The Manawatu Daily Times Fascism in Britain

Manawatu Times, Volume 59, Issue 274, 22 November 1934, Page 6

The Manawatu Daily Times Fascism in Britain

Fascism’s rise and its influence in Europe to-day-for good or evil it is too early to decide-is paralleled only by t o use and influence of the new order of things in Russia. And up holders of the old democratic'ideal are naturally profound y perturbed regarding the growing influence of either or both ui those countries which still pin their faith to the judgment of the ueonle in the government ot their own aftans. In Butain the provocative personality of Sir Oswald Mosley typifies aptly the spirit of Fascism translated into the more sober thought and more deliberate action of the Anglo-Saxon mentality, lie has been much in the public eye during the last few weeks, hirst there was a civil action in which the Black Shirt leader obtained £SOOO damages from a London paper for saying he was prepared to take over the government of the country by force, and that had hardly concluded when a number ot his followers were prosecuted for being concerned in a riotous assembly.

These incidents prompt the query to what extent the mo\ciiiont is growing in Britain? Opinions are contradictory, but there can be no doubt that statesmen at Home are viewing with some apprehension not so much perhaps the growth or the Black Shirt army, as the signs of more general acceptance throughout Europe of the political ideas of which Mussolini m Italy was the first and most successful exponent. A recent example of the attitude of leading politicians is given in the speech of Sir Herbert Samuel, now the most devoted and intelligent exponent of the old Liberal faith, which stiffened ignominious eclipse when the National Government was formed.

Sir Herbert Samuel declared in addressing the Danven Rotary Club, that to adopt a policy such as that suggested by the British Union of Fascists through the mouth of Sir Oswald Mosley would be to adopt a policy of childish nonsense. Some people had been so deeply moved by the coming of dictatorships in various parts of the world that they had formed a geneial impression that self-government had been overthrown almost everywhere. But that was not so. Liberty was still maintained in Great Britain, in all the British Dominions, in the United States, France, in all the progressive countries of North-western Europe, in Switzerland, Czccho-Slovakia, and many of the Balkan countries, and these countries constituted by far the greater part of the civilised world.

In those countries where democracy had been overthrown it had not been long established. There was Russia, for-example, which could not be regarded as a typically democratic country; Poland, Persia, Turkey, all on the same footing, and when the matter was envisaged with an impartial eye and as a whole, it was seen that the new feature was really limited to the cases of Italy and Germany. It was obvious enough that the main causes for the constitutional upheaval in these and some other countries had been the war, the moral and economic upheaval of the war. The mind of men in all countries was profoundly disturbed. Old-established ideas were shaken, and people generally were open to receive all kinds of new impressions.

The belligerents spent £26,000,000 in the war, and that could not happen without tremendous economic disturbances. Communistic movements became rife in many countries and made a considerable impression on people in dire circumstances. Parliaments on the Continent were not able to meet the situation. Liberty was always subject to this great handicap. Those who believed in liberty allowed latitude of expression to those who believed in force, while those who believed in force immediately on getting power denied that latitude of expression to those who believed in liberty. For the world, one of the most serious manifestations of dictatorship was the Spirit of militarism. Democracies, in the long run, stood for peace, but dictatorships always have been in history militaristic and always, as to-day, inclined to war.

The cable steamer Recorder, which is operating off Muriwai Beach, arrived at New Plymouth yesterday m«.rning to take in stores and water. The vessel has been delayed in effecting cable repairs by rough weather. She leaves this afternoon to resume her operations,

Earle M. Robertson, aged 18, a telegraph messenger, collided with a motorear at Dunedin at 3.30 on Tuesday afternoon and received severe head injuries and concussion, from which he died five hours later. The youth, who was riding a cycle, collided with the car when coming from a side street on ‘•o' a main road.