Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-02-01
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS REVIEW
Continued from Page -

and the French governments. SO lar,
both have been rather unyielding in
their attitude, especially in regard to
the question as to whether Germany
is entitled to a larger standing army
than that described in the Versailles
peace treaty, but the friendly spirit
in which the negotiations are pro-
crossing is taken as an indication
of ultimate success although that is
pretty remote at this moment. If Ger
many and France agree in regard to
certain essentials, there is said to be
some measure of hope for the disar-
mament conference. If not, it is
conceded there is no hope.
Fear of War.
Perhaps because opposition to ac-
tual disarmament is so outspoken and
so very influential, rumors of war
persist.
In Japan the foreign minister, Hi
roka, has painstakingly pointed out
that his government wants peace and
friendship with all countries, especi-
ally with the United States, Soviet
Russia, and China; the most reckless
of all the militarists of Japan, Gen
eral Araki, has resigned from his post
of minister of war; the japanese gov
eminent has prohibited the circula-
ton of newspapers and periodicals
which contain antagonizing matter
about the United States, and leaders
of Japanese public life. have stood up
in parliament in Tokyo and protested
against additional naval appropria-
lions.
I'm spite of all these gestures-some
consider them sincere-daily dis
patches from various capitals indi
cate fear of a new war in which ia
pan is to be the aggressOr; Moscow
fears that; Shanghai fears it.; in
Washington it is felt that such may
be the case, but the American gov
zance of war rumors in the East; to
the contrary, the order to remove the
fleet from the Pacific to the Atlantic
ocean still remains in force, and
Japan considers that a token of Amer
lean good will.
Increasing Navies.
At the present moment the United
States is increasing its navy, and the
naval men are pushing hard for new
appropriations wherewith to build still
more ships; Great Britain's highest
naval officers are discussing plans for
strengthening the navy and some of
the Asiatic Notifications, notably at
Singapore; Germany now wants naval
as well as military equality with
other great powers, and the French
navy ministry insists that France in
the future must possess a navy stron-
ger than those of Italy and Germany
combined.
Thus the London naval disarma-
ment treaty of 1880 is having its eff
feet upon the great powers, that is
to say, in order to obtain reduction
of the size and tonnage of the navies
of the world, they are being constant
ly and Systematically increased!
The less interest in the disarma-
ment becomes; the more intensely the
naval ornaments race proceeds, the
greater, of course, the danger of war,
the more disturbing the menace to
peace.
French Crisis.
Some weeks ago Sergei Alexandra
Stavisky, native of Russia, who had
founded and managed the so-called
municipal credit bank at Bayonne,
France, either committed suicide or,
as has been charged, was killed by
police because he knew too much"
1t had been revealed that he had
sold worthless bonds which had net
ted him between 40 and 60 million
dollars, and it was very strongly hint