BRITISH FREEDOM

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 99, 23 October 1936, Page 16

BRITISH FREEDOM

THE COMMON GOOD

DICTATORS NOT WANTED

A SACKED HERITAGE

(From "Tha Post's" Representative.) LONDON, September 30.

"Britain breeds many kinds of men, but British soil is a very bad breathing ground for dictators. Who is there fit to be a dictator in this free country? Who is there that the British people would accept as a dictator? For one thing is quite certain about a dictatorship—whether Communist or Fascist—that it will need a dictator, or a group of dictators," said Sir John Simon, Home Secretary, addressing a Scottish audience last weekend. He was making a reply to recent suggestions for a "Popular Front" in Great Britain. "I know of no potential dictator in England; I do not believe even Wales could produce one, and the fellowcountrymen of Robert Bruce and Robert Burns and John Knox and Jennyv Geddes will no doubt be able to decide for ■ themselves whether a dictator is likely to come out of Scotland," he 'continued! '-'Whatever reforms of the system may be needed — and I do not deny that reforms will continue to be needed—democratic government in this country exercised through a freely-elected Legislature to which the Government of the day remains continuously responsible will not be overthrown. We will resist all who attack it from whatever quarter they come. • COMMUNISTS AND FASCISTS. "There are, however, small bodies of people amongst us who are busily engaged in recommending to us quite a different system. The Communists and the Fascists rave at one another, and give the police a great deal of trouble. But they both want the same thing. Both alike want to get rid of democratic self-government in favour of a dictatorship of one sort or another. Both seek,to establish domination over those they do not like. '"The first thing to observe about Communism and Fascism is that they are both . foreign products. We have no quarrel with other countries because they adopt either of these systems, but the plain fact is that Communism and Fascism are equally opposed to democratic self-government, and are therefore equally repugnant to British ideas. And; when we. see the violence: and confusion which the clash between these doctrines has produced in some other lands,. we : are determined to give them no sort of encouragement. •■"■". PARTICULARLY FUTILE EFFORT. "Meanwhile there is a new and particularly futile effort to embarrass the Government by the creation of what is called a Popular Front. 'There is a Popular Front in France which carried the French Government into power,' so runs the argument, 'and there was a Popular Front in Spain, which was also on the Government side; therefore, let us form a Popular Front in Britain of various remnants of the Opposition, and thus we shall become the Government in this, country!'. Analogies of this sort, are very misleading, and the authors of this previous proposal have not had long to wait for their answer. "In this combination of discordant elements the Labour Party would have to provide the largest contingent, and they have firmly stated that they will have nothing to do with it. The Popular Front of many colours has begun to crumple almost before its sanguine authors have begun to wear it, and this curious specimen of political.haberdashery won't wash. "We look abroad and we see how the rise of Communism on the one hand and of Fascism on the other, and the growing hostility between these rival forms of dictatorship threaten to.1 overwhelm democratic government throughout the world, if not to throw Europe into' war. BRITAIN'S TASK. . "In fact of these dangers Britain has a vital part to play. She must be able to defend herself, and. by her power of defence she will help to maintain peace as well as to guarantee her own liberty. Without a stable Government, backed by a great measure of national unity, we could not adequately play our part. And in order that liberty and. democracy, may- be made secure. in this land .we need .not only stable government and national unity, but the realisation by every,-citizen of his full obligation to co-operate for the common good of the community which secures to. him his freedom and his well-being.,- That- is the argument for National: Government, and it is an argument, which, appeals, with, overwhelming force, to the good sense and the common patriotism of our people." Sir John-Simon .also said that not many years, ago there was a marked tendency towards democratic govern-* ment over a large : part of Europe; "The war -itself had been won by democracies; it was the Emperors and the despots who had been .overthrown. Parliamentary government on a democratic .basis seemed to be the form in which the , future of many foreign States would develop, and Britain as the Mother of Parliaments could look with pride and confidence on her increasing progeny. - - "But a striking change has come aver the scene,"-ihe proceeded. "Not only have dictatorships been established in different forms, but they receive the enthusiastic adherence of, at any rate, a large part of the populations concerned, and these foreign countries are working out their future along lines which are quite inconsistent with British notions of Parliamentary democracy. - ■ "This is, a development of tremendous significance. Does it betoken an inherent weakness in the democratic system from which we shall, suffer in turn? Or is ihe explanation to _be found in the failure of those countries which have abandoned the democratic system to work.it properly? "I am most firmly persuaded that Parliamentary self-government is not only the system which in the past has given to this country its full, development and its position in the world, but that it is the system by which, if we work it properly, we shall best conserve our strength and promote our. further progress.. Whatever may be the right course for other countries, the right course for us is to hold firm by our' Parliamentary traditions and to justify, to mankind the < ways of modern democracy in the land of its birth. ■ "■■■ • ' ■ "Mr. Baldwin has said that democracy is the most difficult form of government to work. But it is our own form of government, gradually developed over centuries by the genius of the British people, bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, the embodiment of our national character. Let us understand what are the necessary conditions if this democratic system of ours is to give good results. It depends, first of.all, on preserving as our sacred heritage the Briton's passionate belief in individual liberty, in the right of everyone to hold his own opinion and to liveas a free man in a free State. And this involves a second thing—a respect for the opinion of others and a.willingness to concede freedom to others, even though we extremely dislike their political views and differ from them in outlook or religion or race."