A merica 'elvish Periodical Carter
Friday, April 12, 1946
CLIFTON AVENUE - CINCINNATI 20, OHIO
AAA CIF TIT WEEIE
So They Tell Me--
By LOUIS W. ENFIELD
0 LOUIS H. LUCKOFF of the advertising firm of Bass, Luckoff
and Wayburn, the Chronicle oners the honor of selection as the
Man of the Week.
Luckoff was born in the little town of Pryoslov, in Russia and at
the age of two was brought to Syracuse, New York. There he attended
.high school and was interested in debating. He also worked on the
advertising staff of his high school paper.
His favorite subject in school was English and his teachers were
r
very pleased with the compositions that he wrote. So much was this
the case that he was assured that his career lay either in newspaper
work or in advertising.
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Page Five
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE and The Legal Chronicle
Book Review
By LEON SAUNDERS
Intellegentzia
In the life of an attorney come
many complicated cases. Some-
times, he gets more than he bar-
gained for. Such was the case
with Mr. L. who got a case tie
thought was worth a fortune.
The word "intelligentzia" was coined in Russia in the 80's to indi-
cate a class of intellectuals as distinguished from the untutored un-
thinking majority.
It is derived from Latin "Intelligo," which means "I understand."
Intellect means mind, reason, as distinguished from man's volatile
powers. Hence intellectualism, which is nearer to rationalism. A
A client came into his officrt school which attributes the most important part to intellect, which is
with a personal injury case. the substance of the human being.
There had been an accident, the
The Greeks philosophized but the Romans believed in "Primo
other party had been guilty of vivere deinde philosophari," "first let's live, then philosophize," which
Took Extension Course
negligence and the client had is a matter of taste. When the Russians began to develop their intel•
Determining that advertising was to be his field, Luckoff took
suffered damage. Thus far the lectual wings and Bazaroffs, the sons of their spiritual leader Pisa c•
an extension course in this kind of work at the Syracuse Univer-
case was routine.
eff were the heroes of the youth, a critic like Belinsk v reproaches
sity at night. Meanwhile, he applied at the Syracuse Telegram for
Turgenieff, "We have not decided yet the question of the existence
However,
the
damage
in
this
a job in the advertising department. There he ran across a curious
of God and he wants to eat!"
case
was
unusual.
The
client
had
situation. The Telegram made it a policy to hire only workers from
In America an Intellectual is one who reads Shakespeare and
had
a
glass
eye
which
he
had
other papers who had a following. Since he had no following.
thereby risks the respect of his neighbors.
worn
for
fifteen
years.
It
had
young Luckoff's application was turned down.
Intellectuals are attacked from right and left. Maxim Gorky, be-
Twice he applied and twice he was refused. Nothing daunted, he been carefully selected with re- fore he acquired education, was an advocate of extreme individualism
gard
to
color
and
measurements
went to the publisher of the paper and offered to work for nothing
and hhd been so carefully match- and criticized the intellegentzia for being servants to their isms and
until he could demonstrate his
ed that it was hard to tell the theories. One of his characters delivers himself as follows: "No, this
worth. The publisher was pleased
is not the salt of the earth, these are savages of culture." Another ex-
eye was glass.
with his spirit and hired him fo-
claims: "Mosquitoes, your existence is paid for by the blood of gen-
five dollars a week, on trial. Suc-
The principal item of damage erations of Russians. You vermin, how much you cost my country'
cess was almost immediate.
was that this eye had rolled out What are you doing for her?"
of the client's eye as a result of
This was ()'irks' "C the anarchist period. He changed his mind
Worked for Tire Company
this accident and had been lost. later. He lea:ned tnat these "vermin" produced Spinoza and Kant.
It had taken months, said the cli- Throughout world history, it was the intelligentzia which not only
One of his accounts was a tire
ent, to match the eye and all gave to world ideas and culture, but actually fought for freedom and
company which had just opened
that time, he had been forced to liberty.
up in Syracuse. The owner was so
wear a patch. He had been sham-
In a time when the slavery question was hot, even a Longfellow
pleased with an ad conceived by
ed and humiliated, he moaned. He was stirred with indignation and uttered in his "Sabbath Scene":
young Luckoff that he hired hint
had shunned company and had Then down with pulpit, down with priest and give us nature's teach-
to work for the tire company and
lived the life of a recluse. He had ing." Mark Twain, Wendell Holmes, Jack London, Upton Sinclair and
the young man found himself in
quit his job and had suffered Theodore Dreiser fought for human rights.
the position of advertising manag-
great mental agony although there
In France, before the war, several writers organized a committee
er when he was only twenty years
had been no physical pain.
called "The New Idea," and published a declaration: "Social Regen-
old.
