Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1939-04-27
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS REVIEW
Continued from Page -

have accumulated showing that his
plan is almost certain to be rejected
by the two dictators there may still
be question as to the form of re-
lection, but it is not doubted that
it will be forthcoming, and if Hitler
chooses to speak on that matter to-
morrow, it is almost certain that he
will be answering definitely in be-
half of himself and Mussolini.
Getting Ready.
In the meantime the powers oppos-
ing Hitler and Mussolini are busily
at work preparing their own joint
defense and putting it in such shape
that it will be effective when and
if a day of aggression comes. Great
britain, France and Poland have
formed a virtual military alliance,
and the two former powers also have
guaranteed the continued existence of
Greece and Roumania.
There is still, however, the prob
lem of Soviet Russia, and just now it
looks as though London and Paris
may succeed in persuading Moscow
to come on in" The Soviets, still
smarting under the humiliations ad-
ministered to them by the so-called
democratic powers at Munich last fall
and afterward-are in no hurry to
commit themselves, and it seems that
they don't want to offer anything
for nothing: If Great Britain and
Ero p,,ccsor, old thew
selves must offer pledges of military
aid to Russia.
| It seems possible at the moment
of writing that such an offer will
be forthcoming in that case, of course,
there will be pretty formidable
alliance confronting Hitler and Mus
solini, for it Great Britain, France,
Russia and Poland-possibly Rou-
mania, too-pool their men and NUM-
tons, their armies and their air
forces, the dictators may hesitate a
bit before proceeding along the hith-
erto unresisted path of aggression.
Widening Totalitarianism.
The dictator states, on the other
hand, are not sleeping; Germany and
Italy, although they have no formal
alliance, are so closely knit together
that an actual agreement or treaty
would be almost superfluous Hun
gary has, more or less completely,
come into their fold, and now when
the possibility arose that Yugoslavia
might follow the democracies, Italy
became theoretically busy belaboring
the Belgrade government and-with
splendid results. For Yugoslavia has
let it become known that it is ready
to adhere to the principles of the
German-Italian-Japanese Hungarian
pact against communism" and not
unwilling to sign a non-aggression
treaty with Hungary.
Then there is Bulgaria.; the Sofia
government for years has been no
torious for offering its favors to the
highest bidder, and although Great
Britain and France still are hoping
to win over Bulgaria for their demo-
cratic front, Germany and Italy are
doing all they can to influence the
country away from them. Recall
ing the fact that Bulgaria joined
the Central powers during the World
war, and that there are certain from
tier regulations which demand at
tention, it is likely (not yet sure)
that Bulgaria will finally step into
the ring of the dictators.
Realignment.
What the world, in other words, is
witnessing just now is realignment
of nations, very much like the one
that had taken place prior to the
last great war: Two principal groups
are organizing, proceeding from polit-
ical ideals which are mutually oppos-
ing-those of democracy and those
of dictatorship-and since there is at
this moment no prospects that the
twain will ever meet, there is ground