The Wilmington morning star., 1947-07-14
Fascism In Action

lished by special Act of Congress, Rep.
Wriqht Patman of Texas wrote the Leg
islative Reference Service Of the LII
brarv of Congress, which had prepared
the book, urging, that a similar volume
be written on "Fascism in Action"
The book was prepared and after
q hard fight in the House the opposition
Of members who wanted to suppress
lit. is at last approved by a majority
vote.
All Americans who cling to the card
inal principle of peoples rule should
study it and so fortify themselves IN
their faith in the institution of demo-
eracv and for the fight against the fur
Their spread of fascism in this country
The book is basically a review OF
the development of fascism in Italy,
Germany, Spain and Japan. The pat
tern of fascist growth abroad is a use
Iful guide of what to watch for, and
guard against, in the United States. 1t
treats of thirteen principal character
istics which may be summarized briefly
thus:
l.. Rule by a leader, a single polltlca!
party for an elite class, with reglmenta-
ton of everyone and everything in
terms of purposes of the state.
2. Education and thought control by
every device to control the mind OF the
masses.
3. Dynamic and aggressive foreign
tpolicies with concentration on living
space and empire, and the creation OF
crises from which the state hopes to
profit. .
Banking and private investment de-
cisions are channeled to accord with gen.
eral policies. Heavy occupation ievles
and banking control for exploitation OF
defeated enemies.
5. Foreign trade the reverse of free
trade policies.
6. Economy favors big business,
strengthens heavy industry, retains
enough of the profit system to permit
the elite to build up personal fortunes,
emphasizes self-sufficiency, Institutes
higher tariffs, facilitates cartelization,
and spends huge sums for military pur-
poses.
Z. Labor is regimented with result
that free collective bargaining is abol-
lished.
8. Agriculture developed to make the
fascist nation self-sufficient.
9. Transportation developed for
strategic and unemployment relief
purposes.
10. Living standards improve with
armament programs. ITO date no
fascist government has been long
enough in existence to determine how
lasting these benefits may be, nor do
the improvements approach the Amer
lean Standard"
II. Supervision of leisure time with
a view to controlling the individual "in
all his waking thoughts and actions"
IL. Religion is attacked when it pre-
scribes loyalty and obedience to anyone
else before the state or when it empha-
sizes the dignity of the individual. If
religion will agree with fascist pro-
gram, it may be tolerated or encourage
ed.
-. Freedom in the democratic sense
of the world is nonexistent. The life of
the individual has small value.
Because of the tremendous job of
fighting and winning a war, and also,
we must admit, of the predisposition to
assume dictatorial powers by the war
time President, some Of these principles
were adopted in this country particu-
larly the first.
Now the battle is on to restore to the
people the rights they surrendered in
the war emergency, and the battle is
not to be easily won.
The idea that the state is supreme
and the people of no consequence ling
ers in some governmental quarters, at
an alarming cost to free enterprise. and
the national economy. 1t would be hard
to choose between fascism and COM