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

go-but Chamberlain and Daladier
told Poland to remain steadfast in
its denial: they would help!
In the course of two weeks the
German army had overrun more than
two-thirds of all Poland, and there
was not on Polish soil single Brit
ish or French soldier. Not a single
effective move had been made to
support that tragically attacked
country. The Polish armies, before
hand said to be almost invincible, had
suffered defeat after defeat, and the
Germans had triumphed square mile
by square mile.
Russian Move.
Last Saturday the Germans were so
certain of their complete victory that
they sent an ultimatum to the Polish
authorities: Surrender Warsaw with
in twelve hours, or we will wipe
your capital off the earth!
And while the Poles were ponder
ing this newest phase of Hitlerian
impudence, the Russian army sud-
denly invaded their country-it is
said that two million men constituted
the Russian invasion army; they oc-
cupied nearly all of eastern Poland
that part of the country which was
Russian, prior to the world war of
1914-1918, and, with the Germans
in western Poland, they made it
pretty tough for what remained of
the Polish forces. 1t was, almost
literally, nutcracker crush.
AS these lines are being written,
it looks very definitely as though
Poland is extinct. Most of the coun-
try has been occupied by hostile
armies, the government has fled to
other lands, the capital is about to
raise the white flag of surrender.
What Then?
Assuming, as there is every rea-
son to assume (and much more may
be known about it when this is being
read, for events move with most
startling rapidity these days., that
Poland will become the prey of Ger
many and Russia-what then? What
about the west front-that is, the
frontier between Germany and France
where French and British troops are
making attempts, so far futile, to
break through into Germany in an
effort to help Poland? In a way, it is
almost silly to talk about British and
French help to Poland when there no
longer is Poland, but in London
and Paris they still shout that ''Hit-
lerism must be crushed" The SUI
preme question of the moment is:
| How?
In some quarters it is supposed that
the conquest of Poland will enable
Hitler to make peace proposals to
Great Britain and France; for the
moment, the tendency in London and
Paris is to turn down such offers.
But, on the other hand-why should
they keep on fighting when the goal
they set out to attain has been lost?
Many feel that the English and
French statesmen and generals may
as well concede defeat right now
Further war would be senseless and
purposeless massacre, and evidently,
| they can't stop Hitler, anyhow, espe-
cially not if Russia joins him on the
west front, too.
Russian Ambitions.
AS has been reported here, Ger
many and Russia in the last week
of August signed a non-aggression
treaty. That did not mean that Hitler
and Stain were bosom friends; it was
simply a matter of realistic policy;
of expediency. They represent po-
litical systems which are, funda-
mentally, hostile, but that fact does
not prevent them from getting to-
gether if something is to be gained.
And there are still good many peo-
pie who believe that the non-ag-
erosion treaty in reality was Ger
man-Russian alliance. The events
of the last few days seem to bear out
that presumption.