Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-05-11
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS REVIEW
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leading statesmen of many countries
in fact, with all major countries,
except Russia. And the purpose OF
all the Washington talks has been to
build the foundation for the economic
world conference, scheduled so long,
postponed so often.
Tariff Truce.
]. Ramsay Macdonald. British
prime minister, back in his own coun-
try, was received with chilly polite
ness by parliament and cabinet be-
cause he came home from America
without anything definite concerning
a revision of the war-debtS payment.
He also brought back plan calling
for temporary tariff holiday, that
is. that nations should abstain from
increasing their import duties during
the period beginning with the eco
nomic world conference, and for some
future time His cabinet, largely
protectionist, did not like this plan,
at all. Italy also seems to be averse
| to it while France and Germany
probably will accept it.
If the Roosevelt tariff-truce plan
| is not generally carried out, there is
danger ahead for the coming world
conference Likewise, results will be
| less definite than they ought to be If,
as it now seems, the war-debts ques-
ton is not to be discussed.
Disarmament.
Since the military budgets of the
nations are so huge that they con-
stitute very actual menace to the
prosperity and the safety of the world,
but little as long as there is no agree
ment on a reduction and limitation
of ornaments. Such agreement, hav-
ing now been talked of for years,
especially at the still functiOning con-
ference in Geneva, is exactly as far
off as it has always been, due, ap-
parently, to the fact that delegates
look at the question from their own
narrowly nationalistic viewpoint in
stead of from an impartially interna-
tiOnal Chickering's and wrangling go
on, especially, between the French
and the Germans, and the one in
disputable fact is that although the
present conference, making allowance
for rather too frequent vacations, has
been in session since the beginning
of February, 1882, it has produced
not one single concrete result, and
the nations are as heavily armed as
no. indeed, more heavily armed than
they were prior to the outbreak of
the World war.
HitleriSm.
No one in position to form an opin-
ion dares deny that recent political
trends have slowed up the attempts
to overhaul the world: no one denies
that the ultimate influence of the
Fascist Hitler government in Ger
many is feared-in fact, ViscOunt
Grey of Fallodon, British minister OF
foreign affairs when the World Wal
began, said the other day that Hitler
threatens the peace of Europe, and
that European public opinion is
shocked by his methods.
There is not as wide an abyss be-
tween Fascism and Communism a:
some people will have us believe, anC
just now Fascism seems to be the
greater danger. Hitler, i'm compelling
German trade unions to submit them
selves to direct government control; il
taking charge of all leading industries
of his country: i'm introducing meas
ures for forced labor; i'm transferring
citizens from one part of the cOuntr!
to the other without asking them wha
they think about it, is emulating the
very principles of the Russian Com
munistic system which he processes t.
abhor. No longer the question is: Shall
the world be ruled by Fascist or Com
munist dictatorship, but: Shall it be
ruled by democracies? Essentially
, Fascism and Communism follow the
same line of development, operating
as they both do, in opposition to gov.
eminent by the people.
With this in mind, it will be neces
sary for the economic world confer
| ence to talk politics" too.
New Asiatic Danger.
To complicate international mat
ters still more, the Asiatic situation
: makes the world nervous. japanese
armies are expected to move thi
week against Peiping and Tientsin
, thus violating former pledge not t.
: march into China proper.
And between Japan and Russia the
conflict arising over the alleged
, JapaneSe cOnfiScatiOn of Russian rOI