The Monthly Record South Place Ethical Society
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Nara-atembers may receive this publication by post on payment of 2/6 per annum. DECEMBER, 1937 The Monthly Record of South Place Ethical Society CONWAY HALL, RED LION SQUARE, W.C.1. Telephone: CHANCERY 8032. "The OBJECTS OF ma Socirri are the study and dissemination of ethical principles and the cultivation of a rational religious sentiment." Sunday Morning Services at ELEVEN O'CLOCK. November 211..-13. K. RATCLIFFE—Twenty-five Years of South Place Vocal Duets: (a) Constancy ... ... Schumann (b) Calm Silent Night ... ... Car/ Goetz MiSS HERE SIMPSON and Mr. G. C. DOWMAN. Hymns No. 67. 0 earth! thy past is crowned and consecrated. No. 76, These things shall be a loftier race. December 5—HERBERT READ, M.A., D.Litt.—The Myth, the Dream and the Poem Bass Solos: (a) Who is Sylvia? ... Schubert (b) The Poet's Song ... Parry Mr. G. C. DOWMAN. Soprano Solo : Ye Waves of Beauty and Peace ... Parry Miss BEDE SIMPSON. Hymns No, 17. A dreamer dropped a random thought. No. 28 (second tune). Oh dew of life! oh bight of earth! Deoember 12—JOSEPH McCABE—The Brave New World Sonata in A minor, Op. 23, for Violin and Pianoforte ... ... Beethoven I. Presto. n. Andante scherzoso, pin Allegretto. in. Allegro molto. MSS VERA BANTAM/ITCH and Mr. WILLIAM BUSCH. Hymns 3 No. 25. 0 brother man, fold to thy heart thy brother ! i No. 85. Born In each heart is impulse strong. Deoember 18-8. K. RATCLIFFE—Belief and Conduct Bass Solo: Invictus ... Hahn Mr. G. C. DOWMAN. Soprano Solo : The Snow ... Sigurd Lie MiSS BEBE SIMPSON. Hymns ! No. 64. A mbler order yet shall be. 1 No. 32. I heard the bells on Christmas Day. Deoember 28—No Service January 2—J. P. GILMOUR—The Old Year and the New Pianoforte Solo: First three movements of Sonata in E flat, Op. 31, No. 3 1. Allegro. n. Allegretto vivace. HI. Menuetto Moderato e grazioso. Mr. WILLIAM BUSCH. Hymns No. 73. Out of the dark the circling sphere. No. 231. The presence of perpetual change. Pianist : Mr. WILLIAM BUSCH. A Collection is made at each Meeting, to enable those present to contribute to the expenses of the Society. VISITORS WELCOME. OFFICIAL CAR PARK—Opposite Main Entrance. 2 MEMBERSHIP Any person 1n sympathy with the Objects of the Society Is cordially invited to become a MEMBER. The minimum annual subscription is los., but it is hoped that alernoers will subscribe as generously as possible and so assist the Society to meet iti heavy annual expenditure. Any person may join as an Associate, but will not be eligible to vote or hold office. Further particulars may be obtained before and after the Services, or on application to the Hon. Registrar. Miss R. Fleas, Conway Hall Red Lion Square, W.C.1, to whom all subscriptions should be paid. HONORARY OFFICERS Editor of MONTHLY RECORD F. G. GOULD. Woodrising. Trapps Hill. Loughtort Essex Minutes Secretary... EDITH WASHBROOK, 33, Claremont Close, NI. Registrar te oi Members and I: miss R. HALLS, 39, Barclay Road, Fulham, S.W.6. Associas ••• ••• I Treasure; ... C. E. LISTER, Conway Hall, W.C.1. GENERAL COMMITTEE C. E. Bstusster. H. LIDSTONE. Miss C. TRESIDDER E. J. FAIRHALL. MIS. LISTER. Miss D WALTERS. W. FISH. DORIS PARTINGTON. F. WASHBROOK. MrS. GAMBLE. C. J. POLLARD. Mrs. WATSON. J. P. GILMOUR. Miss H. D. ROMANES. F. C. C. WATTS. MrS. HAWKINS. J. RONEY. Miss F. WILKINS. Mrs. HINCHLIFF. Miss F. J. Salons. Miss D. WINTER. Secretary: S. G. Green, Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, W.C.1. MARRIAGES. Conway Hall is registered for marriages. FUNERAL SERVICES can be arranged by the Society. Applications should be addressed to the Secretary. • • • The Society does not hold itself responsible for views expressed or reported in the "RECORD." THOUGHTS ABOUT DEMOCRACY A generation ago it seemed certain that all civilised nations were moving at different paces towards democracy, or Popular self-government, and that backward nations in Asia and Africa were beginning to take the same road. Now the whole movement seems to be reversed. Dictatorships and oligarchies in many countries have seized the reins of government, partly, by force, but also partly by consent. For it is idle to pretend that Fascism and.Nazism have not behind them the general body of public opinion. That opinion may be largely fabricated by lying propaganda, but it is there, among all clasit of the people, rich and poor, educated and ignorant. The common explanation that it represents a capitalist revolt against Socialism or Communism does not suffice. For whatever the merit of Communism mav be in the industrial field, in politics it has hardened into a forcible oligarchy and there is little evidence of reality in the operations of its popular representation. It may be that Fascism and other despotic rules contain inherent vices that must