Joel A Lewis Youth Against Fascism.pdf

YOUTH AGAINST FASCISM
Chamberlain's policies represented "the disruption of democracy and the forces of
freedom" while British youth were "anti-fascist, democratic, wanting to work and to fight
back against fascism and the enemies of liberty." 73 The YCL direct its energies "in
uniting all democratic youth against the pro-Fascist Chamberlain Government." 74
Challenge headlines and comics continually characterized Chamberlain as a fascist.
Challenge rhetoric equated support of Chamberlain with support of Hitler, urging youth
to fight against the National Government. One headline in October, 1938 protested that
"Service for Chamberlain Means Help for Hitler! Our Country Needs a Government
That Can be Trusted!" (See Appendix) 75 Service for Chamberlain in practice meant
service to Hitler and in turn betrayed the interests of British democracy and the youth.
Challenge comics often posed Chamberlain in scenes with Mussolini, portraying them as
Hitler's two most consistent allies. Other comics asserted that the three leaders held
similar plans for regimenting the youth and destroying democracy through military
conscription. One comic entitled "The Noose of Conscription" showed these three
leaders sneaking up upon a sleeping lion with a rope noose. The lion, the traditional
symbol of Britain, represented the British youth movement that was sleeping, but that
could ferociously lash out against the fascists if awakened. (See Appendix) 76 The YCL
envisioned it was its duty to keep democratic youth "awakened" in order to guard against
the fascist plots of Chamberlain. By organizing and supporting democratic youth activities
against Chamberlain, the YCL believed it was facilitating opportunities for "youth
itself to speak, to make its voice heard and heeded in the very highest quarters." 77
The YCL applied their democratic analysis to other issues of service and defense.
Challenge began a defence policy column in October, 1938 entitled "Make Britain Safe."
The first article dealt with the issue of the Air Raid Precautions (ARP) programmes under
Chamberlain. The YCL maintained the ARP was not being adequately utilized because
the National Government was "a government of the rich, friends of fascism, supported by
fascists and the fascist minded." According to this analysis only a "People's Government"
headed by Labour could create a situation where "ARP regulations will be under
democratic control" which was the only "way to make Britain safe." 78 Other articles
stressed that if the ARP were democratic and more inclusive, youth would be willing "to
give service in a democratic and voluntary way." 79
"Make Britain Safe" also addressed issues of democracy within the British military.
In an article on the Territorial Army (TA), an anonymous soldier complained that while
he and all of his TA comrades were "completely anti-fascist," that the upper-class leadership
of the TA and other "men in high places" held a deep "sympathy for the fascists."
The soldier felt that situation could not be rectified "until the TA is entirely reorganized
on a democratic, progressive basis" which would make it "a democratic army of democratic
men." 80 The next week the YCL expanded on this analysis of service, democracy
and defense. Contrasting the experience of the TA and the Red Army, the YCL claimed
that within the Red Army "men and commanders are on terms of equality" and that "Red
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