The Press: Who's Afraid of What?

To survive, Manhattan's Communist Daily Worker has had to make a few bourgeois compromises. It has added a horserace handicapper, a crossword puzzle, a gossip columnist, and comic strips—The Nebbs, Gene Byrnes's Reg'lar Fellers, and Gluyas Williams' gentle panels on suburbia. But last week it was having trouble keeping its comics. Writers Stanley and Betsy Baer said they did not want their Nebbs in Communist company, and the Worker let them go. Then Artist Byrnes said he wanted to withdraw his strip. The Worker said no. It would not cancel its contract with the Bell Syndicate. Byrnes threatened to fill the...