Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1937-10-21
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS REVIEW
CONTINUED from Page ~

a result of Japan's invasion of
China. The two gatherings, how
ever, are not related-that is, not di-
rectly; indirectly they are, for both
concern the test of strength between
democracy and fascist theology.
On February 6, 1922, nine powers
signed a treaty which guaranteed
China's political independence and
territorial integrity. That treaty
proved inadequate when Japan five
years ago conquered Manchuria from
China-and it has taken the signers
of it long time to realize that they
have obligations now, for the Japanese
war against China has been going
on for almost three months, and
only now-as a result of League of
Nations action and President Roose-
velt's Chicago speech of October s.
it has been decided to call a con-
ference, not, mind you, to stop the
war but merely to discuss it. That
conference will, at the suggestion
of Great Britain, seconded by the
American government (Which did not
w ~ LII w OCSll
Brussels on October 80, according
to present plans.
Knowing that Japan's attitude is
one of defiance, participants in the
conference-and predicting observ-
ers-dare not hope too optimistically
for concrete results. It appears that
the only thing Japan fears is a show
of force. And-who wants to take
that responsibility, even when sigma
lures bind?
u. s. Part.
You hear from radio commentators
and read in the newspapers a great
deal about the allegedly unnecessary
part which the United States gov
eminent is taking in discussing the
Far Eastern situation; you are told,
from ever so many sources, that
President Roosevelt is planning to
plunge this country into a war with
Japan. That is sheer nonsense, judg-
ing from the facts now existing.
In the first place, the American
government has no desire whatso-
ever of going to war; in the second
place, as long as it signed the nine
power treaty of 1922, it is simply
bound to do something about the
matter, assuming that governments
solemn signature really does mean
anything. So far, there is nothing
known that indicates potential Amer
lean participation in armed action
against Japan. In fact, there is no
power contemplating such a step
right now. Persuasion will be tried,
propositions with a view to reconcil-
ing the differences between China
and Japan may be offered, but there
is no likelihood of anything beyond
that. Not even an officially sane
toned boycott is seriously consid-
cred.
The seven powers who, besides
China and Japan, have signed the
treaty will 60 on record as deplor-
ing the war-and the upshot of all
the diplomatic confab will be merely
that Japan gets what she wants.
Unless-and here is still the great
question mark-unless Soviet Russia
is provoked to Intervention! Were
that to happen, the Asiatic picture
would undergo radical alterations
But Russian action in this direction
is still very remote-as remote, al
most, as is American.
The Wars.
During the last few days the at
tention of the general world public
has shifted, largely, from the mill
tary battlefelds to those of confer
ence diplomacy. But the wars 60
on, just the same, in all their CORY
brutality.
In Spain, the rebels are drawing
closer to Gijon, and on the Aragon
front it appears that the government
armies are engaged in carrying on
huge offensive; it is said that there
are about 100000 government SOL
diers actively engaged, and that they
are fully equipped with all the mod
ern machinery of murder furnished
by the scientific and technical in
genuity of today. On the other side,
the rebels are said to be just as ade-
quately prepared for an onslaught
Madrid, though besieged for year,
has been subjected to new rebel bonn
bardments and still remains uncap-
tured. The defense of that city is
one of the marVelS of the Spanish
civil wars
In China
Terrific bombardments by Jap
anese aviators and battleship bat
teries have failed to destroy the de-
tense of Shanghai, China's most i'm