Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1939-06-22
International
News Review
By GEORG STRANDvOLD

BY GEORG sTRANDvOLD
1t has long been known that one
of the principal aims of Japan in car
rying on its war against China is
to destroy, as far as possible, Euro
pean and American influence on
the affairs of that country, and, quite
especially, to eliminate the foreign
concessions in a number of China's
larger cities. In an apparent effort
to achieve this in, at least, the city
of Tientsin, now in japanese hands,
the Tokyo military authorities have
begun blockade of the British sec
ton of the foreign quarter of that
city, isolating it more or less COM
pletely from all communication with
the outside world.
OF course, Japan does not bluntly
declare that the foreigners must get
out-other and subtler methods are
used. In this case, pretext was
sought in the alleged fact that some
time ago Chinese official in japanese
service was murdered and the perpe-
traitors of the crime sought refuge in
the British concession. Japan de-
manded their surrender, which was
refused, and therefore the blockad-
ing began.
Hidden Motives.
Within the isolated community
there is said to be fear of starvation
&c tho cI1pp1v Of food &c y,,ppipo x,arv
low, but it seems that the japanese
nevertheless are strengthening their
blockade all the time The British
government, having sent stern notes
of protest, early this week began a
study of procedure to be adopted to
raise the blockade, and in some quar-
tiers it was felt and said that the
japanese attitude actually amounted
to declaration of war.
There has been no lack of hints
that Germany and Italy secretly are
backing Japan at Tientsin in an effort
to concentrate the interest of Great
Britain on ASIA should such a move
succeed, it is surmised that Hitler
and Mussolini might take advantage
of the situation to startle Europe by
a new coup-at time when it might
be difficult or impossible for the Brit
ish to intervene effectively.
Danzig Problem.
And at this point thoughts naturally
gather about the problem of Danzig,
the reunion of which city with Ger
many is being demanded more and
more aggressively. All high German
officials, from Hitler down, have loud
ly acclaimed that Danzig must return
to the motherland, and only the other
day Propaganda Minister Josef Goeb-
bells, speaking in Danzig itself, reit-
Grated Hitler's and the governments
claims.
Although it has been said that Great
Britain, France and Poland would be
willing to resort to arms, if necessary,
in order to keep Danzig independent
of Germany, there is a pretty gen.
eral assumption that this problem
would not be considered a sufficiently
important issue to justify warfare.
It's all right to talk about it, to
threaten a bit, to bluff little, but
few believe that anyone will go to
war over the Danzig matter, espe-
cially in view of the fact that the out
standing characteristics of that city
are German, and that the population
is SO percent German. 1t would hard
ly do to risk war on that basis
Germany knows that The others
know it, too, but they may find some
practical use in keeping up the fiction
that they will fight for Danzig.
CzechO- Slovakia Status.
While it cannot be taken for granted
that Poland and the western powers
will consider war a solution of the
Danzig problem, it can still less be
considered a possibility in the case
of Czecho-Slovakia. That country
which was, once upon time-con-
sisted of three major parts, Moravia,
Bohemia and SloVakia. In March of
this year Hitler annexed the country,
but in such a way that Moravia and
Bohemia were considered protector
ates" while certain measure of self
government was granted Slovakia.
Due to the fact that there has been
a great deal of unrest among the peo-
pie of Moravia and Bohemia recently,
Hitler has sent Heinrich Himmler,
head of the German secret police, to
Prague to suppress political demon
STATIONS, and has, at the same time,
indicated that the annexation of the