Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1937-04-22
International
News Review
By GEORG STRANDVOLD


A glamorous item in the history of
the present weeks beginning was the
announcement that now-at last
the oft-discussed international block
AIDE of Spain, to avert the ingress of
foreign volunteers, was to begin. 1t
had been said so often-with no re-
demption of pledges following-that
a good many observers began to feel
it was a pretty sordid jest. AT the
moment of writing it is not definitely
known whether the blockade actu-
ally has started. Even if it hast
does not mean a great deal as long
as the foreigners already fighting
with the loyalist or the rebel forces
are permitted to remain. The solu-
ton of a most vexing problem would
seem to be the ordering home of all
non-Spaniards.
Mussolini Willing.
Not so long ago Benito MusSolini,
prime minister and dictator of Italy,
declared that he would, under no
circumstances, consider the queS-
ton of recalling Italian nationals
from the Spanish arena of war. He
has changed his mind, and that I'M
usual event is reported to be due
to British pressure, for, after all,
Italy cannot at this time afford to
jeopardize her official friendship with
the British empire. Through his am
bassador at London, Dino Grandl,
MusSolini has communicated to the
27-nation non-intervention commit
tee the message that he is willing
no. not yet to recall the Italians from
Spain's rebel fascist armies, but to
consider the proposition. And that's
something. There are at this time
said to be about 10000 Italians fight
ing under the flag of Rebel General
Francisco Franco, also 10000 Ger
mans. On the legitimist government
side of the fence there are reported
about 100000 foreigners, nationality
not specified If an agreement be
reached between the great powers
whose nationals have volunteered to
fight for or against the Spanish gov
eminent, il is conceivable that the
civil war will simply burn itself out.
The impression of the last few
weeks still remains, that is, that the
government forces have proved their
ability to stand firm, and one-so far
evidence is that the reb-
els have not taken Madrid, nor have
they, despite desperate attempts, sue
ceeded in cutting off the line of COM
munication between that city and
Valencia which is the emergency cap
ital
Meeting in Finland
While Spaniards persist in killing
one another in a war which is said
to be the most terrible civil strife
since the war of secession in the
United States, the northern coun-
tries of Europe are contemplating
continued peace. On Tuesday Of this
week the foreign ministers of Den
mark, Norway, Sweden and Finland
ence for the purpose of discussing
some of the problems common to
them all. Finland, in spite of its
large Swedish population percentage,
is not really a Scandinavian country,
but it seems that the government at
Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm
have wanted to go just little bit
out of their way to assure the Fin
nish state that it belongs to their
particular group.
Uppermost in the minds of the
Northern foreign ministers was the
question of what attitude to assume
in case of new world conflagration.
There is, after all, only one, and that
is neutrality-just as during the last
world war. Those countries are
small, and, yet, they can jointly
if the need should arise-place about
a million armed men on the battle
field. That is one reason why the
Soviet Republics and Germany very
alertly have been watching the con-
ference at the Finnish capital; both
of those great powers covet the ac-
tive friendship of the Northern ma
tons for the reason that they realize
their potential importance. But the
HelSingforS meeting-like the others
taking place within the last year or
two at the various Scandinavian cap
itals-has gone on record to the eff
feet that the respective governments
favor neither the Soviets nor Ger
many particularly. What they want
is peace-peace with an underscored
capital 'P"; in the first place, they
are not belligerent or aggressive
countries; in the second, they real
iZe that war-or war-like tendencies
is a detriment to the natural flow
of trade.
Mirth in Europe.
Into the shadows of serious inter-
national discussions, and fratricidal
war, comes what may develop into
a sentimental romance, for Polish
papers a few days ago announced
that stern, ascetic Adolf Hitler, chief
executive and dictator of Germany,
may maryland you all know heri
-po1o Maori Do1ich G1,,o