Evening star., 1941-01-05
Democracy Lives
in Great Britain
BIZ DdUid OWen.

It has become a dangerous common
place of democratic thinking that free
nations cannot wage war effectively
without abandoning their own rule Of
life. The notion that, if 1t would fight
successfully, a country must 'go Fascist"
has been eagerly exploited by ans
propaganda and has been accepted WI'h
astonishing ease not only by ordinary
individuals but by those in higher
places. Britain, we are told, has ceased
10 be a democracy, for the political ard
economic power now concentrated IN
the hands Of the government has ALREADY
recreated the nation in the image Of
Fascist dictatorship.
This is what the totalitarians would
like lis to believe. For it seems to blur
the line between victory and defeat.
If Britain loses, Fascism will be imposed
from without. If she wins, she will have
achieved victory only by adopting The
anti-democratic methods OF her oppo-
nents. In either case, the triumph VIII
belong to the Fascist ideal, and a war
To preserve democracy will have proved
to be the height of futihty.
1t is obvious that the kind of national
effort that modern warfare requires can
be obtained only through a Temporary
concentration of authority. The eE-
traordinary powers now held By ne
Churchill-Labour government were he
only alternative to complete failure.
But such centralization OF power as
the British have been obliged to intro
duce is a far cry from the Fascist pa'-
tern Of dictatorship. Not only is i
checked by criticism in Parliament and
out. but in itself it embodies elements
that are profoundly democratlc. The ma
tional emergency has tended TO enlist
the efforts of all classes and 10 weaken
the social barriers that have seemed
absurd and Objectionable to American
critics. Although dictatorial in the
powers that it holds, the present govern
ment is extraordinarily representative OF
the community as a whole.
But the national government has rot
been left to its own devices. Demo-
cratic safeguards still operate IN England
under the precise conditions that are
s,1nposed to produce Fascism. This aol.-
ity to preserve democratic liberties
even during the gravest OF nauohd1
emergencies. is the decisive answer 10
those who speak OF British democracy
ONLY in the past tense. Parliament IS
busier than ever British editors speak
freely in praise or blame OF the Govern
ment's policies. Injustice 10 BRUSH
citizens is still redressed IN Ordinary
courts of of law. The British CommuElS.
party remains unsurpassed, and Willie
GALLAGHER of the Clydeslde stlu SIS
at Westminster as Communist M. P.
The powers that were conferred on the
government are more sweeping than
any democratic regime has ever enjoyed.
These powers were granted by parma
ment and Parliament has remained on
the lob TO see that they were not abused
Its behavior has nothing in common
with that of totalitarian assembly
which serves only to provide proper
acoustics for the dictators oratory. Dur'
ing the question hour in the House OF
Commons, when the opposition and the
private member have their innings
nearly 1000 questions have been asked
of ministers during the past three
months. These questions have covered
a range as wide as British life itself
Through it all Parliament has felt keenly
aware of the necessity Of protecting the
liberty Of the subject, even when 1t has
felt Obliged. in the national interest. 70
hand over dictatorial powers to the
executive
In July. for example the government
introduced a second emergency powers
bill 1t proposed to create, in zones that
might become the scene OF military op-
erationS. special courts for civilians. Tie
BILL which was badly drafted, was III
eptly handled in the house by Sir John
Anderson, then Home Secretary. The
house became gravely agitated, for the
bill seemed to imply court-martial for
civilians and to deny any right of appeal
And members were by no means pre-
pared to vote such powers to the eXecu-
tive, especially when the latter appeared
so vague as to what use was to be made
Of them. Opposition from all parties
developed promptly. and the Home Sec
retary, driven from one position to an
other. was compelled to concede that
sentences passed by such courts should
be reviewed by judicial body.
A free press is no less important
democratic safeguard than is a free Par
lament. and the press of Britain is re-
markably free as regards the expression
of editorial opinion. Military news IS
naturally closely controlled and. as a.
ways, there is sharp disagreement be-
tween editors and censors as to what
constitutes military news. But through
it all, editors have spoken their minds
with little interference from the Minis
try of Information that they so unanl-
mouSly criticize.
One OF the most useful services of the
liberal press to the cause of freedom a.
home has been the campaign that it
has carried on for more discriminating
treatment of aliens. Week after week,
newspapers and members of Parliament
hammered at the governments unimag-
lnatiye handling of the problem. partc-
uiarly the policy of interning Germans
and AuStrlanS whose anti-Nazi views had
been previously established beyond any
shadow of doubt. The governments
policy was hastily devised and was car
ried out with little attempt to distinguish
between sheep and goats. Moreover, it