Evening star., 1937-11-14
FASCISM FAR FROM NEW
IDEA In SOUTH AMERICA
But Word Itself Links Dictators to Those
in Europe, Enhancing Worth
in Public Eye.

Latin American dictators and Mtlsso-
lini and Hitler is on the way to being
established, they have been elevated
from their former status as adventure
ers to a plane Of respectability. They
can and are beginning to say In self.
Justification that the governments
they head belong to one Of the three
great modern types. They can say
that their type is the one which was
chosen by such great civilized nations
as Italy and Germany. Whereas be-
fore. they we're regarded as, and they
tacitly admitted themselves to be, po-
litical buccaneers, for whom no defense
In morals or law was possible. they
now pose as exemplers of a political
| philosophy to which scores Of mil
lions OF people in some of the worlds
most advanced countries give fealty.
Representatives More Confidant.
Since these relationships have ac-
| quired measure of respectability, and
are on the way to more. they have be-
gun to slough off the disingenuousnes
and bragadoccio with which formerly
they faced the world. Their diplomatic
representatives abroad, too, are COM
ing to have less humble and hang
dog air than they had formerly.
1t is natural that Washington dip.
lomats from dictator-ruled countries
should either share the personal rule"
views Of their masters or that they
should make show of so doing
otherwise they could not hold their
| jobs. And it is also natural that since
their chiefs are becoming increasingly
self-conscious exemplars of Fascism
that they, too. for all the fine words
they still utter about democracy and
liberty, are apologists for the defenders
of Fascism.
Among the Washington diplomats
from Latin America who more or less
| openly espouse Fascism, first place
must be given to DR.. Pedro Manuel
Arcaya, vino was the Minister of Vene-
zuela for many years until 1894, when
his patron, Dictator-President Gomez,
died. First place honors 20 to DR..
I Arcaya because of the outstanding dis
tinction Of the man compared with
other representatives of dictators, and
also because of the skill and forth
rightness. even passion. with which he
defends Fascist principles DR.. Arcaya,
in his native country, has been law
yer, encouragement. professor Of law
at the University of Caracas, Judge Of
| the Supreme Court. Minister of the In
terror. member of the Venezuelan
Academy of History In diplomacy. be.
sides occupying the post of Minister to
Washington. he has been Ambassador
to Peru He is the author Of many
works. principally in the fields Of Law,
history. biography. government There
can be no question about his scholar
ship. his brDliance of intellect, or the
sincerity of his belief in the views he
expounds. In 1885. Dr. Arcaya brought
out a volume entitled. THE Gomez
Regime in Venezuela" Only few Of
the books pages deal with Gomez:
the rest develop the case for Fascist
rule. A few passages will suffice to re-
veal the pattern of DR.. Arcaya's argu-
ment.
First Steps Held Wrong.
A century and more ago, at the time
Spain's American colonies were break
! ing away from her and setting I'D in
dependent governments of their own,
founded on the doctrines of the French
Revolution and the institutions set up
by the newly independent republic Of
the United States-at that formative
time, argues DR.. Arcaya, Latin Amer
lea took the wrong turn. followed the
road marked democracy" insted Of the
one marked personal rule:
Men had blind faith in the myth
of suffrage. under the impression that
it was the only form by which the peo-
pie could express their will, without
noticing that every hotly-contested
election kindles passions and brings
on war They considered the right Of
insurrection justifiable. and believed in
the necessity of party government and
the advisability of political discussions
and campaign"
The result of that mistaken choice,
DR.. Arcaya maintains, has been to pro-
pagate political instability. which has
held back progress in all fields. made
trade and industry precarious. kept
living standards at low levels. Now,
however
THE mystic doctrine of democracy
is being replaced by love of ones
country and the desire to make 1t
great by utilizing all its forces, o1-
ganized to function harnoniously
through the control which can be ex-
erted only by Supreme Dictator.
(This) can no longer be thought a re-
Election of the barbarity of primitive
races: it is a cry from all peoples.
even those with the oldest civilization,
and it is heard, powerful and vibrant.
in our own day"
Prosperity Held Proof.
The peace and prosperity enjoyed
by Venezuela under the long rule of
President Gomez-prosperity that con-
tinued during the world depression
when countries having democratic In
stitutions suffered great distren-fur-
nishes proof, DR.. Arcaya asserts, that
Fascisnl. or as he calls it, rule "by a
Supreme Dictator" is the best Of all
forms of government for Latin Amer
lea. and, indeed, for "all peoples" !.
The claim DR.. Arcaya makes that
Fascism is the invention not Of Mus
solini but of Latin American dictators
is timid and cautious, which Is surprb-
ing considering the strong. indeed the
altogether convincing, case he could
make in its support:
1--WE are witnessing a fundamental
revision of political ideas. Already
| several European nations have adontAd