Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1938-06-30
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS REVIEW
CONTINUED from Page ~

Franco; not always openly and di-
rectly but tacitly and by adopting
policies that actually favor him and
his rebellion. t.
Prime Minister Neville Chamber
lain of Great Britain has made it
very certain that his government
will not take drastic steps as result
of the continued rebel bombing and
sinking of English vessels in Spanish
waters. For that reason he has once
more been exposed to violent criti-
cism in the House of Commons where,
for instance, David Lloyd George the
other day accused the government
head of being an accessory to the
murder of English sailors; Chamber
lain tried to defend his attitude by
saying that if he changed it, war
would result. War with Franco?
That would be unthinkable. War
with Italy then-because Franco is
Mussolini's friend? That seems
equally improbable in view of the re-
Gently rebuilt friendship between
LOIlQOl anu ItOIIlc.
Apparently there is reason to be-
lieve, what has so often been said,
that deep down in his heart Chamber
lain favors a Franco victory; his &C
tions-or rather, his inaction-seem
to indicate that it is so.
Barcelona Threatens.
AS it is evident that German and
Italian aviators are taking a most
prominent part in the repeated Fran
co bombardments of Spanish towns,
the government at Barcelona a few
days ago let it be understood that it
might retaliate by attacking German
and Italian territory. That brought
an instant reply from Rome to the
effect that "any act of war will mean
war;" So that-it's perfectly all right
for Italy to carry on what has been
for nearly two years actual war
fare against legitimist Spain, but if
that country is audacious enough to
protest vigorously-well, that's some
thing else again! Italy has the right
to attack Spain, but Spain must
silently accept such attack-that is
about the gist of this situation.
Later it was limited that BARGE
Iona might be willing to recall the
threat, provided Germany and Italy
would persuade Franco to abandon
his air attacks, and, further, pro-
vided that France would reopen her
frontiers so as to allow the i'm
portation of arms and munitions.
Since France looks at the Spanish
situation with the same eyes as Great
Britain, it is not very likely that
any real attention will be given this
counter-proposal; nor is it probable
that Germany and Italy will use their
good offices to make Franco desist
from further bombings.
Toward Valencia.
While diplomats wrangle, the
Spanish war progresses, and it is still
conferred along the Mediterranean
coast where the rebels are making
what appear to be supreme efforts
to reach and capture the very i'm
portant port of Valencia. Judging
from reports the rebels are meeting
firm resistance, and they are still
about 80 miles from this next goal
Occasionally, it is reported that they
make little progress, but then come
other bulletins to the effect that they
have been, at least temporarily,
stopped. AS a matter of fact, for
quite some time the war has been
at standstill, as far as results are
concerned, but the fighting has been
going on without cessation.
China'S War.
A somewhat similar situation exists
in China where the japanese armies
are striving nightly to reach key
city, that of Hankow, provisional cap
ital of China. The invaders were
halted by the Yellow river floods and
now, reports say, by the surprisingly
stiff resistance of the Chinese de-
tenders, Japan evidently had not
looked for anything like this-and all