Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1939-09-21

nation and opinions. It is medium
of exchange for the community and
county. AS public institution, a
newspaper might well stress news and
expressions of opinions on public af-
fairs. Therefore, back in 1926,
thought that experience in law
making body would contribute to the
value of our paper. However, I had
to make three campaigns to get there
In fact, 1 have had nearly as many
defeats as victories for public office
the count being three and four. And
so, it has been with the Askov Amer
lean and the community. We have
all had our ups and downs, but
through it all have enjoyed life and
made progress.
Newspapers in villages of less than
700 to 800 people are getting scarce
There was time when Pine county
had dozen papers. There were two
at Hinckley, (now one) and news
papers existing in Sturgeon Lake
Willow River, Finlayson, Brook Park
Cloverton and Markville within the
last rs years have all ceased publica-
ton. The trend has been toward
newspapers covering a larger area
with more material for the reader
History Repeats Itself.
1t was but six weeks after the
World war began the first issue OF
the Askov American was published
Now rs years later, when we cele-
brate the silver jubilee, we find sew
engaged in another war. The World
war created many millionaires in
America, and how well it is remem-
bered that America was brought into
it "to make the world safe for democ-
racy." Besides all the death and
desolation, tears and anguish, hate
and bitterness; instead of fostering
democracy, it gave us dictatorship in
the name of Nazism, Fascism and
Communism.
We should know by this time that
war settles nothing. They have had
their border disputes over in Europe
for more than 1000 years. At this
distance, we cannot settle those dis
putes, and certainly not through
force
| Had America not entered the World
war, there might have been peace
without victory, and therefore more
| just settlement and not a Versailles
| treaty that was a breeding ground
for future wars
Let's Keep Neutral.
If we want to stay out of this war
and certainly, America is against en-
try, then let us also refrain from war
profits. The munition makers will
get us into the war if they are per-
mitted to sell their death-dealing
wares to any Of the warning nations
and goodness knows, they are work
ing frantically to secure that privi-
lege. Let us maintain our neutral
ity. When the Scandinavian coun-
tries could remain neutral during the
World war, and being close to the
scene of action, then certainly after
having learned the lesson of Is years
ago, America now should be able to
maintain its neutrality.
Generally speaking, Americans are
against Hitler and what he, with his
militarism stands for, but the way
in which we will serve the world
best is to sell no war materials and
stay out of the disputes. With nc
war profits, and remaining neutral
we will have clean hands, and might
then later be a power for world
peace.
Evidently we have plenty to do in
solving our own economic problems
for we have been at it ever since the
depression of 1920, and have not yet
found the cure. Many ideas have
been advanced, most of them not-so-
good, but, perhaps also some good
ones. Eventually we will come out
of the economic stress, and it will
not be any one particular plan that
will solve our problems, but rather a
combination of several good plans
Setting up large armies and navies
and preparing for war will solve the
unemployment problem temporarily
but at what cost? It is the method
that dictators resort to, but, no, that
must not be done in a democracy!
Let us prove that neutrality, peace
democracy, sanity and judgment are
stronger than any war.
The evenings celebration was ter
minated with dancing until midnight