Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1938-02-10

Spurred on by this rumOr Great
Britain and the United States be-
gan to plan the construction of equal
ly formidable warships, but thought
it prudent to inquire at Tokyo before
hand: Is it really so? Is Japan build
ing battleships of this dimension?
Simultaneous notes were sent to
Tokyo by the American, the British
and the French governments, and
Japan was asked to say before Feb
ruary 20 whether or not the story
was correct. No official reply has
come from Japan, but spokesman for
the Tokyo government indicate that
it considers the question unwarranted
interference in japanese affairs.
Should Japan refuse to give the de-
sired information, the other powers
will consider such unwillingness-or
silence-equivalen to an admission,
and will most likely themselves build
ships of a larger tonnage than now
permitted by the London treaty.
Ships Sunk.
And, speaking of ships and the
sea and such: Last week the Eng
lish freighter ''Endymion" was tor
pedoed in the Mediterranean sea by
a submarine whose nationality was
not known; ten persons were killed
The legitimist Spanish government
charged that the submarine was Ital-
ian, and Great Britain and France
at once strengthened their anti-pi-
racy forces in the southern ocean,
inviting Italy to join them. Rome
was reluctant, but, after considering
the matter, declared its willingness
to participate in an increased inter-
national patrol service.
But just as this matter was being
arranged, word came that another
English merchantmen, "Alcira," had
been sunk by bombs fired by an air.
plane; there was suspicion that this,
also, was Italian, but there is no
certainty about it. However, this
second sinking prompted the British
government to issue orders to all
patrolling ships to lombard at sight
any submerged submarine in the
Mediterranean; some of the ships on
the guard also will be provided with
anti-aircraft guns as a protection
against rebel Spanish Cor Italian)
airplanes.
Renewed Activity.
After another lull in the fighting
going on in connection with the Span
ish civil war it now appears that the
government troops have definitely
captured the city of Teruel; it is
possible, however, that General Fran
cisco Francois rebels will make an
other attempt to retake it, and dur
ing the last few days heavy fight
ing has been in progress some rs or
80 miles north of Teruel. Bulletins
from various points seem to agree
in the claim that the rebels have been
victorious in most of the battles along
this front, but, on the other hand,
in the vicinity of Granada it is said
that the government troops have been
successful, and that they have COM
bined their armies moving from the
east and the north.
China War.
Jubilant bulletins from Tokyo say
that the Japenese forces along the
strategically important Lunghai rail-
road have crushed most of the Chi
nese resistance, but details are lack
ing, and one is tempted to make some
allowance for the usual japanese
victory announcement effervescence
While fighting in central China
seems to be once more intenSifying,
rumors are afloat that the japanese
are preparing a major offensive
against Canton in the southern part
of the country. There are stories
heard that the city has been cut off
from the rest of China, and that heavy
japanese commandments have taken
place, and it is also said that the
British government is worried because
of the close proximity of Hongkong
British crown colony) to Canton.
In one thing all cablegrams from the
Far East agree: 1t is Japan's very
evident intention to paralyze China
completely.