Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1939-07-13
International
News Review
By GEORG sTRANDvOLD

Considered from almost every view
point, the attempt of the British gov
eminent to agree with that of Soviet
Russia about military alliance con-
| stitutes the outstanding feature of
international affairs at the present
moment. For almost four months
negotiations have been going on, and
still there is no treaty, while, at the
same time, the need for it becomes
increasingly emphatic, for Great Brit
ain and France more and more clearly
realize that without Russian aid they
cannot possibly cope with the dicta-
| tors.
For weeks Great Britain insisted
that Russia must offer all possible
support but was reluctant about Of
fering corresponding aid to Russia in
case of war; finally, this was ironed
out-the British declared themselves
willing to respect the principle of
full reciprocity in this respect.
But then came the question of guar
anteeing the security of minor states;
1lCdI Il1tdlll dllSC lldu plCuSCu
their forces to Poland, Roumania,
Greece and Turkey in case of war,
and wanted Russia to do likewise
Of course, the Muscovites said-they
would be glad to do that if only
England would guarantee the secur-
ity of smaller countries in which the
Soviets were interested, namely, Es-
tonia, Latvia and Finland. After
much hesitation England agreed but
stipulated something else, namely,
that Russia must participate in guar
antees of Switzerland and Holland.
In view of the fact that these two
nations didn't want any guaran-
tees, the British demand was with
drawn, and, as far as can be under
stood, there are now only few tech
nical differences between the British
and the Russian negotiators.
The Other Side.
It wouldn't do-"for diplomatic
reasons" you know-to admit Of
ficially what all the world knows I'M
officially-that is, that Britain and
France in their efforts to align the
so-called democracies of Europe are
aiming at Germany and Italy. But
in Berlin and Rome they know it and
say so, officially: They consider the
British-French move an enlightenment
attempt instigated for the sole pur-
pose of curbing the influence and
power of Hitler and Mussolini.
Consequently, these men make their
own preparations; for the moment
they are quite definitely certain that
Hungary in case of crisis would
make common cause with them, and
Jugoslavia although there is no
definite agreement to that effect.
1t is in the direction of Spain that
they most hopefully turn their eyes:
Won't Franco really do something in
return for the tremendous help which
Germany and Italy gave him during
the civil war which ended with his
fascist victory?
Franco has been non-committal
Some weeks ago it was reported that
Hitler had sent his trusted adviser,
Field Marshal Goering, to Madrid to
talk things over with Franco, but
something struck snag, for the world
shortly was told that Herr Goering
was cruising in the Mediterranean on
pleasure trip and, apparently, never
set foot on Spanish soil.
CianO in Madrid.
This week Mussolini has sent his
son-in-law and foreign minister,
Count Galeazzo Ciano, to Madrid; a
"visit of courtesy" it is called at
Rome. But it is clear enough that
with the approaching end of the Brit
ish-Russian negotiations the fascist
dictators are becoming bit worried;
they must have something with which
to offset combination comprising, as
it no doubt very soon will, not only
Great Britain, France, Poland, Rou-
mania, Greece and Turkey, but Rus
STA as well: Such potential force of
opposition is too overwhelming for
German and Italian comfort.
So, Spain is about to be persuaded.
And last week overtures, for a
similar purpose, were made to Bull