South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-04-16
FOOD SHORTAGE
MAY LIGHT FIRE
IN FINDER BOX
Test of Strength of Civilized
Governments Will Come
During keXt Month.
BY WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE.

~ TINS year food supplies in Europe
~u be at their lowest. Then via
come the test OF civilized govern
ments and traditions to hold hu-
mainly in its present course. Eu-
rope. not merely the Europe whose
men died in war. but all Europe is
o. finder box. The fOO6 shortage
may produce the fire. OF course
A1:ericans realize the danger i'm
Germany and France. also in Eng
land and Belgium: everyone fears
that Russian conditions may be re-
peated in each of these countries
after the manner of its racial and
political inheritance. But we have
forgotten that war is a social dis
case. which spreads as curse upon
the innocent as we'll as the guilty
So we do not know how near TO rev
olution and anarchy are the neutral
countries of Europe: particularly
spain and Holland
Every European country eN-
presses its Revolutionary tendencies
Uuiauely. but fundamentally the sit
catiOn Is this: In every land are two
groups, a large group-Iarge in in
fluence and probably large III mum
bers. If the land is civilized. which
views the terror in Russia with kUr-
rOr. seeing the theft and murder and
social chaos as a curse OF God: an
other grOup-small in influence and
small In numbers if the land is civ
Ilized sees in the plumber and
blOodshed and anarchy OF Russia
elementary justice
In the first group are the cor
servativcs, the liberals. the evOlu-
tIonary socialists and generally
speaking organized skilled labor. In
the other group arc the unskilled
unOrganized labOrers. those nearest
starvatiOn, those whOss social status,
1y reason of hereditary weakness.
due largely to generations OF eco
monte exploitation. or by the sud-
den suppression OF food due to the
war or those who have been
scratching the fieas OF the under
dog Cor many generations-thOse
w nose social status makes them feel
yassiOnately that murder ana theft
are better than cold ana hunger.
spain, Of all the nations of Europe.
is the one where these two groups
are most typically marked. And IN
spain the danger of anarchy is
greatest. because the number Of
those with a Just cause against the
social order is the largest. So IL may
be vel for a moment TO consider
the spanish corner of the European
undertook.
Spain least Democratic.
Spain has the least democratic
government IN Europe. Tier cleo
lions are more or less dictated from.
Madrid, as the elections in Mexico
were in the DAY OF Diaz. So it fire.
quentiy happens that the minority
party in the spanish assembly rep
resents the strongest public opinion.
And the cabinet falls when the
minority quits the chamber. Ii is
-srotesque. but actual Moreover.
parties are somewhat personal.
Groups often gather around men,
who dramatic ideas. and when the
men fall or pass. the ideas lauguish.
Yet broadly In Spain one may see
there are two general divisions OF
politics: Those whc favor the
monarchy and those who oppose II.
Among the monarchists are the
conservatives. the liberals. and at
the moment the members of the re-
eiOnal politics, whose desires are for
local reforms in various regions. toe
Galatians, the Basques, and other
residents Of insurrecting regions.
Among the parties opposing the
monarchy are the republicans. the
socialists and the syudicalists. These
have more or less governmental rep
resentation. But beyond them are
the anarchists who do not partiCi-
pate in government They want a
government Of no government for
The ungovernable, Yet cabinets are
made in spain not by parties but By
leaders swapping places and power.
SO when one cabinet rises and an
other falls IL means that new
leader with a better bargaining
power has Out-traded the OLD
leader.
Around the king are two crowds,
a sporting, bull-fightiRg. horse
racing. sOciai-climbing crowd: and
another Cr0wd-the old-fasRiOned
conservative palace politicians. The
sing would walk into machine gan
without "A finch. for ne is a brave
chap physically; but ne IS afraid of
he palace ORGANIZATION" crowd and
does not breathe except through
their meter. This is the political
situation which has had 10 function
during the last TWO years OF food
shortage, of irregular labor employ
menL or a breakdown of iEterna-
tional commerce. and "a rising demo-
cratic tide all over the world. It's
.Veakness is apparent. And the need
OF strength never was SO imperative.
Hence in the empasse spain is Drift
ing into anarchy. Possibly the bull
tShts coming i'm the spring MAJ
divert the people The COnserya-
aves feel that the buu-nghts always
have prevented revolution. and they
-lWays viii. But today conditions
are 80 serious aud 30 different that
even bull-fights may not suffice.
Martial Law in barcelona.
Martial law has been declared in
DarceIona- Generally Il Is. Eut
within the last few months 40 indus
.risf murders have reeu committed
ir TIE region OF Barc"lona-Jcur-
aers ~ employers or suPerintend-