Evening star., 1947-05-09
Decision on Release
|0f Study Of FascisIn
is Due Next Week
By Robert S. Allen
Nsrtk Amsrisun Newspspsr Allisne

by the Library Of Congress,
will be decided next wednesday By
the House Administration Ccm-
mittce. 's &
Titled @Fascism In Action the
voluminous document is 1 COM
panion study to Communism In
Action, published by the House
last year. More than 100000 copies
OF the latter document have been.
sold 50 far by the Government
Printing Once.
Fascisnn In Action has been
under consideration by the Admins
tstration Committees Subcomnnit-
tee on Printing for more than three
months. The members have been
sharply split over releasing the
study. Representative Patman, DEM
ocrat, Of Texas. who initiated the;
study, has led the fight for It's pub
lication. Representative Mcdowell,
Republican, OF Pennsylvania, men,
Der Of the House Committee on IN.
American Activities, Is leader Of the.
opposition
After weeks OF battling over the
issue, the subcommittee has finally
decided to put the decision up to,
the full committee next Wednesday
without recommendation either way
Analogy to U. s. In Foreword.
Prepared by the Congressional Il.
brary's Legislative Reference Serv-
ice, "Fascism in Action" does not
deal with the United States, but Mr..
Patman, in q vigorous foreword,
draws sharp analogy to certain
conditions in this country, q
Since 1t Is agreed" he declares,
that there are dangerous tendencies
toward fascism In the United States.
today, this study can perform an
important function In instructing
the reader in the recognition Of
these tendeicies. To be forewarned
is to be forearrned. 1t lies within
our power TO defend our chosen
democratic way OF life against the
attack of fascisrn. and the study,
'Fascism In Action is offered as
weapon In that defense.
Major feature of the report is the
study OF fascism In Spain under the
dictatorship Of Generalissimo Fran
cisco Franco. After an exhaustive
survey OF Frances regime. the re-s
port holds that his Falangist govern.
ment has failed to solve basic eco.
nomic problems.
As an example Of this, Temple
Wanamaker. former United States
consul in Barcelona, is quoted as
saying that neither laws nor severe
penalties ~haye had any effect In
curbing extensive black marketing.
Also that most charges can be fixed
with little influence and money.
The idea is now so Thoroughly
rooted in the Spanish mentality that;
the only possible way Of stamping
1t out is to make 1t Improbable"
Church State Relations.
Regarding church-state relations
In Spain, Catholicisna's status today;
is "by no means secure" according
to the study. While the church
emerged from the Spanish Civil War
In a powerful position" the report
nevertheless points out that there
now exists the same theological in
compatibility between the church.
and the Fascist wing of the Falange
that manifested itself in Germany
and Italy.
IF the conflict has not come into
the open," it goes on, "it Is because
both are committed to support Of
the Franco regime and the Fascist
Falangists are not yet strong enough
to attempt to push through the for
nation of an italian or German
type totalitarian state over church
opposition"
The study of Naziism contains q
detailed analysis of the German
cartel system, number Of whose
leaders were indicted recently as
war criminals by an American
tribunal in Nuremberg.
Relations between the Nazi gov
ment and German industry were
particularly close" the report de-
clares. This was due not only to-
the character of German industry
and its unusual adaptability to war
purposes, but also to the fact that,
as a result of the rearmament poll
cies of the regime, the government
became, indirectly, the largest en-
ployer as well as the controller Of
allsthe resources needed by indus
try for its operation"
Pre-Fascist Labor Situation.
The concluding chapter OF "Fas-
cism in Action" is devoted to labor
in Germany. italy and Spain before
the advent of their Fascist regimes.
''Mussolini, Hitler and Franco"
the report states, destroyed the
freedom labor had achieved under
democracy. In regimenting labor
each of the three dictators began by
destroying the workers freedom Of
association. But it should not be
assumed that in so doing the die
tators disposed of the workers or
ganizations. Rather than atomiz-
ing the workers, the dictators or
ganized them more thoroughly than
they had ever been organized before.
But the organizations were admins
tered according to the leadership
principle.
"The rank and file had no active
voice Their views might be sounded,
out, and in all three countries they
were given infrequent opportunities
for accepting or rejecting candi-
dates for minor offices named by the
bosses. Collective bargaining was
brought to an end. In each Of the
three countries 1t was the govern-
ment which controlled or actually
took over the function OF setting
wage rates and other basic condi- i
lions OF employment for practically
all categories of employees"