THE DICTATORSHIP

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 79, 27 December 1937, Page 4

THE DICTATORSHIP

Tendency of Critics To Meddle TOLERANCE NEEDED Speaking at Leeds Uiiiversity the other day Field-Marshal Sir Philip Chetwode said: "We have been pdking our noses into everyone's business. We have bluffed and the bluff bas been seen through. '' The same thought is expressed by Mr G. Ward Price in hifl new book, "I Know These Dictators ' ' from the Harfap Press. Mr. Price writes syitipathetically Of Hitlef and Mtissolini— his attitude, in harnioily with that df the • Daily Mail, with whieh he is assoeiated, being that Britain should come to an understanding with Oermany and Italy and that in Britain criticism of the form of government these couiltries have adopted should cease. Se charges the bulk of the Press of democratic countries with meddling in the affairs of Germany and I-taly. "Instead of putting national interests iirst the outlook on public affairs of a large part of the Press is dominatedL by a set of vague and visionary principles, ' ' he says. Because Germany and Italy llave evolved a neW national system Which rejects mahy of the theofies ahd practices traditional in Britain, Left® Wihg British newspapers a-sstime that these regimes are tyranfties itoposed by force.

jDetertnined to Criticise, "No account/1 he continues, "is taken of the fdct that dcCordiilg to evety test which caii possibly be applied, the overwhelming, majority df uoth natiohs enthdsiasticaily admires and supJiOrts the methods and poiicies of their lesders. The evidence of this is simply denied. When Hitler holds a plebiscite, the SWeeping majority in his favour is said. to be faked. When Mussolini is acclaimed by Vast crowds of his countrymen the explanation put forward is that they are acting under compulsion of the police. "Passing from the origins of the dictatorships to their actual record, condomnation becomes still more severe. The great and ineontestable benefits conferred by these hard-working, authoritarian Governments are disnlissed with the eonteniptuons cotahieiit that they afe 'worthless if bought at the price of ffeedom. ' Every effort is made to concentrate public attention on those features of Fascist or Nazi admimsrration which are uncongenial to modern ideas ajthough parallels to them can generally be found in our oWn not-far- _ dlstant past. . . " He explained that with tthe swift distribution of' newspapers by air, a plitase "hastily or malicloiisly forged iu Fleet Street may Within a few hours be doing damage to British relations with the country to whieh it refers."

"Dangerou&ly CoSllidpolitah.' ' "Whereas in the past the Commdn reproach against most British newspapers was their insularity of ontlook, to-day some of them have become dangerously cosmopolitan. Their comments on the activities of forei'gn 'Govornmonts are no longer conlined to tnatt'efs ili which Great Britain has a direct interest. They extehd to dny aspect of tkeir national life that seetns to infrihge the standards that Britain has set up for herself; "Bdt this ftctivity iS by no means lijnited to newspapers. To meddle in the ittternal affairs of ncighbotiring nations has become a hobby in dther ddpartmentS df public life. The ears of inany people are kept presBed to, the party* wall eager for sounds of grievance or discontent in the adjoining dstablishment and unflattering comments are lcudly expressed upon the way in which it is conducted. " 'Investigating C6mmittees, are even formed to travel abroad and draw up reports on aspects of the life of Continental countries which are no ,concern of ours. Undeterred by ittiperfect knowledge of the facts, societies of British busybodies have aequired the habit of passing votes of Censtire on fbreign Governments whose view's are not in harmony with their own.

Fronouncements of Bishops. "Bishops have added to their religious dnties the ftmction of makihg scathing pronouncements on the dffairS oi other nations with which they are acquainted only by hearsay, or through brief visits organised by prbpaganda departments of the patticular politjcal factions to whieh these indiscreet ciergymen have promised their snpport. The Govefhinettts of those Coufttries are led to ovei'estimate the importatiee oi such statements by thb fact that they coino frbiii dignitariea of ihe Btate Ghurcli who haVe a plhCe ih Parliament. "It is foftunately the Case that Uo one can challenge the right oi British newspapers to print, or British speakers to exprbss, whatever cbmments tney choose on any topic, pfbvided they avoid thb law df libel. contempt of court, and' the Ofhei&l Secrets Act. Vet things whieh are lawful are soaetiines inexpedient.

"This i§ not the timo to indulge the Englishman's traditional taste ' for teaching other countries to run their own affairs. u In the interests of peace there should be toier&hce and restraint. Ooneluding this chapter, the author saysj "There is a danger that whiie the people of Britain are inveking the name of freedom they may fall behind, in eome vltal aspects oi national strbngth and weliare^ wo are already surpaiSsed hy thb Gerinans and Italiaiis. Personal liberty in Britain tbb eften means liberty to slack. The defflaeratic countries must ask themseWes whether, with their easy-going ways. they ean hope to ebiapete, even in the pursmts of peae§j with those highly'dieeiplined nations whose spirit has been steeled in the fire oi adve?sity.H