Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-05-25
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS REVIEW
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vent hope that they would. For, if
they would not, it would become the
sad duty of Germany to arm up to the
level of the others.
International Reaction.
To the Roosevelt note there was in
slant official and unofficial response;
rulers and foreign ministers cabled
their Fluctuations to the new man in
the White House, and expressed their
agreement with his plan, mailing it as
a pledge of American participation in
the attempts to solve some of the
major international problems of the
day.
When the note becomes an object
of closer study, the monarchs and
diplomats no doubt will find it neces-
sary to insist on good many reser-
vations, but with the general prin-
ciples expressed there is wide agree
ment.
Response to Hitler.
In regard to the Hitler speech, re-
action was favorable, too Distrust
was expressed in some quarters be-
cause the chancellor happens to be
Hitler; if it had been almost any
other German, there would have been
no hesitation in expressing full con-
| fidence in his statements, but Hitler's
| domestic policies and methods have
| filled the world with suspicion as to
hot no h &c cln hov
he turns to the problems of foreign
policy.
1t is, however, considered wise to
| accept as fact his declaration that
Germany will not attack any other
country. There is ample reason to
believe this, not merely in Hitler's
own words but also in the economic
condition of his country which is such
that no real danger is lurking at the
present moment
World Conferences.
Statements emanating from nearly
all the capitals of the earth crystal
| lie the view that the disarmament
conference and the economic world
congress which, it now appears GER
tain, will open in London June II,
are more likely to succeed than they
were before the Roosevelt note and
the Hitler speech; the atmosphere is
clearer, the pessimism decreasing.
On Monday of this week, Norman
H. Davis, chief American delegate at
the Geneva disarmament conference,
read statement cabled him in the
form of detailed instructions by Pres
ident Roosevelt. Its purpose was to
convince the world that America is
willing to back up its note to the
fifty-four governments with action
willing to be consulted in cases of
threatened international aggression
There was also an assurance that if
other powers will agree on real limi-
tation of ornaments, the United
States will go as far as the rest.
Four-POwer Treaty.
Another thing happened in Geneva
early this week, for representatives
of Great Britain, Italy, France and
Germany initiated the socalled four
power agreement, worked out last
March by Prime Ministers Mussolini
and Macdonald. AS readers may re-
call from earlier surveys, this treaty
undertakes to preserve the peace of
Europe for at least ten years, and to
bring about revision of the Versailles
peace treaty and other treaties affect
ing European border lines.
Now, 'initialing' a treaty is not in
itself such a very important thing;
it simply amounts to temporary ac-
ceptance, pending further and more
But, when the diplomats sign their
initials, it does mean agreement with
the principle enunciated in the docu-
ment; at the same time it does not
make it obligatory for the powers in
volved to keep the promises given,
for a half signature is, of course,
not complete, in that it always pro-
vides convenient loophole if ma
tion wants to back out.
However, the completing gesture is
due to be made at Rome very soon.
And then the fun begins. For even
then treaty is nothing but solemn
looking scrap of paper. 1t has no ac-
tual validity unless it is approved
that is, in diplomatic parlance, rati-
fied-by the parliaments of the sigma
tory powers.
When announcement was made two
months ago that Mussolini and Mac
Donald had evolved this plan for the
preservation of European peace,
France Immediately offered opposi-
ton, for if there is anything sacred