THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 5, 1937,
Three Dictator Prophets
Paris. of Lenin. The Georgian is a keen his ordinary duties without having He had invited us to lunch with the walls of some French and concrete spirit. I would not seen his popularity equal his merit. him, and before luncheon we had a schools hangs a symbolic pic swear that he has read Karl Marx's Hitler does not claim technical talk on the high tower where, as ture entitled "The Conquerors" It "Capital" from beginning to end knowledge of the various govern soon as he appeared, he was greet- of shows six figures standing elbow to His vision and thought are concen- ment departments of the Reich. He ed with resounding shouts elbow Bameses II Nebuchadnez- trated not on the relationships be entrusts these to the German ex- "Heil" that rose from the gardens zar, Alexander the Great, Julius tween employer and employee, or on perts, and he does not permit his and windows of the vicinity. Caesar, Attila and Napoleon 1. I the future development of the pro- own party, which wrought a politi- He was visibly exhausted by the imagine that if in future genera- letariat, but on the immense territ- cal upheaval, to go so far as to physical strain he had been under- tions an attempt is made to give ory, so rich and so diversely popul- overthrow the established economic going for several hours. young children a synthetic portrait ated, over which the domination of and social institutions of the Third
Communist party of our post-war period it will be the
must be Reich, through a picture called "The Dic- maintained."
tor, since he has a successor to turns out.
*
*
*
re-
sudden visions and
*
*
that The
2
The cult that surrounds Hitler differs
from in character We must not forget Hitler's which centres about Stalin. tators." A group of those who,
humble origin, his years of strug: German Faehrer gives his name to not content with dominating 2 This territory, over which 3 nation, have created or consolidat curious destiny has given Stalin the gle, the wounds which rendered him squares and streets in all the cities even of the Reich, but Stalin has given ed an entire system, will form the authority of an absolute monarch, temporarily blind and which
to-day often bring rough, metallic his name to three cities. The philo- centre Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin
is almost the same as that over or as part of a which the great medieval conqueror, personality, he is visited by strange that of the Bolsheviki, who, after
tones into his voice. - men who, alone
A singular sophy of Hitler is more simple than group, overturned social or politi- Genghis Khan, also a Georgian, es-
a tablished his power. cal systems to replace them by
inspirations. all, began their revolution in 1917 What inter His philosophy in the domains of and based it on the faith in the new religion.
ests Stalin is the application, the
been derived Marxist practical inauguration in all Soviet art and culture has
gospel a complex and These we may call prophet-dicta institutions, of the principles ins-
from solitary studies, nights of precise social programme. tors, prophets of a doctrine as well pired by Karl Marx and codified by patient assimilation of elementary ism is more vague; it rests on
work dedicated to a laborious and Unquestionably, National Social- as rulers of a people. A little be Lenin. But the Georgian is no hind them, in a light less bright, slave to the principles themselves, textbooks.
very small number of principles, will stand those who, supported by and if one day he should be forced In the silence of his room or his not all of which are German. The an army, have been satisfied with to choose between continuing his study was formed a most unusual mysticism surrounding the leader commanding human beings without rule and remaining faithful to these type of individuality which is char- in all domains is essentially Mus wishing to transform them. A spe- principles I am sure he would
acterised by a kind of intellectual solinian, and the mixture of nation- cial place will be given here to stern veal himself as an opportunist.
modesty that makes him very acces- alist spirit and socialism is Italian Marshal Pilsudski, whom history One sees Stalin in all his glory on sible to the advice of experts in also. What is typically Germanic undoubtedly will view as something ceremonial occasions in Red Square, every field, although it is absolute is the race doctrine, to which Al- more than a mere military dicta- The entire population of Moscow ly impossible to sway him in any fred Rosenberg has dedicated voln- decision in which he thinks he re- minous works, and which, in the The square is bright carry on his system of rigid control with red banners, and the Soviet cognises general spiritual value. final analysis, has no merit except of apparently democratic institu- flag flutters over all the ancient pal-
The day before the last Nürem- in application. tions.
