Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-12-13
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS REVIEW
Continued from Page u

Czecho- Slovakia; there is the further
possibility that Russia may side with
Jugo-Slavia although the Soviet gov
eminent at the present moment has
not disclosed its plans.
Opposing Camp.
On the other hand, if Hungary de-
clares war or is attacked, Italy and
Austria will rush to her defense; Ger
many's neutrality is counted upon as
matter of fact, and Great Britain
has proclaimed that she will not be-
come involved in the conflict unless
dragged in by the neck" British
statesmen are. by the way, very busy,
trying to find a formula that will
remove the danger of war.
1t cannot be denied that there is
a danger of armed conflict, but it is
offset by the speed with which neu-
trail forces are working to avert it.
Also, the League of Nations appar-
emily is doing all that can be done
to eliminate the possibility of war;
how successful these efforts will be
eventually, no one can know right
now. The probability is that the de-
velopments will be checked before
reaching a bloody climax.
In the first place, war is matter
of money, and the two countries be-
tween which hard feeling now is ram
pant. are utterly poor.
In the second place, generals hest
tate before plunging their armies into
war on the threshold of winter.
In the third place, there is the
spectre of Russia; if the formidable
armies Of the Soviets are thrown in
on the side of Jugo-Slavia, a crush
ing defeat will be almost certain for
the opposing group, especially when
cons idering that in such an event the
very modern army of France will,
also, be among the active supporters
of Jugo-Slavia. The vision of what
may happen if Russia's, Frances's and
Jugo-Slavia's armies oppose those of
Italy, Austria and Hungary is one
that may we'll make statesmen think
twice before they act, even when these
nations are joined by Czecho-Slovakia
and Roumania.
Saar Agreement.
Just as the most recent war scare
flared up, another had been success
fully eliminated, for at Rome diplo-
mats representing France and Ger
many signed an agreement governing
their respective policies in regard to
the plebiscite which takes place in
the Saar district on January 13, 1885;
they undertook to respect one an
others legitimate claims, and Ger
many, to the general relief of Europe,
pledged herself to pay SO million dol
lars and II million tons of coal for
the French-owned coal mines in the
district.
AS though to accentuate the i'm
portance of this move mass. meetings
were held in the Saar last Sunday
when German speakers urged their
compatriots to remain calm and or
derly and to show the world what true
German discipline really means.
In order to remove all fears of
trouble as far as possible it was
agreed in Rome that no German or
French soldiers are to take part in
the policing of the Saar prior to the
plebiscite, an international force Of
1000 men will be composed of Brit
ish, Swedish, Dutch and Italian SOL
diers.
Not Enthusiastic.
Europe halls the Saar pact with
unmistakable satisfaction, and only
one voice of dissent has been heard:
that is the voice of Russia, as eX-
pressed by Maxim Litvinov, foreign
minister of that country. He per-
ceives in the Saar agreement fore
runner of an actual Franco-German