Evening star., 1937-10-03

A SIX any intelligent person why
~ he or she is so sure that an
~ other great war is near, and
A you will get one of two
answers.
The more common answer is: THE
Fascist powers will provoke one Hit
ler's Germany and Mussolini's Italy
are based on a glorification of war
Both exist for war of conquest. and
must make one soon before they go
bankrupt. 1t will be war of fascism
versus democracy"
The alternative answer is: THE
world is being split into two camps,
Red and White. Soviet Russia. al
lied with Left-Wing France. supported
by myriads Of Red and Pink sympa-
thizers and propagandists in Europe
and America, sees that in the bal
ance the forces of revolution are los
ing ground. The only chance for
communism in our time is the chaos
OF q general war Therefore the
Red camp will precipitate one, be-
fore it is too late. 1t Will be war
OF communism versus civilization"
Both sides see the war as inevitable.
Well. we'll. The history of diplo-
macy is the history of inevitable wars
that never happened. This inevitable
war may never happen either.
Degree of Socialism.
A vast deal of nonsense is currently
talked about 'fascism." Both Ger
many and Italy are Socialist states
probably the only genuine Socialist
states in the world. The reason that
the Reds and Pinks do not like them
is because they are Nationalist So
cialist states, concerned only with
Germany and Italy respectively, and
not Internationalist.
The alleged aggressive ambitions of
Germany today have no more to do
with "fascism" essentially a home
town reaction against international
socialism communism than had the
military renaissance of Germany from
1906 to 1913 under Scharnhorst and
Stein, or the blood -and-iron" pol
icy of Bismarck which led Prussia.
via the wars of 1864. 1866 and 1870,
to the establishment Of her kings
as emperor of Germany at Versail-
les in 1871.
The overseas ambitions Of Italy date
from her complete emergence as q
national state (the nineteenth CEN
tury ideal of every liberal in the
world) In 1870 1t was not Mussolini
who sent an italian army to the dis
aster Of AdoWa in 1896. 1t was not
Mussolini who, in lightning pounce
without warning, sent an Italian army
to the conquest of Tripoli in 1911.
Both Hitler and Mussolini are mere
ly continuing traditional German and
Italian policies, whenever it is safe
to do SO. "Fascism" has nothing to
do with it. Far from leading a cru
SADIE against democracy, it is prob
able that both Hitler and Mussolini
are sardonically pleased that their
near neighbors should continue under
a regime which they believe to be so
much less efficient than that Of q
dictatorship.
Old kule OF Might.
1t Is conceivable that Germany may
make war on Russia for the Ukraine,
and Italy may one day fight Great
Britain for the control of the Medi-
terranean and the possession of Egypt
but that will be for no theological
reasons. The good old rule sufficeth
them-"the simple plan, that he
should take who hath the power, and
he should keep who can"
The alternative thesis that commun-
ism is eager to precipitate great war
has more foundation. The Reds,
whether in Moscow, France or England,
have certainly done their best to ex-
pand the Spanish conflict-which, one
way or the other, will determine the
immediate future of Red revolutionism
in Europe-into an international catas-
trophe. According to their reckoning
dn which they may be wrong), they
would be the sole beneficiaries Of a
repetition of 1914-1918.
The Left Wing today, in Europe and
in America, is a very disturbing phe-
nomenon. The swarm Of Reds and
Pinks constitute (and they exult in
the fac) a most serious menace to the
existing order Of society. (Society is
glaringly not perfect. but one is not
necessarily forced, like Carles Lambs
Chinaman, to burn down the house to
roast the pig.)
Sapping Goes on.
The revolutionaries have the i'm
mense advantage of having the mo-
nopoly Of attack. 1t is thrilling to sap
and mine at the foundations of the
social ediflce, pending the great day OF
the grand assault. 1t is very much
less exciting to be continually on the
defensive, and most ordinary citizens
have something else to do-they mobil-
ize for defense only at moments OF
crisis, sometimes too late.'
The Red-Pinks are no new thing,
however. uf that is any consolation)
They have always been with us. From
the beginnings Of organized society, a
varying percentage Of humans, (per-
haps atavistically dominated BY prtmi-