Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-04-20
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS REVIEW
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for definite action in regard to these
problems can be laid, the world crisis
will soon be at an end.
Russian Attitude.
In discussions of the political
alignments of modern Europe Russia
has long been considered doubt
full factor. To understand the Sltua-
ton one must recall the fact that
there are two opposing camps in the
Old World: One is headed by Ger
many and comprises Italy, Austria
and Hungary. The other one includes
France, Poland, Roumania, Czecho-
Slovakia and Jugoslavia.
To eliminate simmering hostility
between these groups Macdonald and
the Italian prime minister, Benito
Mussolini, a few weeks ago worked
out four-power plan designed to
maintain peace in Europe, based,
chiefly, on a thorough revision of the
Versailles and the st. German peace
treaties.
Events have shown that the plan
was met with significant lack of
enthusiasm, MacDOnald's own Great
Britain being rather cool, France
plainly disguised with it because of
the treaty-revision element. Germany.
as the beneficiary of the scheme, has
assured Mussolini of it's hearty ad-
hesion to the principle of treaty re-
vision, and as far as Italy is con-
cerned-well, Mussolini summed it up
the other day when he wrote in
newspaper:
| IF there is to be no treaty re-
vision there will be war"
1t may be too much to say that
England sides with the German group.
| Macdonald does, at all events. But
Russia.
Hitherto it has always been as
sumed that Russia was quite par
ticularly fond of Germany. But a
change has taken place, due, in some
fanatical persecution of Communists,
and latest reports are to the effect
that the Soviet government is likely
to align itself with the group headed
by France. 1t could not very we'll be
otherwise, for, when in recent years
has anyone seen Great Britain and
Russia on the same side of the inter-
national fence!
There is something Ominous in the
situation, and once more there is
reason to ponder upon that specter
of a hungry Russia led by vengeful
France" which Lloyd George some
time ago professed to fear.
Another aspect worth considering
is the fact that Russia, aligning her
self with the French group, thus be-
comes, at least informally, the ally
of the other Slav nations of Europe.
So, for the time being the MacDon-
-Mussolini plan has not succeeded
in creating the intended harmony; to
the contrary, there is now hint OF
deepening dissensiOn.
Muscovite Court Case.
British Russian tension as result
of the Moscow trial of six British
engineers for sabotage, bribery and
espionage, has increased. This is not
to be interpreted as a war menace,
but most certainly threatens to up
set that economic equilibrium which
it is intended to establish at the con-
versations in Washington and at the
projected London conference.
BY the time this issue of the
"Askov American" is being read, a
Al FOL ~,
COW will have been announced. What
: it will be, cannot be foretold at this
writing, except that the incrimin ating
evidence-and the entire situation
points in the direction of a cOnvic-
ton, and sentences which may be
relatively lenient in view of the fact
that the chief defendants are not
Russians.
Trade Relations.
Whatever the outcome of the trials
it does seem certain that trade rela-
tions between Great Britain and Rus
STA will be terminated, for the British
parliament has passed law author
izing the government to place an en-
barge on all Russian products. In
retaliation, Russia has declared that
perhaps no British products will be
permitted to enter the territory OF
the Soviet Republics.
I'm justification. Great Britain has
published three white Books de.
scribing the circumstances of the
cases against the engineers of the
Metropolitan Vickers Electric Equip.
, ment Co. branch factory in Moscow
and the Russians have issued a "ReC