The Ukrainian Weekly 1940, No.49

www.ukrweekly.com UKRAINIAN WEEKLY English supplement of SVOBODA, Ukrainian daily, founded 1893. Dedicated to the needs and interests of young Americans of Ukrainian descent. No. 49 UKRAINIAN WEEKLY, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1940 VOL. XIII ADVANCE ORDERS WANTED. NO HOPE FOR UKRAINE SAVE FOR UKRAINIAN SONG A, Leading Short Story Writer IN VICTORY OF DKMOCRACJ? RECORDINGS SAYS PROF. MANNING A meeting of the General Com- - Vasile Stefanyk died—exactly four years ago today, "After the events of the last few mittec for the Recording of Ukrain- December 6th, 1936. And so we revive a few recollections months there can be no hope for ion Songs, whose creation was au- of him. i Ukraine save in the victory of De- ' thorized by the Ukrainian Congress mocracy," declared Professor Clar- Committee, was held November 25, Wherein lay the fame of Stefanyk? What manner ence A. Manning, Acting Head of 1940 at Carpathia Hall, New York I of deeds did he perform to cause his death to be mourned the Department of East European City. Details concerning this com- Languages of Columbia University, mittee's formation appeared in the as a national loss ? speaking at the 22nd. anniversary press around November 8th. The answer to such' questions lies in the ability of observance of the historic Novem- At this meeting the Committee this man to portray with' a few deft strokes of his pen ber 1, 1918 when Western Ukraine elected the following officers: Thco- became a free republic, held last dosius Kaskiw, chairman, Stephen strikingly vivid pictures of Ukrainian peasant life. Sunday afternoon at Cooper Union I Shumeyko, Ukrainian Secretary, Good short stories abound in Ukrainian literature. in New York City. Anne Zadorsne, English Secretary. Yet none seem to have the genius of Stefanyk in laying Therefore, Professor Manning Other members of this committee bare the Ukrainian peasant's soul. None seem to have continued, "to this end every effort are: -Dr. Alexander Koshetz, Peter of the Ukrainians and of all lovers Ordynsky, Vera Stetkewicz, Theo- his knack of crowding into one homely phrase such a of democracy in the United States dore Onufryk, William Gela. Ni- wealth of meaning, thought and emotion. And—this is and the world must be directed. oholas Nowak and John Roberts. (Text of his speech appears on - In addition to these members the ' "especially pharacteristic of Stefanyk—none can say so page 2). '^m Committee voted to obtain the^^ „much in so few words. One such effort, declared Ste- operation and services of co-work - Stefanyk did not write much. The sunjtotal of all phen Shumeyko, editor of the "Uk- 1 ers from different representative his works, for-example, can be compressed into one slim rainian Weekly," shall be "to groups and communities. make clear to all that the Uk- It was resolved to intensify efforts volume. Yet it is no exaggeration to say that nearly every rainian national movement is no to procure good will contributions one of his stories and novelettes is a masterpiece of con- recent manifestation; but a thou- for the recording of Ukrainian struction, a veritable work of art, that cannot fail to sand year old struggle for freedom, songs i and also advance-orders peace and democracy." He urged ($10.00—twenty songs) for these leave the careful and sensitive'reader profoundly moved "our fellow-Americans ... to recog- records. These advance-orders and and impressed. nize that freedom and democracy contributions are to be sent to are not the legacy of certain na- Stephen Korpan, Treasurer, Ukrain- Stefanyk's work can' be likened to some magic lan- tions but of all naUons, especially ian Congress Committee, 524 Olive tern, that illuminates the innermost and darkest recesses of those nations who have fought Street, Scrantwp Pa. In addition Of the peasant's nature. Its light is pitilessly bright and and bled and sacrificed in tbeir be- llpf notice of such subscriptions and half, and that, therefore, Ukraine, contributions is to be sent to Theo- revealing, when he focuses it upon some sordid element too, is entitled to her national dosius Kaskiw, 600 High Street, of this nature, and yet it becomes soft and enchanting freedom . , " The speaker also Sifewark. N. J. when he plays it upon some jewel-like quality of it. As cited opinions of various American -liE^As already announced by the and British authors and news- gffiijjkrainian Congress Committee, the a result, we learn more about the true nature of the papermen that the Ukrainians have '^urst of such recordings will be Ukrainian peasant than we would from tomes of dry de- the qualities necessary for inde- made by mixed choruses under Dr. scription. pendent national existence. -Alexander Koshetz.' mm At all times Stefanyk was a realist. And so stark is The fact that none of