In 1926, he came to Detroit
The lawyer listened with great eration Through Labor," which advocated "Believing that money as a
and went to work for an adver•
sympathy. Inwardly he was elat- means of exchange is harmful, that it is the source of all crimes and
tising agency. Two years later, he
ed. He could just hear his tearful does not serve as an inducer of production but as a hindrance; that
formed his own agency with Louis
pleas to the jury. Such a case commercialism paralyzes art, kills noble dreams and generous im-
Bass as a partner and subse-
might well be worth a fortune. pulses; that often, our purpose in life is not the ideal of beauty, truth
quently Wayburn was also admit-
He bound the client with a con- and justice, but money; that in order to withstand this condition
ted to the partnership.
tract. He took the case on a there is only one means — the glorification of labor; to demand that
At present, the firm specializes
contingent basis, his fee to be each consumer become also a producer, the consumption being equal
in the jewelry field. They publish
one half of whatever the jury to the need, and that the members of this committee spread these
ideas with pen, word and example." It is in France that the League
a monthly advertising service for
might award.
of the Rights of Man was organized, which organization fought for
jewelers from coast to coast. Curi-
Came the day of the trial. The truth and justice in the Dreyfus case.
ously enough, Luckoff finds that
LOUIS LUCKOFF
client took the witness stand and
Anyone familiar with history of the struggle for freedom and
being Jewish has never been any
swore to tell the truth, the who•t justice would never dare to cast any aspersion against the class of
handicap in his business affairs.
Many of the Gentile firms with whom he deals express a desire for truth and nothing but the truth so people whom the demagogues and political charlatans derisively dub-
"Jewish brains." He does not ever recall having lost any accounts as a help him God. The lawyer noticed bed intellectuals. They would not try to cut down the proverbial tree
result of his religion, although he knows of cases where other Jews in a peculiar gleam in the client's on which they sit..
good eye and it seemed to him
What are the names of all those who originated and fought fr.:
the advertising field have fared differently.
he even distinguished an odd glit- the ideas of labor and world proletariat? They were all intellectuals:
Won Award
ter in the glass one. However, he Blanki, the first labor agitator; Marx, Engels, Rosa Luxembourg, Saint
put that down to excitement.
Simon, Fourier, Bakunin, Plechanoff, Lenin and Trotzky. I am not
Intensely interested in the war effort, Luckoff was one of the
The preliminary formalities were mentioning the names of the thousands of other labor fighters whn
first ten men in Michigan to receive the minute man button for
having helped put over war loans. In his case, the button was given
soon over. The client gave his wrote and spoke for the downtrodden.
The intelligentzia has no hard class rules. Their ideas, actions and
for putting over the first one million dollar drive at the Knollwood
version of the affair. He proved
Country Club. He was in charge of publicity for all seven of the
by his testimony that there had attitudes differ in various times and countries. The English Fabians
been an accident, that there had were the first intellectuals. There is, of course, the positivism of H. G.
Knollwood drives.
He has just accepted the chairmanship of the publicity committee been negligence. that he himself Wells with his idea of dictatorship of "enlightened experts." The ac-
for a drive to take place in June to equip the Filatov Hospital for had been free from any contrib- tivities of British intellectuals spread from the petty bourgeois ideol-
Children in Moscow. This is to be a project for Detroit alone in which utory negligence. All that was left ogy of Chesterton to Bertrand Russell who believes in the absolute
was to prove the extent of the value of the individual, in freedom and reason. Russell is a typicas.
$250,000 is to be raised for needed equipment.
humanist when it comes to purely intellectual emancipation but i.•
damages.
straight laced and narrow minded politically.
Publicity Chairman
"Is that a glass eye you have
The Huxleys, the James Joyces are the highbrows of England.
At present he is also the publicity chairman of the Keidan Lodge in your head," asked the attor- Strachey and Maurray Middleton are of the other extreme, they are
of Bnai Brith of which he is one of the charter members. He has ney.
Communists.
handled publicity and advertising campaigns for both the Democratic
It is impossible to enumerate and name the outstanding intellect.
"It is."
and the Republican parties and for candidates in non-partisan elec-
uals of all the countries. Our purpose is to indicate the fallacy ci
tions.
"How long have you worn that placing intellectuals in a class by themselves and regarding theft
"My own vote," he said with a smile, "is my own business. At eye?"
value from the viewpoint of usefulness to the labor class. The labor
present, I am being retained by the National Democratic Committee
class never could become and has not become a class conscious en-
"For fifteen years."
to handle the publicity for the midwestern states in the 1948 election."
tity without the work and help of the intellectuals.
He is on the board of directors of the Knollwood Country Club.
The attorney looked baffled.
The intelligentzia is being reproached chiefly for talking more
He plays golf there and enjoys the game very much.
"I mean the eye you are now than doing. If the labor class is not articulate, it has to be vociferous
"I have been playing the game for twenty years," he said. "But wearing," he said finally.
in clamoring for its rights, and God knows it is not able to assert its
I'm still a dub at it."
rights without the help of the talkative minority. Russia has learned
In the off season, when he is not working nights, his favorite
"So do I," was the calm reply.
this fact and has restored the intelligentzia to its proper place.
form of recreation is reading. He reads biographies for the mcst part.
Intellectuals are the pathfinders of truth through thought and to-
The attorney experienced a sink-
ing sensation. However, he tried gether with Byron we may say, "And I will war at least in word;
Working for Campaign
land should my chance to happen — deeds) with all who war wit!.
again.
