Evening star., 1936-06-25

deep impression
on the average Mark Sullivan
man.
A writer Is further handicapped In
describing the change, and the country
is further handicapped in understand
ing it, by the fact that many Of the
men who are bringing the change
about do not themselves understand
it. When the keynote speech Of
Senator Barkley of Kentucky is
criticized as a step in a process to
fasten collectivism on the country,
imagine Senator Barkley feels hurt,
and thinks the word "collectivism"
is just brick hurled at him by some
enemy.
Self-Interest at Stake.
That is the sincere attitdue Of not
merely nine-tenths but ninety nine
one-hundredths of the men who are
actually taking the steps which con-
stitute this historic change. They are
Democratic leaders and office holders
Politics is the whole of their careers.
Their concern is with the Democratic
party, as an Office holding and power
holding organization. For the pur-
pose of remaining in power, they see
President Roosevelt as a good leader.
Hence in their eyes it is proper and
wise to do what Mr.. Roosevelt tells
them. Does some one say that Thomas
Jefferson is being abandoned? Oh,
well, what Of it. The Democratic
principle of states rights? Oh, well,
that's like the tariff, a good deal to
be said on both sides In short the
very actors in this historic drama do
not see it as what it is.
To see it as striking change, but
still merely change within the Amer
ican tradition-that is common enough.
Indeed, no one can help seeing that.
That much of it is plain for every eye
to see.
Others Comment on 1t.
There were, in yesterdays news
papers, two accounts from able COM
mentators which I can quote to show
what I mean. William Allen White
saw clearly enough the passing of the
old Democratic party-"the last sad
rites Of the old party, the birth of a
new party" He observed the absence
of pictures of Thomas Jefferson and
Andrew Jackson. He observed the
rarity Of the phrase, Democratic
party" in speeches, the frequency Of
the phrase, New Deal" He noted that
Saturday night, in President Roose-
velt's acceptance speech, the country
will see the birth of new political
organization under Franklin D. Roose-
velts leadership"
But White, having passed his life in
the very heart of America, geograph-
ically and sentimentally, is as unable
as the old Democratic leaders to see
how far the change goes. He thinks
it is a change within the American
system. He thinks of it as something
like the change from Whig party to
Republican. I dare say he does not
dream-and there are hardly q hun
dred persons at this convention who
dream-that the change is one which
uproots and destroys the fundamental
conception Of American society and
government
It Is significant that those who see
most clearly what is being done here
are ones who by experience or schol-
arly study are familiar with the new
conception of society as it has taken
root in Germany, Italy and Russia.
Walter Lippmann again and again,
in his comments on this convention,
and others recently, sees that the
searching question" is whether Mr..
Roosevelt "is moving toward central
lied regulation of American economy"
| and toward a conception of society
which bars the existence of free men
and free institutions. This Is the
historic question to which our genera
tion must find the answer"
Perhaps Roosevelt Doesn't Know.
One shrinks from being dramatic.
One shrinks also from saying that the
thing America is being led into is
common to Nazi-ism in Germany,
Fascism in Italy and communism In
Russia. One shrinkS from saying this
unless there is ample space to say it
carefully, with the necessary qualiflca-
tions. The new conception, if it takes
root in America, will include funda-
mental parts of all three. but also will
omit parts of all three. Probably Mr.
Roosevelt himself does not yet fully
envisage the form his innovation will
take. Possibly he does not even see
clearly the future consequence of his
present steps. Possibly the change
may yet be averted.
Yet perhaps it is no time for con-
Germ about fine distinctions. Perhaps
it is no time to be shy about being
noisy. One longs for some one with
simple, direct, penetrating mind, a
mind concerning itself only with essen
tials and dismissing immaterial quail
fications. If such a person were here
he would soon be galloping westward,
modern Paul Revere, crying out in
every community, "The Nazis are COM
ing" That arousing slogan would not
be exact. But it would be exact enough
to be justified. And it would serve to
wake America up and cause us to see
just what is being done-and also to
foresee the future steps which must
inevitably follow the one being. taken
here.
(Copyright. 1866