Fascism in Britain

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 45, 17 November 1936, Page 11

Fascism in Britain

Sir. —I notice from the pages of one New Zealand paper that Mr. R. McKeen, M.P., after a few weeks in England, is greatly alarmed at the apathy of Britain as regards Fascism in that country. Having spent nearly 60 years in the Old Country, from which I arrived here a fortnight ago, I cannot, of course, hope to see with the clearness of vision of Mr. McKeen, who claims that “the visitor sees things more readily than the permanent inhabitant,” but I can only conclude from the situation that he visualises that he has either looked with a Nelson eye or, judging by the evidence that he presents, that some of my fellow countrymen have been guilty of the discourtesy of trying to pull his leg. I need hardly repeat the somewhat fardrawn examples with which he illustrates the danger that he sees threatening the Old Country; it reminds one of the fish that sees a hook in every worm; but through all there is clear evidence that Mr. McKeen has failed to realise that England’s security has always lain in the fact that she has at all times allowed freedom of thought to the furthest possible limit, and that even the smallest of minorities is allowed to express its views. He does not realise that except among a few youthful hotheads Fascism is laughed at in England, and, as everyone knows, nothing kills so quickly as ridicule. As a test can he point to a single member of the British Parliament who is elected as a Fascist? However, I notice that while Mr. McKeen is terribly pessimistic as regards Europe at large he is undoubtedly optimistic as regards New Zealand, so perhaps the one may be allowed to counteract the other.

In conclusion I refer again to Mr. MeKeen’s statement that the visitor sees things more readily than the permanent inhabitant, and I dare say there could be things happening in New Zealand which it would take an outside observer to realise the importance of. With this I quite agree, and in this particular respect perhaps I feel myself almost as pessimistic as regards certain movements in New Zealand as Mr. McKeen does in regard to the Old Country generally.—l am, etc.,

J. ATKINSON. Wellington, November 16.