HAS DEMOCRACY FAILED?

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 22 September 1923, Page 9

HAS DEMOCRACY FAILED?

Reaction in Many Countries. MR LLOYD GEORGE’S TELLING OBSERVATIONS. [The following and all of Mr Lloyd George’s articles are copyright by the United Press Association in America (all countries), copyright in Australia and Now* Zealand by the Australian Press Association, copyright in Great Britain by the “Daily Chronicle.” Reproduction in full or part is prohibited.] BY GAB BE—PRESS ASSN.— -COPYRIGHT (Received 5.5 p.m., September 21.) LONDON, September 20. Mr Lloyd George writes: “Tho Spanish coup d’etat is part of the general reaction against democracy which has arisen since the war. Started with Bolshevism. The' revolt started ■with the Bolshevik revolution, swept over Italy and captured Bulgaria. The latest phase is tho military insurrection in Spain. In essence, Bolshevism and Fascism are a revolt against Parliamentary methods of government. In some quarters, there is a growing discontent with Parliamentism, because of its dilatoriness, confusion of. aims, pettiness, costly inefficiencies and constant failure to attain its ideals. Ardent reformers are always in the end disappointed w T ith the percentage of. achievement which the system yields to the tonnage of oratory. Most reformers get discouraged, but now and again a man arises who gets angry and rudely brushes aside the people’s representatives and resorts to direct action. That accounts for Russia. In othei/j quarters, there is a deepening distrust of democracy, because it is, a menace to existing interests and comforts; because of its supposed readiness to make unwise concessions to popular: clamour; because, in fact, it is too anxious to please; That was the complaint of Signor Mussolini. He would probanly claim Caesar as. his prototype, but Cromwell was the first modern Fascist. The Message of Carlyle. Mr Lloyd George quotes Carlyle's description of “Pride’s Purge,” as giving the whole substance of Fascism. In this historic deed, the wfliole attitude of Fascism is described sympathetically by Carlyle—the greatest exponent and advocate of the doctrine. The first great modern Fascist v. as Lenin, who substituted fore© for popular election in a democratic state. The Russian revolution had already overthrown tho ancient regime, and land in Russia had been distributed among the peasants, but Lenin rebelled against the new* Parliamentary regime led by Kerensky, the Socialist. Lenin was contemptuous of the Volgas of rhetoric of endless talk, which never froze, which could not fight, and could not make peace. Yet the regime had behind it the overwhelming majority of the chosen representatives of tho Russian people. The Kindred Spirit. “Bolshevism is more than a gigantic plundering of the propertied classes. It teaches the proletariat to sacrifice life,, comfort, liberty at the behest of the Soviet leaders. It is this spirit which animates Fascism in Italy, and while it continues Bolshevism will rule in Russia and Fascism govern in Italy. Signor Mussolini does not deny that although the objects of Bolshevism and Fascism are different in tlieir methods, they have much in common. ‘lf ' tffe ' old established political machines were too skilfully handled in Italy to enable Fascism to secure a majority in Parliament, so much, the worse for Parliament,” said. Signor Mussolini. So a hundred thousand Fascists marched on Rome.’”