A SWISS VIEW

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 6, 22 January 1937, Page 4

A SWISS VIEW

The fall of European democracies depends upon which side England comes down. England's great hour will come, in which she must at last say yes or no. If she once again fails to deflne her position, the democracies will be faced by the destructive alternative of being devoured by fascism or allowing themselves to be belped by Russia. The latter would mean the co-operation in Europe of an equally proselytising communism. The more democratic Russian communism becomes (and it is becoming much more so), the greater will be tbe political impbrtance of tbe returri of Russia as a Great Power to Europe. Perhaps this would be preferable to tbe uncompromising one-sidedness of fascism. THe Spanish situation shows how necessary it is that the few remaining democracies in Europe shall take in hand their own internal cure. We see how fatal it is wben a democratic government in a despairing struggle against fascist officers, has to take refuge in arming sections of the popnlace, who will inevitably present their unpleasantly bigh political bill as soon as they have saved the country. A healthy democraey does not need such helpers. There is no need for a healthy democraey to abuse or flght fascism in other countries; but it should nip fascism in the bud in its own country while there was still time; and it should see to it that bad government and- sectional profit-seeking selfishness did not prepare the ground for slogans which drive hordes of disappointed men into becoming followers of any anti-democratic theory.; — Nationalzeitung, Basle, Switzerland,