Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-09-28
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS REVIEW
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details will not be given out until
some decision, if any, is arrived at.
What makes the disarmament prob
lem an especially tough one is the
fact of Adolph Hitler's Germany re-
newing it's claim for a place in the
sun. Germany insists-the Versailles
peace treaty prohibitions notwith
standing-that it must have the right
to be as completely armed as are all
other European powers, and while the
principle of this demand has already
been conceded, difficulties multiply
because France insists on having a
defense superior to that of Germany.
Prime Minister Macdonald of Great
Britain thinks that the first-rate pow
ers should be equally strongly armed,
but France, looking askance at it's
neighbor beyond the Rhine, does not
like that idea. In the mean time all
sorts of rumors are heard concerning
Germany's alleged secret ornaments
increase.
Preliminary Agreement.
During the days just prior to the
opening of the League assembly in
Geneva, diplomatic representatives of
France, Great Britain, the United
States and Italy met in Paris for
discussion aimed at the formulation
of program which may be used as
basis for more definite discussion
when the disarmament conference re-
sumes on October 16. 1t was not pos
sible to reach any very important
| agreement, but beginning was made
| through a compromise which, with
| the consent of France, calls for in
| ternational control of the manufac-
| ture of arms and munitions for per-
iod of four years. Great Britain and
the United States wanted such con-
troll to be permanent, but France,
| always suspicious of G m y,
thought it ought to be of temporary
nature And so. the four-year period
was tentatively agreed to.
Reichstag Fire.
OF much interest throughout the
world is the case now in progress
before the high court at Leipzig
against five men who are charged
with having set fire to the Reichstag
(parliament) building in Berlin on
February 81, last.
There is no denying that the case
has attracted as worldwide atten-
ton as did the Sacco-Vanzetti case
in this country a few years ago, as
did the Dreyfus case in France a
generation ago, and the reason for
that is the very general impression
that the five defendants cannot con-
ceivably be guilty of the crime with
which they are charged. An inter-
national commission, sitting in Lon
don, has just carried out very thor
oughly searching Investigation of the
German case and has come to the
conclusion that early reports Shout
dering the Hitler Nazis with direct
responsibility for the fire are prob
ably true, the motive being a desire
to blame the Communists and other
opponents of the government to such
an extent that hatred against them
would become intensified.
Ernst Torgler is the only German
involved, and Marius van der Luebbe,
Dutch Communist, Georgi Dmitrov,
Blagoi Popov and Wasil Tanev, the
latter three Bulgarian political refu-
gees, are his co-defendants.
At this distance it is too early to
say anything definite about the ex-
tent to which Nazi politics may OBJ
| in in, oil hrpf %
is bit suspicious.
Austrian Government.
Probably Engelbert Dollfuss, dim1n-
utive chancellor of Austria, attracts
more attention at the League assem-
bly, in Geneva than any other states
man, for in recent months he has
become an outstanding figure on the
European stage by reason of his un-
yielding opposition to German at
tempts to nazify his country.
Dollfuss travelled from Vienna to
Geneva in cheerful mood, for just
before he left home he had solved
group of difficult political prob
lens by appointing new cabinet de-
signed to typify what is his and Au-
stria's own idea of fascism. The APP
pointment does not mean that strife
will be ended now, but it serves notice
on the rest of Europe that Austria
will continue to resist German en-
croachments; eventually, Austria will
no doubt be as fascistic as are Ger
many and Italy, the only difference
being that Dollfuss prefers to have
his system known as quite special
Austrian brand of fascism; funda-