The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1939-10-07
Dictatorship for U. =. Inevitable;
Dur Frontier on Rhine

Dictatorship for u. =. Inevitable;
Dur Frontier on Rhine
For several years have been
contending that dictatorship for
this country Is inevitable. This
conclusion had two bases, one phil
osophic and the other economic.
The first OF these hinge around the
fact that culture cycles are getting
shorter incident to the strides OF
science and these shorter cycles
will make changes so rapid that
democratic processes will be de-
trimental TO social and economic
advance. In war time. state
OF emergency exists and even IT,
this country our president Is cloth
ed with dictatorisl powers 10 cope
with a critical situation. We have
commended that the quickened tenn
20 OF a scientific age would make
for state OF perpetual emergency
and therefore for CONTINUATION OF
dictatorship.
The second NJ these bases hinge
around the idea of efficiency In
economic endeavor However dis
inclined we may be 10 acknowledge
the good points III dictatorship.
We must admit that II Is efficient.
In Russia. the business cycle has
been eliminated and en hoe urem-
rlovment. Tho srr'e Il frre IN Ger
many and 10 lesser do~ree In
Italy Such hpnDv res"lts could
never - Viewed In r democracy
where NO wheels OF government
move rore clumsily
The best instance OF the waste
fulness ~ democracy and Of its
Guinness In critical situation Is
found In the present extra session
Of congress where the debate Of re-
neallng the embargo has begun.
The political guns OF The short
range statesmen have already been
unlimbered. Here in our so-called
democracy. these narrow gagged
statesmen just have enough power
10 thwart the lofty designs OF
Roosevelt. who IL without doubt
one or the great personalities OF the
generation. Roosevelt knows as
most close students ought 10 know
that the United States is face Ia
face with fascism and nagiSm. and
, only the defeat CT the Nazi-Fascis
Communist axis promises the SUR
vival OF what Is left OF democracy
Rcoscvelt's sympathy Is with the
allies row as in the past war. for
they are verify fighting our own
battles.
1 The weightier matters of inter
national emergency are far NOR,
I important than many of our mar.
row gagged statcsmens will admit
In fact, In our congress there is to,
much so-called statesmanship cen
tered about racial and sectiona
politics The time is far past FOL
such narrow conceptions in mat
tiers OF great moment, yet we arr
afflicted today with some OF thu
fimsiese diplomatic msneuvers O
modern times. Not only do the allie
need our material. but they actual
ly need our soldiers to fight at thei
sides IN the trenches OF the Wester,
front. II France and England ar,
doomed. then so are we. The day o
Isolation Is past, and II is Just n
impossible for nations TO live uni,
themselves as for races and irdi
viduals.
One OF the great handicaps hi
country must face is a few states
men who still believe that The whit,
man con save himself while the Ne
gro is destroyed. II cannot be done
and the sooner this is realized
The sooner the deck will be clear
ed for actions on many OF our vita
and mutual problems. Just as IN,
white man cannot rise without IN,
Negro. neither can America liv,
and prosper II democracy falls II
Europe. Whether Roosevelt said (
or not, he would have said well ha,
he said that the frontier OF thi
country Is on the Rhine" We hay,
the sorry spectacle today Of secini
III session congress where poli
teal considerations are outweigh
Ing the pressure OF the presen
/ emergency. II was ever thus. an,
viii ever he thus until some sor
OF dictatorship corrects the stua
ton.
In matters OF survival, II Is no
so much what we want or what W,
would like 10 do. but rather wha
we must do to be saved. Ii takes
dictatorship to compete with
dictatorship. Dictator Germany
dooms democratic Britain OF
France. The Only hope is that IN,
dictatorship that displaces oui
I quasi-democracy in the presen
crisis may be supplanted In tim
by true democracy. Aloofness 4
r thing OF the past, however hest
tant We may be 10 admit II. Thos,
so-called statesmen who believ,
that ours Is separate destiny tha
stands apart from the rest Of TN,
world are living In the 18th cen
fury. However we may wish II
otherwise. we should face the ugl,
fact that the destiny OF Europe anC
OF Asia and America are one. jus
as the destiny OF the whites ant
Negroes are one,