Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1938-08-04
International
News Review
BY GEORG sTRANDvOLD

This week is filled with sad ami
versaries, for it was during the first
week of August twenty-four years
ago that declarations of war shat
tered the peace of the world-and
just now there are indications that
such condition may once more be
brought about. It is by no means
certain, but the signs are ominous,
for that trouble which recently has
characterized the relations between
Soviet Russia and Japan seems to
be approaching climax of some kind.
One vague source of feeble optimism
is the Moscow declaration that the
Soviet government will not start any
war-although it is, of course, un-
derstood, that in case of aggression
it will defend itSelf-and the Japan
csc unwillingness to engage great
power in war while the terrific con-
flict is still in progress in China.
Friction between Russian soldiers
and the japanese along the hide
fined border line btween Siberia and
Manchukuo is becoming increasingly
serious, and during the early part of
the week there were reports to the
effect that 200 Russians had been
killed by Japanese, and that Soviet
bombing airplanes had invaded Man.
chukuo and part of Korea. The sit
uation is developing so rapidly that
it may have been considerably al
tered-one way of anotner-by the
time these lines are read.
Progress Slowed Up.
While Japan's diplomats are dis
cussing the newest phase of East
Asiatic troubles, her generals admit
that the march toward Hankow,
China's provisional capital, has been
slowed up; in the first place, the Chi
nese armies have offered indescrib-
ably fierce resistance, and in the Sec
ond, it is reported that Japan is NOV
ing large masses of troops toward
Manchukuo to be in readiness in
case of emergency; this, of course,
lessons the action on the central
Chinese theater of war, and still
further postpones the capture of Han
koW.
Spanish War.
On the civil war front in the north
eastern part of Spain government
troops and General Francisco Frances
rebel armies are fighting with might
and main, the objective still being
the city of Valencia. No direct re-
ports come from Spanish centers, and
all bulletins about the war seem to
emanate from the city of Hendaye
on the French side of the Pyrenees,
but whatever does come indicates that
the present stage of the warfare is
just about fifty-fifty proposition,
for one day the government troops
make splendid progress, the next the
rebels do the same, and then follow
defeats suffered now by one, now
by the other of the armies. At this
moment fighting is particularly fero-
cious along the banks of the Ebro
river, and here Franco has attempted
to burst the dams in the hope that
he might immerSe the government
troops who, at the same time, were
exposed to violent air bombardment
AS soon, however, as he made a lit
tie progress, the defenders drove him
back-only to be driven back them
selves when he had received rein
forcements.
Unrest Elsewhere.
During these days of world-war
anniversaries there is enough strife
to satisfy even the most ardent mill
tarist; trouble brewing between Rus
STA and Japan; war between Japan
and China; the civil war in Spain,
and now, too, recurring clashes be-
tween Jews, Arabs and British SOL
diers in Palestine.
Also, there has been fighting in
Rangoon, Burma, where Mohamme-
dams and Buddhists have engaged in
street clashes with the result that, so
far, about 70 persons have been killed
mostly, it appears, because the
Buddhists were enraged by the pub