FASCISM IN BRITAIN

Taranaki Daily News, 14 September 1934, Page 10

FASCISM IN BRITAIN

PAID MEMBERSHIP ONLY 17.500. BUT MUCH WIDER CONTACTS. Regarding the present strength and future prospects of British Fascism, John Strachey, of London, writes in The New Republic, a New York publication: At its inception, the British Union of Fascists was neglected, and probably l consciously boycotted by the capitalist press. The British bourgeosie at that time saw no heed for a Fascist movement and was inclined to discount the possibility of Fascism’s being of service to it. This, however, was not the view taken by certain important individual capitalists, for Mosley was able to raise important funus. The expenditure of these funds with the usual Fascist lavishness enabled Mosley to build up the skeleton of a national organisation with branches in nearly all important centres of population, and to hold large-scale public meetings. The establishment of this new. organisation all over the country, without there being any mention of it in the press, naturally aroused popular interest and excitement. As no accurate information on the real strength of the Fascists was available, public opinion swerved violently from great under-estimation to as great over-estimation. The neglect by the press became a very definite asset for Mosley. It gave hte’organisation an air of mystery, of conspiracy. Rumours of there being already half a million members of the Fascist party began to circulate. They were carefully fostered from Fascist headquarters. The real facts, however, are not in doubt. Indeed, in Fleet Street any editor can discover all the facts and figures about the British Fascists, or even gain possession of the most confidential documents.

The real membership of the Fascist party is 17,500, not 500,000. This figure is for real paying members, “good on the books.” While, in vies of the widespread activities and really huge expenditure of the Fascists this winter, it is by no means large, it is not altogether negligible. For the possession of 17,500 actual paying members means that the Fascists have very much wider contacts of- a looser kind. It is estimated by an authority, who has made a special study of the matter that the Fascists have anything up to 100,000 of such looser contacts. QUESTION OF FINANCE. More important, of course, than the number' of Fascist supporters is the question of funds. The magnitude of these funds was revealed during the late autumn of last year and in the early months of this year. Expensive halls were rented and the meetings widely advertised. But on top

of this normally quite considerable expense, anywhere from 500 to 1000 uniformed Fascists were brought long distances to the meetings. It is said that some 500 Fascists were brought from London to Manchester for the Manchester meeting and a like number to Birmingham. A simple , arithmetical computation shows that when the fares and keep of these Fascists are reckoned, each of these meetings must have cost nearer £2OOO than £lOOO. The expenses of Fascist propaganda are all on this lavish scale.

There is no doubt that as and when the crisis deepens, which it assuredly will, more and more capitalist support will come to tire Fascists. Already the powerful Rothermere press has been opened to Fascist articles. This will place vast funds at the disposal of Mosley, who will use them for lavish, and spectacular ’ propaganda. There seems little doubt that he will recruit important sections of the lower middle class to his standards. Hence, the growth of Fascism in Great Britain is entirely inevitable. But will this growth: be sufficient for Mosley to claim, with any prospect of success, the leadership of the British capitalist class? In essence the answer to this question depends upon what leadership is followed by the British-working class. If the British working class continues until the end to follow its present social-democratic leaders, continues to entertain the blifid delusion of “gradualism,” then undoubtedly British Fascism stands a chance of Obtaining power. If, however, a decisive section of the British working class breaks away arid follows the revolutionary leadership, then there will be no possibility Of . a Fascist regime in Britain.