Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1936-11-12
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS REVIEW
Continued from Page -

Mr.. Eden did, however, not feel that
his government was in position to
promise Germany any active anti
Russian sentiment; very smoothly he
made it clear that Great Britain
wants to remain on friendly terms
with all other powers, Russia includ-
ed, and that it surely would not care
to renounce Russian friendship mere
ly i'm order to retain Germany's, and
to please Hitler.
To Italy stern words were spoken,
evidently in reply to Mussolinis
Milan speech a few days ago: Mr..
Eden assured Rome that Great Britain
had no desire to interfere with Italian
interests, but as far as the Mediterran-
can was concerned, that sea was one
of the vital nerves of the British en-
pire, and it would, if necessary, be
defended to the last drop of blood.
Nothing. further has been heard
from Signor Mussolini on that score!
Words of Warning.
Within the last few weeks speeches
have come from Hitler, Mussolini and
Eden; naturally, Russia must have
something to say. too, and it did, for
right on the heels of Eden came
Klementin Voroshilov, Russias war
commissar (minister), with a state
ment that all the capitalistic powers
so very plainly are preparing them
selves for an imperialistic war AGAINST
Russia. The SOviets, he said, want
nothing more anxiOusly than PEACE,
but since all other nations were pill
ing up arms and munitions in prepar-
alton for an attack on Russia, it was
self-evident that the Moscow govern
ment must be ready to defend itself
when the hour strikes. Voroshilov
was inclined to think that capitalistic
aggression might start at almost any
moment-he thought the recent Hitler
and Mussolini effusions particularly
menacing.
Conference at Vienna.
On several occasions reference has
been made here to the closer APP
proach taking place between Germany,
Austria and Italy. There is more
evidence on hand that something is
being built up, perhaps a regenera-
ted Triple Alliance.
Recently Count Ciano. Mussolini's
son-in-law and foreign minister, spent
some days with Hitler at Berlin and
Berchtesgaden, then the Austrian
foreign minister called on Mussolini
in Rome, and early this week Ciano
journeyed to Vienna for conferences
with Chancellor Kurt Schusschnigg.
Quite patiently the goal of these
various conversations is the forging
of something more than mere friend
ship pact. And, incidentally, some
thing else is in the air. With in
creasing frequency the talk about
Archduke Otto being placed on the
ancient imperial throne of Austria
comes back. 1t has never been more
vivid than now, and-thiS can hardly
be a coincidence, can it?-while Ga
no is comforting in Vienna, announce
ment comes from Rome that Arch
duke Otto is to marry an Italian
princess. If this turns out to be cor
rect-and it has most of the earmarks
of an official bulletin-it simply con-
firms the belief that the Italian
government looks with favor on the
restoration of the Austrian empire,
with Otto wearing the crown, with
Princess Maria of Italy as the empress
of Austria.
That possibility is not devoid of dan
ger moments, for the Little Entente
frowns upon restored Austrian en-
pire, and not forgotten are the words
of the present president of Czecho-
Slovakia, Edouard Benes, spoken while
he was his country's foreign minister:
"A restored Austrian empire means
another European war;.
1t may be interesting to focus some
attention on affairs in progress at
Vienna. Many developments are pos
sible.