Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1939-09-07

between their countries and Germany
had begun. For technical reasons it
was said that estate of war exists"
but whatever circumlocutions may
be required by diplomatic ethics, the
fact was exactly the same as though
war had been formally declared. It
was so accepted.
Germany later explained that it
had not silently ignored the Anglo
French ultimatum but had sent a
note of rejection. This was denied
in London and Paris.
Waiting for Developments.
During Sunday the capitals of the
countries involved waited in anxiety
and fear for the beginning of bonn
bardments, but none took place, ex-
cept that the bombings of Warsaw
continued-with what effects was not
known.
No hostilities between German and
Anglo-French land and air forces
took place Immediately after the
declarations of war but were ex-
pected at any moment. On the sea,
however, the German submarines
were in readiness as was evidenced
by the fact that a British liner, with
1,4O0 persons aboard, was torpedoed
and sunk, few of the crew and
passengers were repeatedly killed, all
the others rescued by boats in the
neighborhood. There also were-un-
confirmed-rumors that the British
as their first prize of war had cap
tured the German deluxe transatlantic
liner, the Bremen. Nater reports
state that the Bremen is safe in some
unidentified neutral port).
At about the time when the Brit
ish liner was being sunk-many of
the passengers, incidentally, being
American citizens trying to escape
from the cauldron of European war
President Roosevelt in a widely
the world that the United States adj
ministration would do everything in
its power to keep the country out Of
the war; it was planned to issue a
formal proclamation of neutrality
quite certainly fact when this is
being read.
Other Countries.
There has been a great deal of
speculation concerning the attitude of
Italy, formally an ally of Germany
On the very first day of the war
Hitler assured Mussolini that he did
not need any Italian help for the time
being, and it seemed possible that
Italy would either remain neutral or,
as was limited in some quarters, might
even join Britain and Francois was
the case in 1915 when the Italian gov
eminent forsook its allies, Germany
and Austria, and aligned itself &C
lively with the British and the
French. To what extent such a pos
sibility can be said to exist, is not
known at the time of this writing.
Then there is Russia; as will be
recalled, it was the signing of Russo
German treaty of non-aggression
which precipitated the newest crisis
and war, and ever so many observers
believe that that treaty may easily
become converted into an actual al
lance, however remote that still
seems. So far, Russia appears to be
anxious to maintain its neutrality, but,
on the other hand, it is not to be
forgotten that about 100000 Russian
soldiers have been stationed along
the eastern frontier of Poland. Why?
Military Secret.
Exactly how Great Britain and
France will be able to give Poland
direct aid is not clear. Plans must
have been prepared, but they are still
profound military secrets-somewhat
battling when it is considered that
in order to reach Polish territory the
French and the British must 60
through Germany. And there, of
course, resistance will be offered.
Most likely, British and French war
fare will assume the character of
air battles, but nothing is really
known. There may, too, be tremen-
dous fighting between armies at the
French Maginot and the German
Siegfried lines.
So far, the British and the French
governments have announced that
they will not lombard civilian popu-
lations or destroy buildings ''of value
to civilization; nor will they use
poison gas or germs-all of these
pledges being contingent on Germany
offering and respecting corresponding
assurances.
Anyhow, new European war is
now in progress, and there is a pretty
general tendency to fear that it will
extend over long period.