The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-03-26
Liberal Viewpoint
by DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES

TIME great social movements of today are de-
! i voted to one of two purposes: Cd Saving the
captalistic system by some means Of combating
the old ruthless individualism and financial
looting which have brought it close to rum; ana
90 the overthrow of capitalism and the substl-
tuition of a planned economy based on collective
ownership of the means of producing and dis
tributing goods
There are two methods now being followed
to promote the first of these attempts: Cd the
forceful defense of capitalism, involving the
surrender of democratic institutions and exem-
plified by Fascism and Nazism in Italy and
Germany; and (2) less rigorous RECOMMENDATION
in Difference to democratic traditions, best illus
trated by the New Deal in the United States
under Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The one working enterprise in collective
control of economic life is that of Soviet Russia,
conventionally known as Communism.
1t is highly desirable that all thinking citizens
of the United States should possess at least
passable knowledge Of these major social and
economical movements of the second third of
the twentieth century.
Dr. Ethan Cotton has provided very service
able book for this purpose of introducing readers
to Fascisn Nazism, the New Deal and Com
munism. ('Four Patterns of Revolution" Associ-
ated Press $2500 While not vigorously analy-
teal or critical, it shows reasonable grasp Of
facts and principles and is both informing and
easy to read.
Dr. Cotton believes that Fascisn in Italy is
dominated by Nationalism more directly than
by the effort to save capitalism by force.
Ut has not been conceived and set up to per-
i petuate the exploitation of the common man
by privilege; nor has it been suffered to be-
come the tool of oppressive wealth Though
widely propagated such accounts sound more
like angry accusations of other schools of rev.
oution which Fascism has baked by its strategy
and program 1t is not Capitalism but Nation
alism that has marked this child as unnllStak-
ably its own
Some unkndy critics will observe that Mus
solini has been clever enough in this regard to
deceive Dr. Cotton as we'll as the italian people.
The degree to which Fascism is really interested
in protecting its working people is to be seen in
the fact that while the government has hun
dreds of millions of dollars to spend on arma
ments, it contributes OF per cent to the cost OF
Italian social insurance,
Dr. Cotton distinguishes between italian Fas-
cism and German Nazsm by describing the for
mer as "One-Man Government" and the latter
as "One-Party Government" There are those
who would allege that if DR.. Cotton had gone
back Of Hitler to find the real ruler of Nazi
Germany he would have discovered that one
man rules Germany about as decisively as Mus
solini rules Italy, namely, the great steel baron
Herr Won Thyssen.
MO one can claim that DR.. Cotton has not
IN been fair to Hitler He almost goes to the
point of accepting his campaign propaganda as
his real social and economic program. He even
makes the astonishing statement that Neither
Hitlers words nor official acts have proved any,
thing other than genuine consideration Of the
workers true interests" One may legitimatey
wonder if DR.. Cotton has heard anything about
the upheaval of last July and what it was all
about.
The analysis of the New Deal is after the
fashion of friendly exposition, with none Of Stol-
berg and Vinton's relentless analysis of contra
dictions But some apprehension is implied in
the account Of the Retreat to Nationalism."
With the exception of the handling of religion
under the USSR, the survey of communistic
Russia is fair. At least, the latter is getting
things done, as the following table Of industrial
production in the modern world will indicate: