Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1938-07-07
INTERNATIONAL 4 y! J.. +
NEWS REVIEW
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(SOntlnue0 rom rage ~
be done, and so he INSTRUCTED his
ambassador at Rome, Earl Perth,
to open negotiations with the Italian
foreign minister, Count Galeazzo
Ciani, and the result is said to have
beer that Giants father-in-law, Mus
solini himself, sent word to General
Franco that he had better stop those
attacks. 1t appears that Perth wrung
from Ciani and Mussolini definite
promise that they would use their in
fluence with the Spanish rebel chief
tain to that effect. How enduring the
pledge-if there is one-proves to be,
cannot yet be determind, but the fact
remains that since the conversations
at Rome began, there has been no
further bombing of English vessels.
Military Secrets.
Poor old Neville Chamberlain-his
soul is filled with troublous and vex-
atious problems! In the midst of de-
bates concerning Spain another ques-
ton arose to embarrass the govern
ment whose head he is. 1t appears
that Duncan Sandys, member of the
House of Commons, felt that the Brit
ish anti-aircraft defense was made
quate and would prove so if put to a
test. So he wrote War Minister Leslie
Hore-Belisha about it, and, in order
to show that he knew something
about the whole business, he gave
information designed to sustain his
criticism.
The war ministry, gravely offended,
responded that Mr.. Sandys must have
obtained his information by violating
the Military Secrets Act, and the sit
uation was made all the worse be-
cause he is an officer in the territorial
troops. A demand for an inquiry,
supervised by military authorities,
was voiced, and the matter came up
for debate in Commons where it was
charged by Sandys and his friends
that the governments action against
him was prompted by desire to con-
ceal deficiencies in the war depart
ment. So far, the conflict has resulted
in a victory for the principle that
members of parliament are under no
obligation to reveal sources of their
information, and that they have a
right to criticize the government de-
partments. But, apparently, there
will be further inquiry; either that
or the case will be permitted that
gentle hush-up death which often
blesses the termination of ticklish
political conundrums.
Assumes Obligations.
In March of this year Adolf Hitler,
chief executive of the German gov
eminent, nonchalantly annexed Aus
tria-until then an Independent ma
ton; recently Berlin notified the
United States government that the
German government would not be re-
sponsible for debts owed America by
the former Notwithstanding like
twenty million dollars. Secretary of
State Cordell Hull maintained that
international usage required a COM
plete assumption of debts of an an
nexed country by the power that
annexed it, but Berlin would not
listen to that argument.
Then the English spoke up; they,
too, had been told that Germany
would not pay Austria's debts. But
the Chamberlain government, firmer
here than in its attitude toward Spain,
insisted that Hitler must pay what
Austria owed; if he refused, there
would be no further commercial Eng
lish credit extended to Germany, and
the British importation of German
goods might suffer. That was suf-
ficient: Germany at once replied that
it assumed full responsibility for
Austria's debts to Great Britain!
Spanish War.
Lately it has become a rather COM
monplace thing to report that nothing
happens in the Spanish civil war.
That is, of course, an exaggeration,
for things do happen, but not with
definite results. Fighting is still
largely centered on the northeastern
coast of Spain where FRANCOIS rebels
are making desperate attempts to
capture the port of Valencia; they
have already, more or less effectively,
cut off the connection between that
city and Barcelona, the provisional