Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1939-02-09

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there was in it only one potential
spark, but that, it must be admitted,
was strong one, for it meant that
Germany promised Italy aid in case
of MusSolini war with France. I'm
mediately thereafter it was announced
that Mussolini would speak, and ii
was taken for granted that he would
voice definitely and formally his
Tunis claims and also make known
the fact that Hitler would support
him. But, amazingly, Mussolini did
not speak on February l, when the
address had been expected; he had
changed his mind and was, instead
going to offer his pronouncement on
February 4. That day, too, he re-
manned silent.
| But then came the Franco victory
in Catalonia and the hint that Italian
soldiers may remain in Spain in
definitely.
Chamberlain Speaks.
The immediate reaction to this de-
Velopment was a new fear of French
Italian hostilities. 1t became so acute
that the British prime minister
Neville Chamberlain, felt it neces-
sary last Monday to tell the House
of Commons that in case France be-
comes involved in a war with Italy
British help will be forthcoming to
the very limit.
So, there is the constellation: In
case of war between Italy and France
Italy will be aided by Germany
France by Great Britain. Dire things
are in the making! And-what has
become of Chamberlain's angelic
dream of European peace secured
by close and intimate friendship be-
tween the four principal powers OF
Europe? Rather-one should say
between the four of the five principal
powers, for Soviet Russia has not
been consulted; Soviet Russia has
been disregarded; Soviet Russia has
been completely ignored-in spite OF
the indisputable fact that European
peace cannot possibly be maintained
without the consent of the Soviet
republics which, after all, form what
is probably the greatest power on
European soil. If war comes, the
Soviets will, of course, be drawn
into it, for there is, after all, formal
alliance in existence between the
French and the Russians.
Diplomatic Rupture.
AS though to remind the world
that Russia is still on the map, the
Moscow government a few days age
broke off diplomatic relations with
Hungary because the latter country
as already reported in this column
recently had announced its adherence
to the German-Italian-Jap coal
ition against ''Bolshevism." Not that
Hungary itself mattered so much
but the object evidently was to bring
home to small nations the fact that
it may not be entirely safe for them
to align themselves with Soviet'S foes
And then, too, it might serve a useful
purpose to call the attention of Eu-
rope to the fact that Russia still is 6
rather tremendous factor in inter
national affairs
American Unrest.
Until the somewhat sudden turn Of
events occurred in the Spanish civil
war, the week had been featured by
an international storm stirred up ir
Washington. In a secret meeting
with the senate military committee
President Roosevelt was alleged tt
have said that the United States ir
the event of war would align itsel1
with the democratic powers agains
the dictators. The press of Germany
and Italy Immediately registered fury
intense wrath, blind hatred, anc
charged the American government
with having abandoned its tradition
ally neutral position.
When the storm had ragged unabatec
for about 48 hours, Mr.. Roosevelt
let it be known that he had said nc
such thing; quite particularly, he de-
MED having made the statement, also
attributed to him, that "the United
States considers the Rhine its from.
I tier"
The denial was not taken seriously
by the Fascist and Nazi press, which
perhaps, for dictated reasons of its
own, prefers to believe the original
allegation. So, when these lines are
written, the storm still is roaring
across the Atlantic and, also, in the
American press and Congress.
at