Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1936-06-25
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS REVIEW
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but, so far, peacefully, are taking pos
session of five provinces in the north.
1t is a case of clear conquest, and
when it is bloodless it is only be-
cause the Chinese central government
has either not been in position, or
not dared, to resist.
China, whose security and indie
pendence are guaranteed by vast
sheaf of international treaties. knows
that these agreements mean nothing;
if China-like Ethiopia, a member OF
the League of Nations-had been in
doubt, at all, the fate of Ethiopia
must have served to remove such
doubt.
But Southern China wants action.
and rumors persist that not only have
armies marched northward from Can
ton but that they have also been met
by armies of the central government
in what is, as yet bit mistily, de-
scribed as a pitched battle.
To make matters even more bitter,
even more complicated, it is reported
that the communists of China, for a
long time foes of the central govern
ment, have declared their intention
of supporting Japan-against their
own countrymen.
And while rumors, based on sternly
censored dispatches, are cropping up
all over China, the government at
Marking does nothing, and the re-
lentless Japanese calmly proceed with
their job of completing the occupa-
ton of five northern provinces which
have for centuries formed an integral
part of China.
Constitutional Russia.
Persons familiar with the history
of revolutions have always understood
that ever since 1917 Russia has been
passing through a transitory stage.
and that what took place there was
in the nature of preliminaries.
Such people are now to be vindi-
Gated in their view, for Russia is
about to emerge from the first stage
of its upheaval. The presidium of
the Soviet republics has accepted the
draft for a constitution which in a
few months will be submitted to the
All-Russia congress for final action.
While not overlooking the funda-
mental demand that the people must
rule, the constitution, as it has now
been designed. will mark a closer ap-
proach to the system in vogue in other
modern countries. 1t will provide
for the establishment of a two-cham-
Der parliament-part of which seems
just the tiniest bit old-fashioned since
the tendency is in the direction of
unicameral assemblies, that is, par
liaments with only one house. Uni
versal suffrage-including all men
and women above certain age-will
be introduced Members of the parlia-
ment are to be elected by direct and
secret voting, and all still existing
divisions of voters into groups will
be abolished.
1t may be that the Soviet name will
be retained, but Russia will after the
consummation of the new form of gov
eminent no longer remain a system
of Soviet states in the same sense
as hitherto.
One may characterize the sweeping
change as the climax of the revolu-
ton which began on that March day
in 1917 when the Russian empire col
lapsed one may also concede that it
testifies to the farsightedness of the
men who hold RuSSia'S fate in their
hands.
French Crisis.
Whether developments in France
will move forward or be set back
as result of the appointment of the
Leon Blum government a few weeks
ago, is as yet problematical. The
government has won it's strong fight
in behalf of the workers against the
employers, but it is still facing AIN
opposition made up of various strong
groups of an Enthusiastically fascist
trend. Blum acted swiftly and stern
ly, for he deprived these groups Of
their right to march, their right to
carry arms and to wear uniforms.
They struck back a few days ago, and
tumultuous demonstrations and fights
in the streets of Paris were the first
result. However, it is generally be-
lieved that the government will sue
ceed-upon which it is faced with
new and most annoying problem:
What to do with a practically empty
treasury? Steps are being taken to
maintain the gold standard and to
stop the flight of gold from France,
but it appears that it will be neces-
sary to do something even more dras-
tic than that.