destroy them in time, and that popular self-government must reassert itself. Moreover, in Britain, France, Scandinavia and America, there seem no serious dangers for democracy, in spite of the activities of small anti groups. But defenders of democracy must not be content to look upon dictatorships as products of post-war emergencies, destined to disappear if and when a settled world- peace is established. It is better that they should ask themselves whether the theory and practice of 19th century democracy are adequate to the new conditions of a world in which economic considerations everywhere impinge upon politics in manners and intensities unknown to Victorian Liberalism, or even to the social reform movement of the pre-war period. Readers of the biographies of 19th century Liberals recognise curious limitations in the Liberty, Equality, Fraternity that made up the democratic trinity. The intrusion of a number of middle-class politicians into the Seats of Government, formerly belonging to the aristocracy, the acquisition of industrial power and wealth by a few able and pushful factory workers, the 3 beginning of popular education and of free movement from place to place, industry to industry, seemed to attest the reality of equality of opportunity. Taken along with a general improvement in the standard of living of the wage-earners, the rise of trade unionism and co-operation, and a widening of the franchise, the movement appeared to fulfil the conditions of democracy. This view is no longer accepted by working and middle class politicians. For they realise that in view of the modern development of monopolistic and semi- monopolistic capitalism there is no democratic government in economic life. In order that liberty and equality may be effective principles, they must be made applicable to the life of the citizen as an economic being, a producer-consumer. Now in economic processes they see no satisfactory progress towards democracy. This dissatisfaction tends to make them either into full-blooded Socialists, or else into narrow trade unionists, concerned only with immediate gains in their particular trades. But the point I wish to stress is the need for those who think in terms of political democracy to recognise that definite and important modifications in that theory and practice are essential to the admission of economic democracy. If industries are to pass under public ownership and control, the idea that equal voting 4s)wer for all concerned in the production processes is quite impracticable. The crude notion that the routine or even expert workers in a business are competent to " run " that business will not bear examination. The issue is one of expertism. Democracy has, of course, its place. There should be an intelligent consent of the workers in the control by managers and technicians. But the expert, here as else- where. must be accorded real power in view of his superior knowledge. "But," it will be said, " is not this ' bureaucracy '—a deadly enemy of real democracy?" My answer is that for public industries such " bureaucracy " is inevitable. It has some defects, laziness or abuse of power, even, in some cases, corruption, but the alternative is lower efficiency, narrowness of outlook and planlessness. This last word is perhaps the most significant. Any student of our economic system (as set forth by so competent a Socialist as Mr. Douglas Joy in "The Socialist Case") will realise how much complicated planning in required to get the best result from any business, in its relation to other businesses, other industries and the production system as a whole. The economic education which should belong to our general school system should bring forth numbers of skilled students who can help as middlemen between the mass of workers, citizens and the economic hierarchy. But the notion that the latter can be dispensed with and that a socialised or semi- socialised system can be run on the old general lines of democracy is quite indefensible, except on the exploded theory that human equality means that any man can do any job as well as any other man. An attempt to thrust upon this country, France or America, a sort of Socialism in which these simple truths are not properly accepted and digested will certainly bring either successful resistance on the part of capitalism, or abject failure on the part of labour. J. A. Hoeson MR. S. K. RATCLIFFE ON - SOME IMPRESSIONS OF CENTRAL EUROPE " (Oct. 24, 1937) Readings (1) Thomas Mann: "A Letter of Appeal to Germany." (2) G. W. Russell (A. E.): " The National Being." Mr. Ratcliffe said that on the way to Vienna he had attended the first meeting of the League of Nations Assembly, in the great hall of the new headquarters—a magnificent setting which had an ironical significance in view of the present eclipse, or suspension, of the League.