Sir John Simon Attacks Fascism

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 298, 17 December 1936, Page 10

Sir John Simon Attacks Fascism

•DON’T GET UNDULY EXCITED ABOUT THESE VERY ABSURD PERSONS’ Sir John Simon, the Home Secretary, broke his silence about Communism and Fascism recently. Ho addressed a number of meetings in his constituency, Spen Valley, Yorks. Here are some of the things he said:

“Neither Communism nor Fascism has anything British about it.” “Don’t let us get unduly excited by these very absurd persons, some of them dressing themselves up in uniforms.’’

“There isn’t anybody in this country at all fit to be a dictator.’’ Both Fascism and Communism, declared Sir John, pretended to be liercely opposed to each other when, as a matter of fact, both wanted the same thing. “They both want to get rid of our democracy and to substitute a system of dictatorship. I don’t caro a row of pins whether the dictatorship is modelled on Stalin and Soviet Russia or on Hitler and Nazi Germany.’’ On the record of the Government Sir John said: “One of our greatest claims to the support of the peoplo is that we have kept the peace. We have saved this country from becoming involved in any war.”