Evening star., 1933-07-09

II - llO oAAoAe Wv
- to democracy, but in the end its
advent is sure because nothing
else can satisfy the deepest de-
sire of human beings.
So runs the answer of Thomas Gar
rigue Masaryk. president of the Czecho-
slovak Republic since its inception IN
1918 and the most representative DEM
ocrat of Europe, to the combined Com
munist and Fascist challenge OF the
present day.
Today voices, for the first time in a
century. are loud in condemn1ng not
only the faults of individual democ-
racies, but also the principles of gov
ernment of, by and for the people.
Soviet Russia. Fascist Italy and NaZl
Germany, each announces that it has
found something better-apoStolic lead
ership, semi military political hierarchy
and mass obedience with violence as its
ultimate basis.
The Russian secret police, called the
Gay-pay-oo; the Italian "Santo Man
ganello." or consecrated big sticks; the
German beating station-all are offered
to people rendered desperate by eco
nomic wants as an improvement on
government by discussion.
The new dictators proclaim contempt
for individual freedom. and blind obe-
dience to the state Today they even
claim that the leading peoples Of the
world-the United States, France and
Great Britain-have also so lost faith in
freedom as to be ripe for submission
to some self-confident dictator
Declares Parliaments Doomed.
The entire world. German Chancellor
Adolf Hitler recently announced grand
iloquently. will soon adopt the funda-
mental NaZi ideas. ParliamentS he said,
are doomed
Now it must be ever more clearly
said that whatever the virtues of the
new dictatorial system, its fundamental
principles are utterly incompatible with
those of American democracy as uttered
in the Declaration of independence, the
Constitution of the United States and
Lincoln's Gettysburg address. 1t can
even be questioned whether the two
systems can long survive together in a
closely interconnected world.
Therefore. in view of the return of
the 4th of July. this correspondent
sought an opportunity to learn the
opinion of President Masaryk of Czecho-
slovakia. For this Is the man who first
created the state he now presides over
in spirit Of unrivaled tolerance
Son of teamster but recently re-
leased from legal serfdom and of a
house servant, this Slovak married an
American student at Leipzig. He be-
came a professor and a deputy in the
AuStro- Hungarian Parliament Here he
openly fought the harsh dynastic prin-
ciple upon which Austria was built and
demanded full independence for Czecho-
slovakia. He defended the South Slavs
against the intrigues of the imperial
foreign minister. Aerenthal He stood
up for the Jews. thereby earning the
resentment of even his own people
When the World War came, he first
conspired within his own country and
then openly opposed Austria from
abroad, refusing to desist from his po-
litical opposition even when the Aus
trian government sentenced his daugh-
ter Alice to death for high treason.
Organized Republic.
Then, when the war was won, he or
ganized the new state of his dreams
the Czechoslovak Republic Here, too,
one of his first acts was to defend the
German and Hungarian minority against
his own people in the name of tolerance,
liberty and humanity.
For the Masaryk humanity Is the
great principle of life From humanity
he derives his entire political and ethical
systems. AS humanitarian he accepts
Socialism. but not MarXism or Com
munism. which, in his opinion, throttle
ethical 1ndividualism.