GOVERNMENT BY THE PEOPLE 229

enemies, and, for its own safety, must continue on the path of
violence. The facts themselves will decide the future of the
U.S.S.R. If Socialism proves superior to Capitalist!, the progress
to democracy is assured; if Socialism proves unworkable and the
standard of life falls, then the Soviet Government must counteract
disaffection by increasing the rigour of tyranny.

Meanwhile the mutual hostility of Communism and Fascism
brings out the worst features in both. Throughout Europe and
beyond, both spring from the same causes—economic distress
and Governmental incompetence. If the economic policy of one
is right, the other is doomed to fail. Each can attribute its own
misfortune? to the wickedness of its rival's spies and agents.
Each accuses the other of preparing war and declares itself
obliged to arm in its own defence; and military necessity becomes
the pretext for tyranny.

CONCLUSION.

The instinct of many people in Britain is to dismiss both
Communism and Fascism as excesses to which foreigners are
prone, but from which the British, and such foreigners as have
the good fortune to resemble th^m most closely, are delivered
by the excellence of their Constitution and inherent love 'of
moderate views. This judgment is incomplete; the British
Constitution is admirable but not perfect, and its chief excellence
is that it permits itself to be changed; if it is worshipped in silence
and not subjected to study, use and adaptation, it loses its
virtue. The moderation of British politics is not an unchangeable
law of Nature but the.product of comparative prosperity. The
policies of the dictatorships, particularly their military prepara-
tions and restrictions of trade, make the economic and political
problems of the whole world more difficult. Peoples, therefore,
who wish to keep the democratic form of Government must
increase their study of these problems; whatever is merely
obstructive in the Constitution must be pruned away; the causes
of social injustice must be removed. For these tasks, the people