Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1939-04-27
International
News Review
BY GEORG sTRANDvOLD

Hitler, the expert stage manager,
once more has created an atmosphere
of worldwide suspense, for he let
everybody know several days ago
that tomorrow, April %, he is going
to address his so-called parliament.
He never speaks before that group
unless he has some new accomplish
ment to report or an important plan
to announce and the result is that
when the world is told that Hitler
is about to speak, the obvious ques-
ton is: On what?
It had been feared that Hitler on
his fiftieth birthday week ago would
have perpetrated new stunt-the
annexation of more territory, for in
stance. But he didn't. There were
celebrations galore, but no conquests
of any kind in fact, the foreign pol
icy of Germany remained deadly
calm. And that is one more reason
why the question now is anxiously
asked: What is he going to speak
about tomorrow?
Clue Possibilities.
There are, this time, indications of
a clue. AS will be remembered,
President Roosevelt on April Is adj
dressed to Hitler and Mussolini a
cabled proposal: Would they under
take to abstain from attacking 81
specified countries during a period
of ten years or more on condition
fb,f ithaca countries MT fbopoco1x,oc
under obligation not to attack Ger
many and Italy? And, would he and
Mussolini in that case consider such
an agreement basis for international
conferences leading up to the per-
petuation of peace?
AS far as is known, there were
telephone conversations between Hit
Ter and Mussolini, and the result was
that the Italian dictator a few days
ago in public speech stigmatized the
American proposal as absurd; why,
he said, should Germany and Italy be
singled out as aggressors- two
nations who love peace so dearly, and
who surely would never dream of
going to war? 1t was preposterous,
almost scandalous! If only the world
would leave (poorD Italy alone, there
would not be any reason for war
scares! The Rome-Berlin axis, after
all, was the best safeguard peace
could possibly have! And-more
words to that effect.
Mussolini, of course, had not for
gotten-but found it inexpedient to
mention-the fact that within recent
years he himself had conquered Ethi-
opia and, more recently, Albania;
Germany had annexed Austria, the
Sudetenland, Czechoslovakia, Memel
and Memelland, but-one might al
most hear him saying-why bring that
up now?
Next: Hitler.
It is now presumed that Hitler to-
morrow will give reply to Roose-
welt along similar lines; only, he will
establish foundation for rejecting
the Roosevelt plan. For the past few
days Hitler has been instructing his
ambassadors and ministers in a large
VI tIiC Oh SpCClllCu
by the American president to find
out from these governments whether
they really are so terribly scared
about Germany that they need the
protection limited at by Franklin D.
If they are not, why, then Hitler can
have lot of fun with the Washington
government.
But although good many of espe-
cially the smaller nations are afraid
to state outright that they fear the
foreign policies of the dictator states,
one may be pretty sure that they
don't feel too optimistic about the
prospects. Roumania struck the real
keynote when its government COM
mented: How can any nation feel
safe these days!
Since Mr.. Roosevelt sent his cable
gram to Berlin and Rome, indications
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