Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1939-08-10
full OF n. The way of the dictators!
Japan in the Picture.

Having thus, as one might be
tempted to say, qualified as dictator
of undoubted caliber, Franco will,
in all likelihood, when he this au-
tumn visits Berlin and Rome, make
some sort of direct approach to his
masters, and the present dual alliance
may become a triple alliance.
Indeed, it is not improbable that
twill be made quadruple alliance,
for on August 26 japanese delega-
ton arrives at Naples and will pro-
coed first to Rome, then to Berlin, to
discuss what is elegantly described
as military and economic problems
of mutual interest" This is taken to
mean that actual negotiations for
japanese alignment with Germany,
Italy and possibly Spain will be be-
gun.
Preliminaries took place at Villa
d'Este on the shores of Lake Como
a few days ago when Japan's am
bassadorS in Berlin and Rome met
for a series of conversations, quite
evidently having to do with the pro-
jected alliance.
Japan heretofore has been as re-
luctant in this respect as has Spain,
for although Germany, Italy and
Japan were united in a so-called
anti-communist alliance, no treaty
went beyond that, and even as late
as few weeks ago Japan limited that
of
to fight on the side of Germany and
Italy, unless the common enemy were
Soviet Russia. There are signs that
soon the scope will be widened, and
that the European dictator front will
include as its powerful Asiatic mem
Der the japanese empire.
Chamberlain Gesture.
Chamberlain has gone on a vaca-
ton, as has the British parliament
Before he left, and before parliament
was allowed to adjourn, he delivered
in the House of Commons another of
his recently SO numerous speeches.
This time he dealt with Japan, and he
really was pretty mad. He even went
so far as saying that his blood boiled
at the thought of the indignities to
which Englishmen had been exposed
by japanese in North China, and he
wasn't going to stand for anything
like that any moreno, Stree!
Gentle, peace-loving and compro-
mise-ardent Chamberlain then gave
utterance to the thought that under
certain circumstances" it might be
necessary to send a British fleet all
the way to Asia to teach these i'm
pudent japanese lesson. He didn't
say he was going to, but merely
limited that he might-if things got
to be too bad.
His conservative fellow-partisans
are not taking him very literally
they know their Neville-and the
opposition derides him, ridicules him
and, in a more serious mood, calls
attention to the fact that the situa-
ton now existing in the Far East has
been brought about by the vague and
inept foreign policy of the Chamber
lain government itSelf-and its pre-
decessors. Buff the British prime
minister really means what he says
about the-even though remote-pos-
sibility of sending a fleet to Asia, he
must, in all truth, be expecting a pro-
longed period of peace in Europe
If he anticipated war in any near
future, he wouldn't think of such an
extreme measure, for should war
come to Europe, not British ship
can be spared from the waters ada
cent to the British Isles and the con-
tinent
That's the saving grace of Cham
berlain'S Threatening" statement in
the House of Commons.