Evening star., 1933-10-15
BY PERTINAX.

NOTE: Pertinar is the pen name
OF Andre Gerauc, famous European
icriter. ,Uhose opinions are frequently
quoted in the American press.
- AN it be said that Fascist
movement of some kind exists
in France? Is it likely that,
~ at some future date, republican
France will be turned into a
ore-man dictatorship or party die
tatorship in accordance with the
Italian, the German. or even the Rus
sian pattern? Unless all outward
signs are misleading, unless unforeseen
developments should disturb the eco
nomic structure Of the French nation
from top to bottom and generate
throughout the country a new frame
of mind, those questions must be
answered negatively.
In Italy, in Germany. and even in
Russia despite the striking differ
ences brought about by the very spe-
cial Marxist performances Of the Boil
sheviks, the exceptional regimes which
months make themselves ccnspicucuI
by certain common features.
To start with. wild exaltation OF
national consciousness. every form OF
international cooperation being held
up to scorr and ridicule and widely
denounced as treason-by the way, 1t
can be said that in Communist Russia,
what may be called the p-oletarian
feeling fulfills the part which national
enthusiasm plays In the Fascist coun-
tries.
In the second place. the replacement
Of the regular constitution formerly In
existence all its finely poised
checks and balances, and its time
honored division Of public authority
into an executive, legislative and q
judiciary branch-by an omnipotent
state impatient Of every form OF oppo-
sition and impatient Of the faintest
attempt at criticism or control. wnich
claims for itself absolute and complete
authority over all citizens and, In the
last analysis, is concentrated IN the
will OF a single individual or OF a small
junta.
Drastic Suppression.
Finally, the drastic suppression OF the
usual border line between public and
private affairs, it being asserted most
categorically, with unremitting vlgor.
that the State can dispose at Will OF
everybody's possessions and even o.
everybody's life. that it Is competent TO
regulate everything. even the lntellec-
tual Activity and the habits. customs
and morals of the community.
Well, the main contribution OF the
Anglo-Saxon people to political civillza-
tion. as it has been understood Tor CEN
turies, one OF their great gifts to the
world at large. has been the Idea .that
it was not open to monarchs or govern
ments Of any origin to override the RUE
hot n efferfivn
protest against the Roman principle OF
the princes unbounded sovereignty had
to be maintained. In that respect
modern dictatorships are to be under
stood as a reaction toward the Roman
tradition-a reaction run mad. The
dictatcrs of the classical period were
heralded by "a lictors. Today. Mussolinl,
Hitler and Stain, should they wish to
express their governmental authority by
an accurate symbol. would require not
"a but hundreds of Hctors to open their
march.
Outlooks Vary.
From italy to Germany and to Russia
(not to mention smaller states) cifcum-
stances and the peoples outlook upon
life vary greatly. Therefore. the same
principles are not put into effect in the
same way Nevertheless, the above
described characteristics are to be found
as a permanent factor Let us now
turn to France. Not one Of them can
be discovered there, neither In the gov
ernment organism nor in the govern
mental policy, nor in the inspiration and
the wishes Of any political party worth
mentioning. And don't forget that IN
the dictatorial countries of the present
time the revolution which brought about
the new regime was invariably preceded
by the emereence of a man who was
regarded by his hundreds OF thousands
Of followers as the hero fated to lead
his countrymen to salvation and who
was worshiped accordingly. In France
no public figure Of that stamp comes
under the limelight.
It can even be said that in the
French Republic the movement goes IN
the opposite direction. Until few years
ago there were fotceful statesmen who,
in a great crisis. could WELD, within the
framework Of the 1875 constitution, a.
considerable amount of power. For in
stance, Messrs Clemenceau. Poincare,
Millerand, BRAND. From time to time
each Of these presidents Of the republic
or prime ministers enjoyed such spell
of popularity that they were practically
at liberty to do as they pleased, and
they carried Parliament behind them
with an Overwhelming strength. BY now
all OF them are dead, or jNcapacitated
for life or (this refers to Mr.. Millerand)
have lost public confidence to such
degree as to loom as negligible guam
tity on the field Of active politics. And,
mind you. no successor of the same
stature has followed in their footsteps.
Tardieus Program.
The nearest approach to them is
Andre Tardieu, who was hustled from
the premiership by the general election
Of May, 1882. In his speeches and
weekly articles Tardieu keeps repeating
that the executive authority must be
freed to a larger extent from parla-
mentary control, and that the legis-
lative authority. or Parliament, must be
freed from the interference Of electoral
bosses or groups of electors. But to
achieve that purpose his recommenda-
tions do not go beyond the institution
Of popular referendum (on the Swiss
model, the Introduction Of womans
suffrage and the prime minister's use Of
the right OF dissolying the Chamber OF
Deputies, for which provision has been
made in the 1875 constitution, but on
terms that can hardly be deemed prac-
ticalthe previous assent Of a two
thirds majority in the Senate. M. Tar
dieu stands very far, indeed, from Of
flce. And his campaign for constitu-
tional revision has impaired rather than
increased his prospects of success In
1924 M. Millerand as President Of the
republic, broke his back on the same
rock-the natural aversion of the man
in the street to all tampering with the
parliamentary republic as it has -four
ished during the last So years.
Two Kinds of Dictatorship.
Two very different kinds Of dictator
ship are known to history:
First, what may be called the consti-
tutional dictatorship, or the ALLEGATION
to single individual Of absolute power
under the pressure of great emer-
gency, by general consent. for the full