Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1936-05-14
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS REVIEW
By GEORG STRANDVOLD

Whatever the League of Nations
council, meeting at Geneva early this
week, may decide in regard to the
Ethiopian war, it is bound to be
utterly ineffective in view of the UNI
disputed fact that Italy has con-
quered and officially annexed the an
cient African empire; Emperor Halle
Selassie has fled to Palestine, the
land of his ancient forefathers; his
the hands of the Italian army; the
king of Italy has been proclaimed
emperor of Ethiopia by his Oversha-
downing prime minister. BenitO Musso-
lini. and the conqueror of Ethiopia,
Marshal Pietro Badoglio, has been APP
pointed governor-general with the
rank of viceroy. Thus ends the story
of one of the oldest Independent coun-
tries of the world. Thus ends the story
of member of the League of Nations
who believed that it would, by reason
of it's very membership, be protected
against aggression by more powerful
countries. Thus ends, one might say,
the League of Nations.
Reform Demanded.
For it is quite evident that the
League has, so to say, outlived itself;
its sole justification for existing was
it's presumed ability to prevent wars;
to protect the smaller nations against
the big powers. 1t has failed. 1t has
Cot Id hot &c llxy
dmitted-abjectly and humiliatingly.
1t has failed completely. From many
sources accusing fingers are PORTED
in the direction of the United States.
Why-it is being asked-did not
America step in to maintain and pro-
tect the sanctity of the Kellogg-Briand
treaty against war which was, essen
TALLY, an American innovation?
Ethiopia thought that the United
States would be bound by that agree
ment against armed conflicts, and,
prompted by that faith, last summer
asked the Washington government to
point out to Italy that its threat of
war against the African empire was
a direct violation of the treaty in
spired by America itself; the sole
and the cold-reply from Washington
was an expression of the very pious
hope that both powers would respect
the treaty. And that ended American
efforts to prevent war which was
clearly in violation of an important
treaty inaugurated by the American
government itself.
U. s. and League.
But the accusations, increasing in
volume and frequency, do not concern
themselves with the Kellogg-Briand
treaty alone. They also refer to the
attitude of the United States toward
the League of Nations.
Real friends of America and of the
League point out that if the United
States had affiliated itself with the
League at the time of its inception
and it's actual organization, it would
not have been possible for Japan to
conquer and annex a vast part of
Manchuria; then the situation which
made it possible for Japan to resign
from the League, would not have been
created; the failure of the interna-
tional disarmament conference at
Geneva, and the subsequent resigna-
tion of Germany from the League,
would not have been possible; the
Italian attack on Ethiopia would have
been unthinkable.
In other words-if the United
States, if Japan, if Germany had been
members of the League of Nations in
the fall of 1895, Italy, realizing that
punitive sanctions would be effective
because all big powers and important
industrial countries would participate
in them, would have hesitated before
starting a war of aggression. AS it was,
Italy knew better than any other coun-
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