At present, his office is working hard on publicity for the Allied
thought."
"As a result of the accident,"
Jewish Campaign, specializing in the advertising and printing trade:.
he began once more, "did you
Hebrew, English and Jewish books available at the Zion Book Store,
"I feel assured that this campaign will be a success," he said.
glass eye roll out of your head?"
9008 12th Street, near Clairmount.
"The Jewish people feel the full need and will do everything pos-
"No, it didn't."
sible. The workers seem more enthusiastic than they have ever been
before. With the type of leaders we have in this community, the
"Are you sure?"
campaign is hound to he a success." •
M/Sgt. Leo Molow, whose work troit's rabbis, who plan to dedi-
"Quite sure."
In connection with his work in politics, he has handled publicity
on three war bond drives won him cate their first Passover sermons
for almost every type of campaign. This includes working for judges,
At this point the judge inter-
the Distinguished Service Citation to the Campaign.
mayors, governors, Congressmen, Senators and judges of the Supreme rupted.
from the Treasury Dept., spoke
Court. In 1944, he worked on the Roosevelt campaign. His score is
Although more than 400,000
"Has counsellor any purpose in
quite good and he has usually been on the winning side.
pounds of foodstuffs were sent to
following this line of question-
Europe this week, the need for
Advertising Fascinating
ing?"
continued contributions is still ur-
gent, Mrs. Harry Singer, chairman
The attorney gave up in dis-
"I find advertising a fascinating field. I recommend it highly as a
of the SOS drive of Detroit, was
field for youngsters to enter. I would like to see my own two boys gust.
told in a telegram from Mrs.
enter my business. My fifteen year old boy, Allan, seems to be inter-
"That's my case," he said bit-
Nathan Strauss, national director.
ested and he has quite a flair for slogans even now."
The national goal for April is
A member of the Zionist organization, Luckoff feels that for Eu- terly.
two million pounds.
The attorney looked up in be-
ropean Jews, Zionism is the only answer to their problem.
"The Zionists are now making splendid progress." he enthused. wilderment. Then he moved that
A meeting of supervisors, area
"Work is needed now more than ever before. Some day," he continued, the case be dismissed on the
chairman and secretaries of the
Women's Division of the Allied
. .,. "I hope Palestine will be a Jewish state. In fact, I feel sure it will." ground that no damage had been
His ambition in life is to have his two boys enter his business and shown. The judge looked a little
Jewish Campaign at the USC.
shocked and granted the motion.
Lounge of the Jewish Community
take.,Titheotvemr,ien give
•
the
traveling
I've
always
wanted
The case was over.
me time to do
Center We d n es day assigned
prospects to the workers. Several
to do."
The attorney walked out and
When asked his opinion on the future of Jews in America, lie
home meetings are scheduled ray'
as he did so, his client hurried
drew his black brows together thoughttfully.
the women in April.
after him.
Saying that the forthcoming
Jews Ilave Problem
-t
"I told the truth, the whoh
drive provides young people tho
truth and nothing but the truth,"
opportunity to prove that th -ty
"The Jews in America have a real problem," he said. "It is a
he said eagerly. "Now when do I
problem in self-education and self-discipline. By and large, Of
are an importar.t element in the
get my money?"
course, Jews conduct themselves as well as any other group in
Jewish community, S. J. Schwartz,
the country. However, every Jew who steps out of line in nosiness
The attorney looked at him in
campaign chairman of the Junior
or social conduct draws down wrath not only on his own head
utter amazement. Then it dawn-
Division, stressed the need for an
ed on him that he had a price-
but on the head of every JeW in the community. Therefore, it is
all-out effort on the part of De-
less story to tell at lunches and
troit's Jewish youth. The Division
incumbent on Jews to enforce inner discipline on themselves.
SGT. LEO MOLOIS
"I feel, in this connection, that the Community Council is doing a conferences for the truth of which
will meet at 8 p.m., Thursday, Apr.
fine job. I would like to see them continue even more successfudy he could absolutely vouch. It throughout Detroit last week on 18, in the social hall of Congre-
than hitherto in the fine work they are doing."
made him feel almost kindly for behalf of the Allied Jewish Cam- gation Shaarey Zedek, at which
Modest to the point of almost being shy, Luckoff is called on quite a good story is worth having.
paign.
time a movie depicting the work
frequently to give public addresses and talks, although he finds himself
"Go home," he said to his cli-
American Jewry's determination of the agencies will be shown.
extremely uncomfortable in doing so.
The Mechanical. Food Products,
ent. "When the check comes, I'll to raise $100,000,000 through the
"I used to win cups for debating when I was a lad," he mourned. send it to you."
United Jewish Appeal for Refu- Building, Professional and Mer-
"But somewhere along the line, I guess I lost the knack.
The client went home satisfied gees • Overseas Needs and Pales- cantile Divisions are planning
He keeps a fund of stories on hand, however. and generally man-
tine will be expressed by De- meetings.
ages to have a great deal of information on many different subjects. To this day, he is still waiting.
A llied Campaign Work Progresses
• •11,
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