human advance. If the possibilities are grasp- ed, still further technical de- velopments in turn become pos- sible. In the great clash between new and old that takes place in this book there are no. supermen, nor yet statistical average men, but real and gloriously.- varied men and women, building social- ism, who come alive in the pages. ZENITH CAFE 105 E. Hastings Street VANCOUVER, B.C. UNION HOUSE Vancouver Second Hand Store @ Stove Parts and Repairs. @ Used Plumbing Supplies Tools Kitchenware 538 MAIN ST. PAcific 8457 TR YA | A eee ere Ye oe EXHIBITIONS IN LONDON, ROME Picasso's latest work shows return to earlier humanism TO WHAT extent is interest in the modern art movement (which is no longer so modern) main- tained by reason of the large fortunes sunk in it? While the explanation for its. _ existence must lie elsewhere, the speculation is not without point. The Picasso exhibition now running. at the Lefevre Gallery in London, for instance, is as much a financial as an artistic matter. a Picasso is indeed good busi- ness. This exhibition of 17 works is valued at around $150,000, in- dividual works at between $900 and $19,500 each. These are the highest prices the works of a living artist have ever fetched. It is possible to pick up modest works by Rem- brandt and Rubens in the sale- room for less. Any sustained political attack on Picasso would certainly lead to a serious depreciation in the price of his pictures. And as he occupies such a key place ‘in the modern movement, this would in turn tend to undermine the whole fabric Of a trend in art that is “officially” patronized. Why do the wealthy spend such sums? The pictures fit in with their mood. Picasso’s early work (the exhibition covers the period from 1897 to 1936) re- flects the chaos and disintegra- tion of a way of life. On the other hand, unlike -so many members of the abstract and near-abstract schools, Picasso began as an artist who recorded life as he saw it. * * * THE FOUR WORKS in the ex- hibition done during and shortly after Picasso’s student years are delicate portrayals of people in the post-impressionist manner then current. Then come the _ years of changing style in- which, signifi- _.fantly perhaps, the fiercest and most savage breakdown of the subject occurs during the thirties, the time of the rise of fascism. The exhibition takes us “no farther than this. It is not intended to. Since the war such pictures as ‘‘Massacres in Korea” show a return to his earlier humanism. ‘ This time, while still bearing traces of his years of experiment, the intention is militant, politi- cal. At the receiving end are the Americans responsible for Ko- rean atrocities. Picasso’s most recent paintings, now on view in Rome, deal with the theme of peace and single out American germ warfare methods. A study -of Picasso’s art, still imperfect as a popular language, thus ends where it began. The orbit of its interest is again man—but at a more advanced, humane level. Phone P ATRONIZE NORTH WEST FUEL BEST QUALITY — SATISFACTION GUARANTEED Fairly Dry and Very Clean HEAVY MILLRUN: 2 CORDS, $8 HEAVY SLABS: 2 CORDS, $10 PLANER ENDS: 1% CORDS, $10 FRESH CUT CLEAN FIR SAWDUST By Blower, 3 Units, $10 CE. 3226 - North 3224 Picassg; Seated Woman. _ ae CLASSIFIED _ A charge of 50 cents for each j, insertion of five lines or less with 10 cents for each additional line is made for notices appearing in this column. No notices will be accepted later than Tuesday noon of the week of publication. NOTICES TABLECLOTH—Winner, Dick Don- nely, 2596 Dundas St., Vancou- ~ ver. West End Press Club. EVENTS CONTINUED MAY 31 INTERNATION, CHILDREN'S meeting, Swedish Hall, 2 p.m te day, May 31. Sponsored by a national Children’s Day © tee. — BUSINESS PERSONALS TG FOR A FULL VARIETY Of GAGE, LEATHER ENGLISH BONE CHIN CUSTOM JEWELERY. & able prices. See DUN VARIETIES, 519 Dunsm PA. 6746. ‘ east COMING EVENTS MAY 2 FAREWELL PARTY : for Mary (“Ma”) Flanagan at Norquay Hall, Kings- way. and Clarendon, at 8 p.m. May 23. All friends of “Ma” cordially invited to attend. MAY 23 SOCIAL AND.DANCE at 3023 West Fourth (Fourth Ave. bus lets you off at the door). Good food, refreshments. Admission 50 cents. Proceeds Bur- rard Election Fund. MAY 2 ELECTION RALLY— Clinton Hall, 2605 E. Pender, 8 p.m. Speaker, Nigel Morgan, LPP Provincial Candidate, Van. East. Musical Program and Refreshments. Everyone welcome. Auspices: F.O. Educational Com- mittee. MAY 2 DINNER — SPAGH- ETT! & MEAT BALLS —ITALIAN CHEF, 928 Commercial Drive, Sunday, May 24—5 p.m. Speaker, Music. Dinner $1.00. Pro- ceeds: Vaneouver Centre LPP Elec- tion campaign. x JUNE GARDEN ITALIAN STYLE SPAGHETTI BALLS DINNER—Singing, Danc- ing, Refreshments. Saturday, June 6—63 p.m. till ??? Dinner $1.00 4566 West 10th. Proceeds: Election Drive. Everyone welcome. HASTINGS BAKERIES ar 716 East Hastings St» ‘ HA. 3244. Scandinavia? © ucts a Specialty. ia , factory precision eq ; used. MARINE SERVICE) Pender St. West. TA. ? ‘i JOHNSON’S WORK Boor Logging and Hiking and “yy Johnson’s Boots, 4183 Ave. O.K. RADIO SERVICE. RUGS AND CHESTERT CLEANED — All proce? Election Fund. Contact : Tribune, MArine 5288. 0? off! ysl S$. (Save) © (On) $ Go | New Air Mattresses, $9 ee | Ground Sheets, $1.49 95; tioned Army Boots, $# am Army Shirts, 97¢_ and 96 Other Values. 3-VETS; St. MA. 0856. HALLS FOR, RUSSIAN PEOPLE’S “yom Available for meeting? og dings, and banquets 4 able rates. 600 CamPP HA. 6900. CLINTON HALL, 2605 2: Available for Banque’ ig] dings, Meetings, Ete. ur? 3277. PACIFIC TRIBUNE — MAY 22, 1953 — ma