The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-11-18
NEWSPAPERS OPINIONS
FASCISM IN AMERICA


enough removed from Europe and Asia to escape
the entanglements of the present conflicts abroad
should now be able to see that there are many
ways for this nation to become involved and it will
require rare intelligence and extraordinary dplo-
macy to chart course that will keep us out of
war.
While many alarmsts have been fighting the
bushes in the belief that communists were sneak
ing into this Western Hemisphere all of a sudden
we are awakened by the announcement that fas-
cism has walked in at the back door and taken
full possession of the affairs of Brazil. Almost
overnight democracy has been strapped and a
government along the pattern laid by Mussolini
and Hitler has been substituted by President Var
gas, the self-procaimed dictator.
Thus as the insurgent forces of Spain, with the
help of Italy and Germany, sweep on to final VIC
tory with the hope of making fascism supreme
around the Mediterranean. and just the new
entente with Japan is announced we see the con-
spirators emerge with good foothold on this side
of the Atlantic.
If any reader of this column is unaware Of the
threat to democracy of this latest development,
simply look across at what has happened and is
happening where fascism is in flower Just as
Germanyand Italy have stamped out every vestige
idealistc detectives and high ethical standards,
now see the same thing happening in sections of
Spain where the conquest has been successful.
The Scottish Rite News Bureau reports that in
the old Spanish town of Malaga, sunny city of
grape and fig and olive on SPANS Mediterranean
seacoast, six of the hands Of the Spanish rebels,
the garrote. horrible instrument of death, is again
erected on scaFolds in the prison yard. Early on
the morning of October 20 six of these grim de-
vices were in use. Soldiers, officers and execution
ers Of the forces of General Franco, the rebel
leader of the Spanish fascists, were busy. Squads
of condemned prisoners followed one another, hUr-
ried to the scatfolds in scenes unparalleled since
the DAYS of the French Revolution until no less
than eight victims had been executed in this bar
barous manner.
These men met death not because they were
murdererS. nor were guilty of treason or other
high crimes against the state. Their offense was
simply and solely that they were members of the
Masonic fraternity No other charge was brought
against them; 10 other seems to be needed to in
woke the death penalty in Fascist Spain
This we-nigh incredible report finds its way to
this county through the Grand Master of the Grand
Orient of Spain, now in exile in Paris. 1t is ac-
companied by a piteOus appeal to the Masons of
America for help. II is feared that these execu-
tons will continue as pressure to that end is being
brought by the fanatic Cardinal Segura of the Ro.
man Catholic church. They implOre the influence
of American Masons against a continuation Of
these maSsacres
If the new totalitaran state set up in Brazil
succeeds in sitting the old democracy, we may
ultimately expect the same sort of atrocities to be
there have marked the path OF fas-
cism in Europe.
Whether not the Monroe Doctrine will be in
voked to make the Americas safe for democracy,
will be one of the delicate questions which the
United States must decide before long.-Hickory
Record.