STRENGTH OF FASCISM

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 110, 12 May 1938, Page 9

STRENGTH OF FASCISM

THE PARTY'S HOPES

SALGADO'S LEADERSHIP

Behind the censorship in Brazil today, there looms the relatively strong, well-disciplined Integralista or Brazilian Fascist Party, which has long advocated dictatorship on the now familiar totalitarian form, d .

Prior to the establishment of martial law last November, there were copious accusations in the Press, even from the pulpit, in student circles, and in State and Federal Assemblies, l to -the effect that the Integralista Party was the local agent of Fascist Powers and ideas; that Italian and German money financed its activites and campaigns; 'that German officers trained its troops; and that any direct attempt of the Fascist Powers to control Brazil would seek to accomplish its aim with the aid party..

What are the facts in so far as a non-partisan observer can uncover them? asked a writer in the "Christian Science Monitor" when President Vargas assumed his dictatorship.

The party was founded in 1932 by Plinio, Salgado, Brazilian writer /&nd poet. He explains that the revolution of 1930 did not live up to expectations and that his party is the first truly Brazilian party in history. The name Integralista has a double-edged cut. It refers to one ideal of the party, that of "integrating" a loosely-; knit federation, and it is also the closest Portuguese translation of the term "totalitarian." ' INTEGRALIST AIMS. "The New Brazil will be born Tfrom the' conflict between Communists and Integralists," says Senhor Salgado in book number 12 of his many on Integralismo. "These (the Integralistas) wish to ensure the worship of God, of the Fatherland, and of the family; they wish to impose a disciplining and finalist Government; they wish to fight international Capitalism which enslaves Brazil and to solve the internal question by a corporative organisation, by the extinction of parties, by the orientation of national economy in the direction of collective welfare, and to establish a material base or basis for all families. . . . We have a far deeper significance than Fascism, Hitlerjsm, or Communism because we are the con-j science of an era. . . . We do not desire a dictatorship.

• Integralismo must create what already existed in Italy and Germany, says Senhor Salgado—a national feeling and a national conscience.

The integralistas wear Green Shirts because of .the green in the Brazilian flag, in Brazil's natural beauty, and

because it symbolises hope. No bne seems to know the actual number of members in the party. Estimates vary from 200,000 to 3,000,000 — in a national population of 42,000,000, but a voting population of not much more than 3,500,000. Plinio Salgado was its candidate for the presidency. DISCIPLINED GROUP. The party has branches all over the nation and is the first really disciplined political group in the history of Brazil. It has its own mystic rites, its parades and philosophy, and people of all classes belong, though the Roman Catholic Conservatives and landed aristocrats seem to predominate in the upper ranks. It is like the old "A. B, C." of Cuba and the "Apra" of Peru in many respects, and is perhaps the first Brazilian party to study Brazilian problems as a whole, but not so deeply as the two groups mentioned. It has borrowed many ideas and customs from Italy and Germany. It is nationalist, anti-Jewish, and anti-foreign. Its weakness, observers, hold, is that it was born to fight Communism and on the remains of a decadent democracy." Senhor Salgado is that curious mixture of poet-realist and idealist-revolu-tionary who seems to capture the fancy of his followers but does not make himself felt,. as a personality, in the nation as a whole. His movement has grown like Herr Senhor Salgado is an attractive man to the people, as is Herr Hitler, but he already had a reputation as a man bf letters before he founded his party. FOREIGN INFLUENCES. Statements that the Integralista "troops" are trained by foreign officers always elicit the official party explanation that these men are now naturalised Brazilians and therefore cannot be considered as foreign. Their ptesence, however, is not denied.

The party has been attacked on all sides for its "foreignism," for its "extremism," and for its tactics, symbols, and unifqrms. The party had refused to assume an aggressive role up to the time when martial , law was declared, knd the whole matter of its strength remained to be discovered. Some thought that under opposition from democratic groups the party would find its back to the wall, and would feed on that opposition, being a well-disci-plined body. ,

President Vargas dissolved the Integralista Party on November 10 list year, but it was later incorporated as a cultural and sporting society under the name of Brazilian Cultural Society. PREVIOUS FASCIST PLOT. On March 18 .last Central Police' Headquarters at Rio de Janeiro announced that a Fascist plot to assassinate President Vargas and for revolts in several provinces had been smashed. ■ Three thousand daggers bearing Swastika emblems were found in a raid on the home of* Salgada, police said. Senor Salgada. escaped, but was branded a fugitive from justice. Current rumours that he had found asylum in th|e German Embassy evoked a declaration by Embassy officials that he was not there. The revolts, said the police announcement, were to.have broken out simultaneously early, in, the morning of [March 11. Terrorist bands of the green- , shirted Integralists were to have occupied police and army stations, light and power plants, while others w&it through the streets throwing bombs. A swift series of raids frustrated the plot. ' N