<sc>fascisti, socialists, and rotarians</sc> We have received three periodicals, all of quite different inspiration from The Criterionand from each other, each of which provokes a word of comment or enquiry.
The first is called The British Lion, and is the organ of the British Fascists. A very angry lion on the cover is demolishing the symbols of the present Russian government, and is supported by a couple of fasces. Our copy is accompanied by two pamphlets setting forth the aims of the British Fascists. The accusations made by The British Lionagainst British Communists may all be true, and the aims set forth in the statement of policy are wholly admirable. The Lionwishes to support “His Majesty the King, his heirs and successors, the present Constitution, the British Empire and the Christian Religion.” 3 These are cardinal points. We would only suggest that the British Lionmight very well uphold these things without dressing itself up in an Italian collar. It is not our business to criticize fascism, as an Italian regime for Italians, a product of the Italian mind. But is The British Lionprepared to accept le fascisme intégral? 4 What of the fascist ideas of political representation, which may be excellent, but which hardly square with “the present Constitution” which the Lionis sworn to defend? It seems unfortunate that a nationalist organisation should have had to go abroad for its name and its symbol.
Our second periodical is called The Commonwealth, and is the organ of The Christian Social Movement. It is accompanied by a circular from the editor setting forth its aims. 5 We could wish that the aims were set forth with more clarity. They appear to be to unite a certain religious movement with a certain political and social movement, and we note that Sir Henry Herman Slesser, K.C., is a member of the Committee. 6 “The social and democratic movements of the age” are to be “Christianized”; it would seem as if Christianity was to be socialized and democraticized. But The British Lionhas just told us that socialism is an insidious but imminent menace to Christianity; and now The Commonwealthseems to suggest that it is necessary to Christianity. We become confused. Not a word of King and Empire here, but “the Catholic Religion, being a Religion of Fellowship, demands a challenge to the world by the repudiation of capitalist plutocracy and the existing industrial system.” But what isthe existing industrial system, and will its repudiation require the repudiation of the Monarchy, for instance? The Commonwealth, it is true, “is not committed to any particular political party.” Before it takes this step, and before it follows Le Sillon, it might, as an organ of “Catholicism,” reckon with the Syllabus of Pius IX. 7
Our third periodical is also an organ of Fellowship, though not necessarily of Christian Fellowship. It is The Rotary Wheel. Here again, we assert strongly that we have no quarrel with either British Fascists, or with Christian Socialists, or with Rotarians. It was only in a spirit of fellowship that we commented in our October number, on an interesting book called The Meaning of Rotary; and we take it very hard that The Rotary Wheelhas turned upon us and called us a “Superior Person,” and indeed, “Philistine.” We withdraw, on behalf of our reviewer, any insinuation, if he made such, that Rotarians like junketing. 8 Besides, we like junketing ourselves, and have informed the reviewer that it is not our policy to attack junkets. We only suggest...
