Evening star., 1935-03-24

feeble Fascist parties as long as 1t Is
certain that they have no hope of
success. But once they cease to be
debating societies and become for
midable organizations for action, they
present a challenge which it is sui
cidal to ignore. They use liberty to
assemble force to destroy liberty
When that challenge is actually Of
fered, when it really exists in the
judgment of the sober and the we'll
informed, it is betrayal of liberty
not to defend it Oiberty) with all the
power that free men possess"
Menace of Communism.
Just how great is the present men,
ace of Communism to America? To
discuss the menace in terms of Com
munism alone is misleading. Let us
put the question in broader terms:
Just how great is the present men
ace to democracy in America? Just
how great is the threat that our
American democracy may succumb to
one form or another of the new concep-
ton of government that is now virile
and triumphant in three nations OF
Europe?
The answer is that the menace Is
very great indeed What particular
form of the new conception consti-
tutes the immediate menace to Amer
lea is not clear to many. 1t seems
clear to me, but I prefer not to befog
this article with intricate reflnements
Whether, # democracy is destroyed in
America, iCs successor will be Com
munism or Fascism or something like
Nazi is not easy to answer. 1t is not
material that this question should be
answered.
For us the only question is: Is our
democracy threatened? Most certainly
it is threatened. If the threat should
succeed, the successor to democracy
would not be Identical with either
Communism or Fascism or Naz!
When the new conception takes root
in any country it does not literally
initiate the form it has taken in any
other country For example, Nazi is
similar to FasciSm and is undoubtedly
inspired oy Fascism-but NaZi is not
a literal duplicate of Fascism. In
each country the new conception
when it takes hold, is modified by
existing conditions.
The point I am making is that if
the new conception of government
takes root in America and supplants
democracy, ii will not be identical
with any Of the three forms in Eu-
rope But it will contain all the
basic characteristics of the new con-
ception, including suppression OF
freedom Of speech.
Fascism Seen Successor.
My own notion, and the notion OF
the most thoughtful persons with
whom discuss the matter, is that il
democracy is destroyed in America
its immediate successor will be FaS-
cism. With us, however. Fascism
would not last long. Our traditional
American suspicion of lodging toe
much power in what we call "bie
business" is such that new form
of society which lodges much power
in big business would not last long
with us. So I think that If democ-
racy in America succumbs. its imme-
diate successor would be Fascism-
but Fascism would not last more than
a few years and would probably be
succeeded BY some form of Com
munism.
The reader will ask how grave Is
the danger to America. 1t Is very
grave. The menace goes much beyond
those incidents in the past when we
felt ourselves threatened by mere
vocal attacks by such past leaders as
Eugene Debs, Emma Goldman and
others. The present threat includes
much more than the speeches Of
itinerant lecturers, like Mr.. Strachey
Our present menace is not fully meas
ured by the vocal and written advo-
cacy Of a new conception of govern
ment by our own radical press and
by organized groups having consid-
cradle momentum. Our present men,
ace includes the teaching of the at
fractions of the new conception OF
government in many schools and COL
leges Our present menace includes
the presence in the administration
mainly in subordinate yet important
positions, of persons who, by their
words and their associations-to de-
scribe them mildly-can hardly be
depended on to make valiant strug-
gle to defend democracy.
The Presidents Part.
If we are to be complete and can
did we must say that Americas pres
ent menace includes the perhaps
unintended consequences of some &C
tions Of President Roosevelt. He says
he is going to bring about new
order of things" and a permanent
readjustment of many of our ways
of thinking and therefore of MANY
Of our social and economic arrangv-
ments." He may not realize that his
new order of things" and his per
manent readjustment" implies aban-
donment OF the form Of society
America has known, and adoption OF
the new conception of society that
now f1ourishes in Europe.
In yet another way, the danger to
the American form. of society includes
the presumably unintended conse-
quences of President Roosevelt's ac-
ton. If some revolutionist were tC
inquire what is the best way to bring
about the new conception of govern
ment and society in America, the
answer would be obvious. 1t would be:
Make the present order unavoidable
Keep the depression going" And this
is the direct result of Mr.. Roosvelt's
putting reform" and "readjustment'
ahead of recovery.
But the limited text of this article
Is: Can we allow free speech in Amer
lea to be used by those whose purpose
is to bring about abolition of free
speech? The answer is, we cannot
II America is an effete nation, if it
has not sufficient vitality, suficient
devotion, to act in defense of its own
form OF society, then infallibly that
form will succumb to the new con-
ception which just now in Europe
has so much virility.
Mufs Will Be Barred
At British Court Fetes