Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1935-10-03
Paying for Dictators

a free people
Thus in few words-in a nut shell
is covered long speech or a long
editorial
But the editorial covering those
words and explaining it with modern
trends, published recently in The st.
Paul Daily News. and very well stated,
must be read to be appreciated, and is
therefore re-published herewith.
The News brings out the high cost
of dictatorship, makes back numoer
or a piker out of Kaiser Wilhelm of
World war fame as compared to Die
tator MuSsolini, speaks of the two
mad dogs" let loose in Italy and Ger
many. and points out that ii Duce is
stirring up the trouble to save his
face.
Bands parading up and down the
streets, playing stirring military
marches, and erect men in good look
ing uniforms-the flower of the ma
tion's manhOod-all looks good and
appeals to patriotism, but it is not
showing the hell of war. the sleepless
nights in trenches with lack of water
and food and shelter, wounded SOL
diers carried from the battlefields,
bleeding and moaning. and so on
down the line of untold agony.
1t is easier for a leader, and espe-
cially dictator, to plunge his coun-
try into war than it is to right the
economic wrongs and to give work to
the unemployed. Mussolini felt that
he had to make a big move to save
his position and to continue at least
for a time to be heralded as the big
man of the hour. To change the eco
monte conditions required brain work
and much of a long hard fight with
plenty of perseverance. He chooses
the easier and more spectacular way.
Somebody has to suffer. Ethiopia is
made a natural enemy. Italians will
have to NOV down their innocent
Ethiopian neighbors and in so doing
many of the musiclOving, happy,
singing men of Italy will be dropped
on the battlefields- because their
arrogant, egotistic, power-mad dicta-
tor has so decreed.
If Italy needs more land it can be
bought outright as was done by the
United States when the Louisiana
purchase was made, and other pur-
chases such as Florida, Alaska, and
lastly the Virgin Isles. An outright
purchase is much cheaper all around
and without bloodshed, but there
would be nothing spectacular about
that for the war-mad Mussolini who
will in all probability wind up by
being all mussed up himself.
Another important point brought
out in the Daily News editorial is the
sham battle against dictatorship right
here in the good old U. S. A. by folks
who have contempt for democracy.
The danger of following demagogs-
the loud shouters who have more lip
than common sense. stability, and
honor. is always imminent.
1t is the lesson of ancient Greece
and Rome
The News editorial follows:
eff and when war comes because
of the Italian madness. there will be
further proof of the high cost of a
dictatorshin.
lone man in the world today has
the full responsibility for pushing it
toward another war which may de-
stroy what is left of so-called western
civilization. That man is Berito Mus
solini who has gotten himself into n
position where he is almost forced to
proceed.
He is today far more responsible
for what may happen than was Will
liam III back in 1914. Faced with an
unsound economic and industrial stu
alton at home which faScism only
intensified. Mussolini has had to re-
sort to some kind of international adj
venture to save his hold on Italy
That adventure now bids fair to in
volye all of Europe in war with the
outcome quite as likely to seal Mus
solniS own doom.
THE results of fascism are about
to be demonstrated and if anyone sur
wives it will be nothing short OF
miracle. This modern form of die
tatorShip has let loose on the worlt
at least two mad dogs who now threat
en- its very existence. The other ont
is in Germany and is preparing t.
take advantage of the situation 4
launch his own wrecking program.
I'm the United States today ther,