Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-03-09
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS REVIEW
Continued from Page -


chancellor and his government, for
the victory is very largely a result
of extremely repressive measures
carried out by the government against
all those in opposition.
Methodically and rigidly the oppo-
sition has been deprived of it's con-
stitutional freedom of speech and
press, of it's right to assemble, of ac-
cess to the government radio broad
casting stations. and, whenever pos
sible, prosecuted and bounded by the
uniformed partisans of Hitler.
Under these circumstances it is a
wonder that any opposition vote was
cast.
Early last week fire was set to the
parliament building in Berlin, and
the authorities at once blamed the
Communists. European papers out
side Germany are very suspicious in
regard. to this, for they say quite
openly that the fire was probably set
at the instigatiOn of the National So
cialists i'm order to provoke further
harsh measures and increased hos
tilty against the radical and liberal
groups At least, they claim there
is plenty of reason to believe that
such is the case.
Chengteh Taken.
While America and parts of Europe
have been busy enacting political
dramas, East Asia has been engaged in
continuing it's military tragedy, and
the relentless Japanese war machine
has kept on rolling and driving ahead
until Chengteh-Jehol City-the very
capital of Jehol. contested province,
was taken. Now the flag of the ris-
ing sun is seen everywhere in the city
Drastically Gems Ored dispatches
make it seem evident that the con-
quest of Chengteh was completed
without great deal of fighting and
blood shedding, for it appears that
one of the Chinese generals in com
mand of a division accepted a bride
in order to pave the way for the in
vaders; how true that is, no one here
can say now, for all details are quite
thoroughly obscured.
But the principal fact seems clear
enough, namely, that Chengteh is in
the hands of the Japanese; it now
seems but a question of a few days
before Japan will be able to add the
entire Jehol province to the state
of Manchukuo.
Will that end the Japanese-Chinese
war? Japanese military men say that
it will. But, they add very signi-
ficantly, if the Chinese authorities do
not take steps to protect japanese
nationals in Peiping and Tientsin, it
will be necessary for Japanese troops
to step in. That will mean an inva-
sion of China proper-that part lying
south of the Chinese Great Wall
Former experience has taught OBJ
servers to expect that the Japanese
are able and not unwilling, to, them
selves, provoke situation which may
conceivably serve as the needed ex-
cuse for prolonging and extending
hostilities.
lnertly, the League of Nations looks
on while the British embargo on arms
and munitions to Japan and China
has been taken up by no other ma
ton and is, therefore, to all intents
and purposes, an empty gesture, es-
pecially in view of the pretty gen.
orally accepted theory that such an
embargo helps Japan, and weakens
Chinese resistance.
Disarmament Conference.
Altogether, Geneva has been a
pretty serious disappointment: The
League of Nations has, it is true,
castigated Japan but has not stopped
any war; the international confer
ence for the reduction and limita-
ton of ornaments, sitting at Geneva
has accomplished absolutely nothing
In an effort to salvage what may be
salvaged from the wreck, the British
prime minister. J. Ramsay MacDon.
aid, and the foreign minister, Sill
John Simon, plan to journey to Gen
eva this week, happily believing that
they may contribute something oil
value to the deliberations going or
there.
But there are two principal OBJ.
stacles; one is the continued French
insistence on alliances in lieu oil
lliances that are de-
signed to afford French national eX.
istence that measure of security
which, it is felt, will be absent in case
of even nominal disarmament. The
other is the Hitler victory in Ger.