Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1938-03-10


sion of four-power treaty to main
tain European peace. To arrive at
that, Great Britain must, it seems,
recognize Italy's conquest of Ethi-
opia and be willing to discuss Ger
many's insistent demands for the re-
turn of her war-lost overseas colonies.
Some kind of arrangement also must
be made with France whose govern
ment-allied with that at Moscow
declares that any agreement concern
ing European peace will be futile as
long as it does not include the Rus
sian Soviet republics.
Judging from what is taking place
now, democratic Great Britain APP
pears willing to accept international
situations which it has hitherto con-
demned.
Great Power Navies.
Lately, naval representative of the
United States, Great Britain and
France have been in conference in
London to consider the possibility
of building bigger battleships with
bigger guns than are permitted by
the current London naval treaty of
1886. AS the treaty is quite specific,
there seems to be no way of circum-
venting it without actually violating
it, so now the task is to reach agree
ment about multiplying it. The osten-
sible reason for this is the fact that
Japan recently refused to hand out
information concerning her own plans
for naval construction, but since that
refusal was given, Japan has assured
the world that no navy for overseas
purposes in contemplated; that, on the
other hand, Japan is anxious to reach
agreement with America, England
in fact, about wholly abolishing bat
tleshipS.
Similar proposals have repeatedly
been made by Japan and have been
regularly rejected. For the actual
fact seems to be that the western
powers simply want bigger navies,
bigger ships, bigger guns. The arm
ament race has become an obsession
with Europe and the United States.
Austrian Situation.
During the last few days the po-
litical situation in Austria has be-
come relatively calm, Chancellor Kurt
Schusschnigg having repeated on var
ious occasions that Austria is not, and
must not become, politically German
in spite of the fact that less than
month ago he acquiesced in Adolf
Hitler's demand that German-minded
National Socialists be appointed men,
bers of the Vienna cabinet. The So
called Fatherland Front remains the
only officially recognized party in
Austria, but the Nazists are recog-
nized to the extent that there will be
no official interference with the Hitler
salute Several clashes between men,
bers of the Fatherland Front and the
Nazi party have taken place, but no
casualties were reported, and for
merly suggested plan to the effect
that the Nazists march to Vienna and
take over the government appears to
have been abandoned, at least for the
time being.
Warship Blown Up.
Last Sunday Spanish rebel cruiser
was torpedoed by warships carrying
the flag of the legitimist Spanish
government; early reports indicated
that 365 men of the crew of 765 were
dead or missing, the remaining 400
having been rescued by British YES
sells
There have been several new bonn
bardments of Barcelona, carried out
by rebel filters, but, in general, there
is lull in the fighting; it is, how
ever, understood that both rebels and
government troops are planning vast
offensive campaigns.
War in China.
Lately, the japanese war in China
has centered about the ShanSi and
Shensi provinces where the invaders
are trying to trap the Chinese armies.
So far, it seems that but little success
has attended this effort, and that
Chinese resistance is becoming ever
sitter and stronger. No major fight
ing has been reported for a number
of days, and it now is quite clear that
the war will 60 on until either Japan
has conquered the greater part of
China or has been driven out of the
country by its defenders.