aces of the Kremlin. The motors berg Congress closed I had the op- But whether or not the doctrine I know or have known all the dic- of innumerable airplanes roar in portunity to ride, with two foreign is simple, profound or superficial, tators of Europe. Some of them I the sky, and the poorly paved streets colleagues, in a car which followed the fact remains that Germany has,
immediately behind the have seen often and in intimate of Moscow groan under tanks
Fuehrer's in four years, grown strong to an car to the old feudal castle that extent which no one would have meetings, others only briefly and every size and shape.
dominates the city. superficially. A skillful writer can, In the middle of the square, sur-
Thus I could thought possible. Whether it in- observe Hitler a few yards away, spires other nations with admira- with the aid of documents, recon- rounded by the crowd, a small struct the personality of a man pro- group advances less than a dozen standing as usual in the front of his tion or with fear, with aversion or mînent in a democratic or parlia- people, plainly dressed,
car, his arm now outstretched in a with sympathy, the fact is that this commanding gesture, mentary order, for there a charac- simple caps. They look for all the
now raised strength, so rapidly recovered, has with palms outspread in an almost upset the European applecart for a ter portrait, a moral likeness, is world like poor travellers whose way required. But a dictator must be is being paid by some charitable Pontifical gesture of benediction. long time to come. seen in action.
agency. But at the head of the If he is a true leader he posses- group
is 2 better-dressed man,
Don't be vague ses an essential element of physical wearing a military cap and a long magnetism and a certain external khaki coat which cannot hide his appearance without which one can youthful vigour. He has the sharp hardly imagine him. Can you con- profile, the small mustache and the ceive of a dictator with a large penetrating eyes of the men of his paunch and a flowing beard? In country. As deafening cheers re- our day, when youth is weary of sound he takes his place on the critical analysis and thirsts for al platform that surmounts Lenin's most primitive simplicity, the dic tomb, facing the panel on which he tator is a man whose disciples do himself is represented, beside Len- not confine themselves to listening in, in an enlargement a hundred to his speeches and following his times greater than life. doctrines. They imitate his ver gestures.
of
wearing
Nothing can be more difficult than to describe the personality of
A larger element of the animalis- Adolf Hitler, whose dominant qual- tic than one would readily believe ities are an unshakable faith in his. is implied in the existence of dic- country and a superhuman perse- tatorships, as in certain jungle verance in thinking and repeating communities where we frequently the same things for over fifteen find an individual who stands out years. If the word "prophet, among his fellows and sweeps them its Mohammedan sense, can be ap- along with him because he can at plied to any one, it must be to him. any given moment make the oppor- Unlike Mussolini, Hitler does not tune move which benefits the com- govern; he is the arbiter, speaking, munity. The mind may be indi- from time to time, both as the apos- vidualistic, but instinct and physi- tle of a doctrine and as the supreme cal being feel the gregarious urge, authority in the great international the herd impulse. And the herd is actions of the Beich. To understand something like what on a higher this man one must remember that level is called the "fascio."
he is at once singularly isolated: Let us look at the three outstand and surrounded. He leaves a con- ing prophet-dictators. feel siderable share of power to others. rather doubtful about placing Stalin No one in Italy can boast the autho in just this category. A dictator rity of a General Goering or Dr. be surely is, a 100 per cent dicta Schacht in economic matters, or the tor in his possession of immense power over the armed forces enjoy- power, but this power is vested in ed by General von Blomberg. Mag- him regularly by the entire Com solini would not let any man but munist party, of which he is the him general secretary and which
ads.
roug
com
grow to such stature.
proof is that the most gifted Italy Count Volpi, has
ON THE 'TRANK
"FOR THE "HOME")
A
— ask for Haig
NO FINER WHISKY GOES INTO ANY BOTTLE
Obtainabl
Clubs Hot
Wine Stores
GANDE, PRICE & CO. LTD.
Hong