The Waikato Times SATURDAY, MAY 21, 1938 ANOTHER CRISIS

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20504, 21 May 1938, Page 6

The Waikato Times SATURDAY, MAY 21, 1938 ANOTHER CRISIS

farp f* P ° r ‘ S that . have reached Downing Street indicate that Europe hp nno-.. V cnslS ' this occasion Signor Mussolini is said to j- , ° n pre-war days it used to be contended that secret J) Cy served a most useful purpose, in that men trained in its l!' 1 ! , , er !' ioy an immun ‘ty from the gusts of passion that en is ur ec t e masses of the people. The same argument * m P°st-war years. The people were so easily roused, r perturbed, excited or depressed, that anything in the form of open 10 f . impossible. The secret diplomacy ado_a es. i ey did not win the discussion, certainly managed to oba eir way, but apparently they had not calculated on a regime of dictatorships. It is more easy to annoy, disturb, or even seriously anger a ictator than a people, and ten times more easy to aggravate one man than a responsible Government. The Cabinet of a country is responsible to the people for its actions. Its authority is derived trom the people, and ean be withdrawn. One result is that a Cabinet acts with caution. It. must carry public opinion with it and that fact acts as a brake on the wheels.

The cable messages attribute the attitude of II Duce to “the thesis that dictators are always right.” It is doubtful whether the righteousness of the cause favoured for the time being is really the vital aspect. It is more important to a dictator that he should be successful in what he undertakes than that he should be right. The pose must ever be that of the successful champion of the nation, of j M PreStlge ’ ltS p<nver > its w °rld mission, and it would be extremely difficult to lit an unsuccessful armed expedition into the picture. There might have been cause for anger on the part of the Fascist leader ■with regard to the French objection to closing the Spanish frontier had the Italians themselves closed the Mediterranean to the transportation of men and munitions. It seems a little illogical for one who has sent thousands of men and large quantities of munitions to Spain to complain that the constitutional Government there may be obtaining some assistance from across the French frontier. And what may add to the annoyance of the Fascist chief is the fact that he has solemnly promised the British Government not to send further aid to the rebel forces in the Peninsula. Those forces, from the Italian point of view, represent the reoognised Government of the country, but if the agieement with Great Britain is to come into force then there must be no further reinforcements for General Franco from Italy. The position illustrates the surprising change that has come over the world. Formerly diplomacy had to be conducted behind closed doors because the people were exposed to outbursts of passion, gusts of illtemper and other disturbing factors. To-day the anger of one man is solemnly advanced to explain a crisis in Europe. It is more than doubtful whether the change has been for the better. When people govern themselves they usually manage to govern their tempers as well.