the; jjfa^ ANNE ZADORSNE tions now at war have taken -any English Secretary "General this realism at times that reading such of his works is stand on the Ukrainian question, Committee For Recording of certainly not a pleasant sensation. His power of project- spoke Dmytro Halychyn, recording Ukrainian Songs." ing upon the screen of the reader's consciousness every- secretary of the Ukrainian Nation- al Association, makes it imperative thing that his tragic characters in the story feel and for all persons of Ukrainian descent experience, is so intensely compelling that the reader is to redouble their efforts to wrest UKRAINIAN LOYALTY LAUDED Ukraine' from the avaricious grasp IN CANADIAN PARLIAMENT often left with distraught feelings and jangled nerves. To of her foreign oppressors, especial^ read some of his works is indeed a soul-searing experience. ly of Soviet Russia, and help her I Speaking about the role which And it is no wonder that this is so. For, as those establish her freedom and inde- Canadians of non Anglo-Saxon pendence. Every little effort in origin play in Canadian national who knew him recount, these distraght feelings and jan- this direction, he said, is of vital - life, Anthony Hlynka, Ukrainian, gled nerves Stefanyk himself underwent in writing his importance, no matter how small': recently elected ^young member of stories. And so acutely did he feel the manifold moods it may appear. Finally he recom- the Canadian House of Commons, mended that the Ukrainian people representing the Vegreville district, of his characters he created, that oftentimes as he read rely for tbeir freedom upon no one deplored the tendency among "ccr- his story his voice would roar, he would bang his first except themselves. Self-reliance tain individuals who hold respon- against the table for emphasis, walk wildly about, and and unswerving faith in the righted 3aible positions in our public life ousness and justice of their na- pre make loose and ill-advised state- even tear at his hair. Anyone who saw him in this violent Uonal cause, he. said, will eventu- ^ments which may easily be mis- state and being acquainted only with his usual quiet and ally bring them to tbeir goal of construed and made use of as the thoughtful self, would most likely think him crazy. As national independence. basis or cause for (Canadian) dis- could be expected, such emotional storms usually left Ste- The observance was conducted unity." by Michael Piznak, New York at- To offset such loose statements he f anyk near collapse—which is said to be one of the reasons torney and president of the Uk- cited various examples of the loyalty why he did not write longer works. rainian Central Committee of New to Canada by her citizens of non York City, under whose auspices Anglo-Saxon origin, among them Because of all this, we urge our young Ukrainian- the anniversary exercises were held. being the Ukrainians. In Saskat- Americans to acquaint themselves, at least a little, with In his opening remarks he called cbewan, he said, the Ukrainians the attention of the audience to form ten per cent of the popula- his works. We realize, of course, that reading them in the fact that Cooper Union has al- tionlryet over ten per cent of the their original form is no easy task, for most of them are ways been a public forum where enlistments in that province are written in the "Pokutya" dialect of the Ukrainian lan- various just and oftentimes obscure from peoples of Ukrainian stock." causes have been heard, from the -Mr. Hlynka also cited the re- guage. So idiomatic is this dialect that an absolutely true hps of some Of Atnerida-s great- marks of the late Lord Twceds- translation of his stories is virtually impossible. The rich- eat men, among whom was Abra- muir, "one of Canada's greatest ness of meaning in practically every sentence of them, ham Lincoln. statesmen," who while addressing too, prevents any light skimming through them. Neverthe- The exercises also included fine a large Ukrainian gathering of 1,- vocal solos by Maria Hrebenetaka, 500 people on September 21, 1936, less, they are certainly worth careful perusal. soprano, and Peter Ordyhskyj barir at Fraserwood, Manitoba, declared: Read them, therefore, even if it be in their translated tone, of selections drawn mainly "The Ukrainian element is a very from the compositions of Michael valuable element to our new Can- form, and learn their ne'er-to-be-forgot lessons of Ukrain- Hay voronsky. Stephanie Turash, ada. I wish to say one thing toll fan' peasant life—of which most of our parents were rising young soprano, now in her you. You have accepted the duties once a part. Learn wknow its good and bad sides, and last year at the Juillard School of ' and loyalties as you have acquired Music, opened the program with.

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