Evening star., 1937-05-30
ENGLISH MASSES ENJOY -
BEING RULED BY CLASSES
Fact Is Conclusively Brought to Light
by Demonstrations During
Coronation Week.

thls sense Il superiority excites envy
or protest: on the contrary, since
aristocracy Is from below, it Is in the
very nature Of the English policy
that this sense Of superiority which
the wealthy have In themselves IN
admired by all"
And here We have again tn. evI.
dence OF q fundamental difference
between the American and the Eng
lsh viewpoints. In America special
privilege Is looked on with fear, dis.
trust, dislike. In England it is re-.
garded as right and just and as nor.
mai TO the governing class az gray
toppers at Ascot. Even politicians.
VINO are not necessarily more honest
or public spirited than the politicians
IN the United States, are looked IN
70 with genuine respect because they
are part Of the system.
East-to- Govern People.
The lower classes consent to be
governed, and are apparently glad
70 be governed. without having to
bother their heads about it. They
are without much detectable ambi.
ton to rise above their class. Only
"hen the person Is member of the
upper middle class does he show
much OF the competitive spirit which
would raise him the notch higher to
tne governing class. 1t may be un.
true TO say that the aristocratic stats
Is one in which the poor desire to be
governed by the rich, but there is
certainly discernable here the feel
ing for inequality as a normal and
just thing. 1t permeates the lower
classes as widely as the upper.
Parenthencally, would note that
the strongest testimonials OF loyalty
10 the King were in evidence In tn.
slum districts Of London. There IL
was matter of individual streets and
alleys, not Of city boroughs making
up their private funds for decora.
tions. Every little byway had its
display, and hardly house could be
found which didn't have a flag or a
gilt picture Of the King and Queen In
its windows
Less Decoration Elsewhere.
Outside OF the main thoroughfares
in the wealthy West End there was
no attempt at street decorations, and
the absence of any individual adorn-
ment Of houses was in great con.
trast to that Of Whitechapel, Step
ney and Bow
This type of thing certainly makes
Tor great stability of government.
But it has its disadvantages. Chief
| among them, as Belloc says, is that
an aristocratic society is not very
capable Of reforming itself. Where
the status quo is apparently quite
agreeable to the great majority Of
the people who are the smallest
benehciarles of 1t, and who in other
countries are its chief opponents, 1t
hardly seems possible that it should
change until conditions become
absolutely intolerable.
Is 1t a Good system:
CLOSE critics" says Belloc. might
also ask whether many of the ad.
! vantages which class government
has procured for England are not
now, as they grow old and crystal.
lized, doing more harm than good.
The absence of a critical press for
example; the unity which imposes
silence even upon the small body OF
| educated men; on all sides pretenso
at issue with reality"
But, advantages or disadvantages
aside. the main point Is that the
English are governed by class. not
always co-extensive with nobility,
but always co-extensive with wealth,
which is constantly renewing itse,f
/ from below and which overcom 5
opposition, when it must, by takr-
the opposing persons into its oH.!
camp by ennobling him.