The Daily Alaska empire., 1950-02-28

complete power in Soviet Russia g full years No opposition party has ever been tolerated. Even with in the Communist Party, no oppo- sition is tolerated by those in con- trol. Those who differ die. Nc greater crime exists than to be a deviationist, by which is meani anyone who differs in any res pect
 The British election is very diff ferent from ours. British political parties are membership organiza- tions. That is not true in this coun- try. No one is a member of the Republican Party or the Democrat ic Party As a matter of fact, those who associate themselves with these parties have little voice in their management. The party in power is nationally controlled by the Presi- dent-in- office; the party y-out-ot- : power has a diversity of control, by the Chairman of it's national com mittee, by the leaders in the Senate and House, and by prospective can didates for the Presidency.
 The party-in-po always has many advantages, particularly the advantage of patronage and tax paid publicity. The British have no patronage system and it would be regarded as a major scandal if the party -in-power employed gov ernment publicity facilities to the disadvantage of the opposition. They still have good manners in that country
 In fact, the British system is such that his Majesty's loyal op- position remains in office even af- ter defeat For instance, during the entire period that Mir. Attlee has served as Prime Minister, Win ston Churchill has sat in Parlia- ment and is a force in the affairs of the country. It is expected of him. His opposition is constitutional.
 In the United States, opposition is regarded as offensive and per. sonal. President Truman, for in stance, in his second term, not only resents opposition but even alternative proposals. In the Brit ish system, the assumption is that truth will come out of difference of opinion and debate. They assume that the country's safety cannot be entrusted to one man or one party, no matter how infallible the leader may regard himself Truman assumes that anyone who differs from him must dislike him.
 You may recall that before the British canvass commenced, the leaders went to common service of prayer and they sat together without regard to party. They are Britishers first, partisans incident ally.
 lle bIlClSll system CdllIlol pC ut- ilized here for many obvious req sons, but the British attitude could influence us. Its maturity is re- freshing. These Englishmen have gone through a three weeks cam paign without one word of person. al offense and recrimination. And the personal and political relations between Clement Attlee and Win ston Churchill are such as to make possible cooperation.
 The comeback of Winston Chur- chill is not surprising. Socialism is an offensive system to a free people. Socialism is net merely a matter of social services to the people nor even of the nationaliza- ton of production and distribu- tion; it is not only welfare state it is an assumption of the super iority of an elite group over the peoplees it involves bureaucratic controls of the people. It becomes burden and a trial. The British have known freedom too long to accept socialism for long.