DICTATORS’ USE OF HOLIDAYS

Southland Times, Issue 23648, 25 October 1938, Page 9

DICTATORS’ USE OF HOLIDAYS

PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECT ON PEOPLE The dictators, who make some study of mass psychology, realize the political advantage to be gained from holidays and celebrations, says The Manchester Guardian. It means not only the wisdom of the Roman emperors, who kept the proletariat quiet with bread and circuses, but something more: The modem tyrants reason that if the people’s natural wish to enjoy themselves is tied to some political event or day or slogan the two things will eventually become united in the popular mind. So the humble citizen who begins by dancing and waving flags because he likes to let himself go occasionally will end by believing that he is really celebrating. A correspondent who has recently left Greece, the youngest and most jejune of our totalitarian crew, draws attention to another device of the same kind. Until General Metaxas became dictator two years ago the Greeks used to celebrate March 25 as the day of national rejoicing because on that day in 1831 they won their freedom from foreign rule. Now they celebrate (by order) August 4, because on that day in 1936 they lost it again to a Greek politician. At first, of course, the police must work rather hard and a good deal of money must be spent to make the celebrations appear truly national and spontaneous, but General Metaxas hopes no doubt, that in time the Greeks will forget about March 25 (and freedom) and come to believe that August 4 was really a great day in Greek history. The German rulers have done better. They have calmly adopted May I,' which was the great day for German as for all other. Socialists, and made it a festival for National Socialists. It all seems so simple, and yet one wonders, Have the dictators forgotten the old saying “You can fool all the people for some of the time . . . ”?