The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-12-05
BY MILTON BRONNER
NEA Service Writer

YEA ScTVICe writer
Copyright. 1927, NEA Service. Incl
LONDON, Dec. SIS Europe safe
for democracy today?
Before listening for the answer,
go back ten years in your memory.
In 1917 America entered the
worlds greatest war to make the
world safe for democracy"
The armistice was signed nine
years ago, the Kaiser was deposed
and exiled and the allied forces
were overwhelmingly victorious.
But the melancholy fact remains:
Europe today is about as unsafe
place for democracy as could well
be found.
Two Forces at Work
Two major forces contend for the
mastery in Europe, each equally
hostile to democracy.
One is bolshevism. The other is
fasciSm.
Both are contrary to American
ideas of democracy. They destroy
the rights of the plain people-free-
dom of the press, free speech, the
right of free assembly, free cleo
tons. To be sure, they are forces
of directly opposite types.
BolShevism seeks to destroy prop
erty rights, fasciSm seeks to exalt
them. But each seeks the absolute
rule OF the many by the few.
Fascism in Disguise
Nearly everywhere in Europe to-
day democracy is either routed or
on the defensive.
BolsheviSm rules in Russia. FaS-
cism rules in Italy, Portugal, Spain,
Poland, Hungary, Greece, Rumania,
Bulgaria and Turkey. 1t is not
known by the name of fascism in
all of those countries, but it is fas-
cism in all its essentials, neverthe-
less.
Mussolini rules in Italy, Rivera is
lord in Spain. Hungary is ruled by
Bethlen. Poland has it's Pilsudski.
Greece and Portugal have military
dictatorS. Bulgaria has Liaptcheff.
Turkey has Renal Pasha. Ru-
mania had Bratianu, who stood be-
hind the throne of the boy king,
Michael, and was the real ruler.
Bratinau is dead and his brother is
premier now; but the country as a
whole is no freer.
Even in countries that thus far
have escaped both faScism and boil
shevism, the two corrosive acids are
at work. and no one knows what
may take place in the near future.
Strong Throughout Europe
England has little, band of die
hard FascistS and a n1uchA larger
group of Communists. France has
a well-organized Fascist party and a
Communist party so strong that it !
owns big newspapers and has a
number of delegates in parliament,
wins elections in big cities and
spreads mutiny in the army. In
Germany the extreme monarchists,
with the powerful steel helm"
dream of fascistn; the Communists
keep pace with them, helped by
contributions of money from Mos
COW.
Free elections and parliamentary
government as we know them are
under fire all over Europe, and it
would take rash person to try to
predict what may tapepn in the
next ten years.
Middle Glass Is Key
The great war and the revolutions
which followed have started fires
which may smelt all known forms
of government and bring out some
thing new; on the other hand, they
may bring many new revolutions
and conflicts.
Property and privilege on the one
hand fight "the masses" on the
other.
In between lies the great middle
class, seeking to get on with the
job of making living in peace.
Europe's future may depend on how
far this great middle clas sis able to
influence events.
Next: European Armed Camp.