Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-09-22
BY MARK SULLIVAN.
nov. ALFRED M. LANDON Of

1Iy III AeCPAHASoA wv
ton next year, gave out last
week a proclamation urging Kansans
to observe Constitution day. In
brief Associated Press resume of Gov.
Landon's proclamation he is described
as having struck out at persons who
would take advantage of the tempo
rary econ mical stress to ingraft into
our Constitution certain precepts of
government foreign to it." He warned
against a doctrine "whereunder the
welfare of men has been Subordinated
to what is deemed the welfare of the
group"
At the time am writing, this brief
summary is all of Gov. Landon's proc
lamation that l have seen. With no
more than this to go upon 1 should
say that Gov. Landon has got hold of
the real issue in the presidential cam
paign next year. Any one, Gov. Lam
don or some one else, who is able to
see this issue, grasp its enormous sig
nificance, and then make the public
see it, is the person best adapted to
be the Republican nominee for the
presidency next year. If more than
one of the possibilities is equally able
to see and portray the issue, then the
most appropriate candidate for the
Republican nomination is that one OF
! them who can most clearly and elo-
quently put the issue before the peo-
pie and most theoretically fight for it..
Two Conceptions of Society.
What Gov. Landon points out is
exactly what the issue is. There are
in the world two main conceptions of
society and government. One is the
form that America is familiar with,
the other is a new conception that
has emerged in Europe during some
IT years past and has been growing
ever since it emerged. The most i'm
portant thing that has happened in
the world since the World War, and
perhaps the most important since the
French Revolution nearly $50 years
ago, is this emergence of new con-
ception of society and government.
The distinction between the new
/ conception and the traditional Ameri-
can one is that the American one
puts emphasis on the man, the indi-
vidual, while the new conception aims
to turn the Nation into the equivalent
Of beehive or ant hill. a form of
society in which the individual counts
nothing. in which the group alone is
considered AS Gov. Landon puts it,
| the new conception is one "whereunder
the welfare of men has been subordi-
mated to the welfare of the group
BY 1.-The group" Gov. Landon means
the state, the whole of society, the
Government. in the case of America
the Government at Washington.
The distinction is between, in the
American form of society, liberty for
the individual and, in the new form
maximum power for the state. In the
new conception the individual human
being is seen as having the status that
a bee has in the hive or an ant in the
ant hill-the individual wholly sub
ject to the will of the group, the in
dividual having no rights that the
group need respect; the individual
forbidden to act for himself or to look
out for himself or to save for himself
the individual told to rely upon the
state for all his security, all his we'll
being, the individual commanded to
obey the state without question, the
individual forbidden to have any 10y
atty to any person, thing or group ex-
cept the state. AS the Italian Fascist
slogan puts it, Believe, Obey"-that
is, believe the state, obey the state.
Who Wants to Be an Ant?
The ideal, the pattern of the new
conception is precisely the beehive and
the ant hill. Those diligent insects are
justly held in high esteem, but there
ar many objections to adopting their
form of society and government One
is that it won't work. for human beings
do not have all the characteristics of
bees and ants. Another is, who wants
to be bee or an ant?
We can see the new conception at
work where it has been adopted in
Italy, Germany and Russia. Those
three forms of government differ in
many respects. But they have the
identical conception in common-the
state all-powerful, the individual hav-
ing no rights that the state need re-
spect. To mention these three exam
Piles is to invite SkepticiSm, for America
simply cannot believe we are being
taken in that direction. Also mention
of Italy, Germany and Russia seems to
imply intimation that President
Roosevelt wishes to be a dictator. a
Mussolini, a Hitler or a Stain.
do not think he has that wish, con-
sciously. To make comparisons, be-
tween individuals, or to use the word
dictator" is to seem to use politi-
cal epithet.
Understanding Necessary.
What is needed, what is imperative
for America is to understand the I'M
derlying philosophy of the form of
society toward which We are being
taken. The candidate, whoever 1t Is
opposing Mr.. Roosevelt for the presi-
dency next year, should be able, if he
is ideally equipped. to go through
the campaign without mentioning Mr..
| fLOOSefclL D 1ldlIlc anu WlI1lOuG IlS1Ils
the word dictator" He should be
able-again, if he is ideally equipped
Ito make the country see the under
lying philosophy, the fundamental
principles involved, the inevitable des-
tination toward which America is be-
ing taken step by step-a few of the
early steps deliberate, but most of the
latter steps, and especially the future
ones, coming as the inevitable con-
sequences of the first steps, regardless
of the will or intention of any in
dividual
That America is being taken in this
direction is fact. 1t is indisputable
1t is recognized by everybody Suffi-
GENTLY experienced to have judgment
in this field. The number is few, be-
cause Americans in the past have had
little occasion to think about such
matters. 1t is recognized by the more
thoughtful in the Roosevelt admin
istration. Some of them do not like
it, but admit it must be the inevi-