Evening star., 1937-02-07
BY C. PATRICK THOMPSON.

lodgings in cities outside his home
land, dreaming, with the ferocious
zest Of the one-idea'd, Of a world
proletarian order, a brotherhood Of
man. rising glorious and triumphant
from the smoking ruins Of what men,
imprisoned in capitalist theology. call
modern civilization"
His successor had him nicely en-
balmed, clapped a saluting base atop
his granite tomb; and there he now
stood, a tall, vigorous-looking man in
plain khaki uniform and peaked
military cap, undisputed lord OF no.
600 GOO people comprising $50 nation
alities contained in an area two and
a half times the size OF the United
States: the eternal realist conquering
at least in this earthly life-the
eternal dreamer.
The Kremlin sprawled hugely at
his back. Around him on the high
perch grouped the red oligarchs-
thick-set, strong men, In civilian
clothes. On the lower dais were the
leaders of the fighting forces. Massed
bayonets glinted and glittered in the
cold sunlight. Gray, immensely wide
columns Of soldiers marched and
wheeled on the floor Of Red Square.
Overhead zoomed flight after flight
Of giant high-winged metal mono
planes, bombers and parachute troop
carriers
Surveying the scene. one ceased to
wonder why, all night long for days
previous, lights had glowed in the
windows of the headquarters building,
where the gentlemen Of the Ogpu
come and go, popping in and out OF
fast black cars, followed by soldier
escorts with that distinguishing green
band in their hats that so disconcerts
the Soviet citizen who opens his door
to an abrupt knocking at l o'clock
in the morning.
There was Russia, the red empire
a dozen men lined up against the
Moscow skyline.
Kerensky to Stain, Then
After the Romanoff. Kerensky, the
bourgeoise talker. After Kerensky.
Lenin, the world revolutionary.
farthest left of all the bolsheviki, in
sympathetic emotional tune with the
masses in the greatest revolutionary
movement in history. After Lenin.
Stain. the social patriot, nationalist
defender of the fatherland.
Thus far, a logical succession. But
after Stalin-what:
Discussion on this subject grows In
all the capitals. from Berlin to Bucha-
rest, and from Paris to Prague, Angora
and Toxic, as Russia, under the deep
ening shadow Of a two-front war and
the necessity for finding allies among
| the armed democracies, proceeds to
elect its first Parliament and take it,
first step along the road away from
dictatorship and toward democracy
Discretion, however, Is advisable. It IS
| for instance, unwise to stroll along the
banks of the Moscow River audibly dis
cussing the riddle Of what happens Il
unhappily fate decides that Joseph
Stain, whom God preserve. dies out o1
bed and with his boots on. People
have done this and had serious trou-
BIZ with the police before finding
themselves put over the frontier.
You may, of course, inquire in ar
| official way in any authoritarian state
what happens if the dictator dies. Bu'
you won't get beyond formahties ol
behind facades. / found this out first
in Rome. I went down, some years
ago, to ask what happened if the Duce
died. The question was quite welcome
Interviews were willingly arranged with
all the head men, who talked frankly
and with the unanimity of tap-dance
chorus executing well-practiced step
The King would simply invite the mex,
Fascist in line to form government
The show would 60 on without pause
or hitch.
knew, and they knew that knew
that as soon as Mussolini was with
drawn there would be clash of small
er personalities. But to raise this sub
ject in the cordial presence of Fascist
ministers, as they chatted in theil
sanctums beneath signed portraits OF
the Duce, would have been out Of the
question.
Badoglio May Seize Power.
It was then that I discovered Ba-
doglio. I innocently mentioned the
generals name in the Excelsior restau-
rant and my host turned pale and
changed the conversation. Eventually
however, I learned about him.
Badoglio headed the royalist faction
II Mussolini went, and the inner ring
split, this faction would hold the bal
ance Of power, and might even seize
the governmental reins. Mussolini had
promoted the dangerous chief OF staf1
to a grand advisory post, whence Ba-
doglio could not issue executive orders;
and with his own militia holding all
key communication points, and men,
ton of Badoglio's name banned, Mus
solini felt safe.
| The answer at that time-the Fall
of 1928-therefore seemed to be: Balbo
or Badoglio, or both.
But Russia has no royalist party left
Royalty, without warrior caste, aris-
tocrat class or great middle class to
back it, has no root in any national
organism. Even if the red republic
were smashed in war, a Romanofi
could not sustain himself on a restored
| throne. The bolsheviki have been too
thorough in killing of former ruling
class folk; and Russia never developed
q buffer class between aristocrat top
and peasant-proletariat bottom.
Ohicially, nobody could succeed
Stain anyway. As dictator, he has no
official existence. You won't find him
in the new constitution. Hitler Is
President and chancellor Of Nazi Ger
many, which lacks a king. Mussolini
is premier of Italy. which has a King.
Ataturk Is President of Turkey, with
his fellow general, Ismet Pasha, as
premier. The late Alexander of Yugo-
slavia was King as well as dictator.
But Stain holds no government post
or state title. He Is just the party
secretary: Boss because he controls
all nominations, appointments, pa
tronage.
There is a President of the republic