The Washington times., 1922-11-14

NEW YORK, Nov. 14.-After
being thrown out of power by the
popular upheaval after the war,
reaction-thc rule of the mail-fist:
ed few-seems to be vaulting into
the saddle again in many parts of
Europe and elsewhere.
A few days ago it was the black
skirted Fascist Of Italy who sud-
denly seized government with the
aid of loaded canes, revolvers, and
machine guns.
Fired by this, the junkers of
Bavaria, the seat of reaction in
Germany, are donning gray shirts,
arming with swords and magazine
revolvers, machine guns and poison
gas, and, under the leadership Of
Ludendorf, are massing for IA
similar thrust against republican
Germany.
Fright" Sweeps Poland.
In Poland. Korfanty, the man
who led the revolt In upper Silesia
during the plebiscite conducted last
year by the allies, seems to have
swept the Polish elections at the
head of reactionaries against the
mildly socialistic Washington of
Poland" Marshal Pilsudski.
In my own country. France, II is
the national bloc that is in power.
counting among its elements men
who are actually striving to bring
back the bourbons to the throne of
France once more monarchist.
In England, the tories of the
country organized as the conserva.
tive party, up to last week endur.
ing the yoke Of a coalition with less
reactionary Elements, have felt
strong enough to bid for power
alone, have broken up the Lloyd
George ministry and dare make a
bid for national elections. And so
it goes in many other lands.
Turn Is Due.
1t would seem, therefore. that the
pendulum of action and reaction is
swinging to the right but not in
the right direction. But such a view
is too near sighted to give a true
report. AS matter of fact the
swing to the right is at it's extreme
point and the return to the left, to
popular, democratic conquest of
power is momentarily due. Indeed
to student Of current events the
return has already commenced.
Interestingly enough. it is the
eleetiens here in America that offer
one Of the nearest proofs of this
reaction against reactionary. In
America you have no party more
conservative than the Republicans.
You have had no greater usurpation
of popular liberties than recent
labor injunctions. no imposition of
new burdens more typical than the
high protective tariff recently
passed by Congress and signed by
the President. But these were
enough to rouse the people against
usurpation by the few.
Last Tuesdays election results.
whatever other meanings may be
read into them, can hardly be mis-
read-to the extent that you have
had reaction, there has been more
than a corresponding revolt by the
people of this country. To my
thinking this revolt Is merely mega.
tive, has nothing to offer in the way
of a solution and cannot endure.
nevertheless, ii Is a revolt against
reaction.
German Labor Awake.
In Germany, where the monarch.
ist push is momentarily due, the
workers will be found ready when
it comes and will deal with 1t as
decisively as they did when Kapp,
Luttwitz and Ludendorf tried to
seize the government In March,
1920. 1t took only four days to
drive out the junker crew and to
demonstrate to the world that the
German republic has come to stay.
As for the Fascist In Italy they
will last less than a year.
In England the revolt will grow
and express itself through the ma.
tional elections Wednesday. In spite
of the confidence of the conserva.
tives in the further swing Of the
pendulum to the right, the British
labor party, the great medium Of
the people, wilLsurely gain in power,
IL 1t does not actually win. In place
OF the seventy.six seats in the
House of Commons there probably
will be won by the British labor
party 100 to $50 seats.
In my own country the elections
are sixteen months off. But already
In by-elections, in the press. in the
stir OF popular feeling the reaction.
aries OF the national bloc hear the
approach OF their downfall. The
socialist party Of France has won
tremendous gains in recent local
elections all over France.
Sees Workers Win.
Action and reaction. the swing to
the right and to left, usurpation Of
power by the Iron Heel and the
overthrow OF the Iron Heel by the
populace on whose neck II treads--
these are the rhythm OF history.
Here In America you have some.
thing that approximates this pendu.
lum swing. You elect ,overwhelm.
ingly the Republicans. Then you
revolt and elect overwhelmingly the
Democrats - though. of course,
neither of the two parties Is the ex.
preston of effective popular revolt.
Il the world then doomed to he
swinging constantly and violently
from one extreme to the other7 No.
For with each experience. of the
folly and waste of extreme action
and reaction, a greater number of
thinking men and women begin TO
see that effectiveness, like truth lies