FASCISM’S BIRTH.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 929, 25 November 1933, Page 1

FASCISM’S BIRTH.

Begotten of Communism Out of Civil Discord. MR BALDWIN'S VIEW. British Official Wireless. (Received November.2s, 12.50 p.m.) RUGBY, November 24. “ Fascism,” said Mr Baldwin in the House of Commons, "is begotten of Communism out of civil discord. Whenever you get Communism and civil discord '-ou get Fascism. You have seen it in Italy and you have seen it in Germany. My firm conviction is that you will never see either in this country.” Mr Baldwin was replying in the debate on the Address to the Throne to representations from Conservative members that the powers and constitution of the House of Lords should be amended as a precaution against possible revolutionary Socialist schemes. Having expressed the conviction that the House of Commons would never consent to put the House of Lords in a position of equality or superiority to itself, he agreed that there was much to be said for some kind of Lords reform; for instance, equality of representation there of all parties. The Upper Chamber, he thought, was too large, and it was not good that it should largely represent only one point of view. In regard to the suggestion that the House of Lords should be strengthened as a bulwark against dictatorship, he said that he had pretty clear views of his own as to what would happen if any man in Britain was rash enough to attempt to create a dictatorship. Fie expressed the conviction that Britain would never see a dictatorship, either from Right or Left.

CERTAINLY TOO LARGE. LONDON, November 23. Sir John Gazoni (Conservative, Ipswich) protested against the failure of the Government to introduce a scheme of reform for the House of Lords, during the course of the debate on the Address-in-Reply in the House of Commons to-day. The Labour Party was frankly aiming at a Socialist dictatorship, he said. If the House of Lords were reformed, the veto might be restored, providing that a Bill rejected by an absolute majority in the House of Lords could not become law until after a general electiom Sir Charles Oman (Conservative, Oxford University) opposed the hereditary principle. The second chamber, he contended, should be composed only of persons of proved capacity and wisdom. Mr Stanley Baldwin, replying, said he believed that, if any attempt were made to create a dictatorship by either the Right or the Left, it would be met by force, and, if force, were employed, the extreme Right would win, as in every other country. He described h ascism as begotten by Communism out of civil discord. However, he agreed that there was no more urgent question than that of the limitation of the number of peers who exercised legislative functions. The present House was certainly too large.