Askov American., 1940-05-30

as basis of operations.
Exit Fifteen Generals.
In her desperate efforts to offset
the German progress, France has been
doing little housecleaning. On May
19, commanding General Gustave
Gamelin was removed from his post,
and Maxine Weygand was made the
military overload of both French,
British and Belgian forces. But that
wasn't all, for barely a week later
the French government denoted fif-
teen generals for no publicly stated
reason; perhaps it was considered suf-
| ficient to announce their demotion
under the caption of 'Penalties."
Anyhow, the shakeup in the highest
French military circles made it clear
that things were not going very well.
The only reassuring note to be
found among the bulletins of the last
| few days is that the allied defense
| is becoming more and more energetic.
U. S. and War.
There is in the United States hard
| ly person who is not worried about
the position of this country in rela-
ton to the European war: Will Amer
| lea ultimately find it necessary to get
mixed up in it?
No one can attempt successfully
to be prophet in these days of
amazing speed, but it would seem,
from all information available, that
there is no visible danger of the
United States becoming involved. In
the first place, as recent legislation
in Washington has made clear, there
is not sufficient armament with which
| to 60 to war; in the second place,
| by the time this country would be
ready, the war is likely to have
reached such stage that aid would
be futile, and in the third place, there
is very determined will on the part
of the American people to stay out
of this mess.
That will is likely to prove con-
elusive, unless things should take
such turn that the very existence of
the United States will become men
aced. That hour has not yet struck.
Italy's Position.
There is less uncertainty about the
position of Italy than there has been.
Evidently in that country there is a
will to war-insofar as the popular
will is embodied by the one man,
Benito Mussolini. 1t is quite possible
that Italy will have joined Germany
when readers see these lines, for there
have been many ominous things hap
pening in Rome, and not the least
interesting is the Mussolini discov-
cry that certain Italian minority
groups in French and British possess
sions are being abused. That was
| the technique of Hitler-in other
parts-which made it possible for
him to pretend that he had to invade
sake of protecting" either them or
the allegedly oppressed German min
critics.
One fact that was made much of
early this week was that all Italian
overseas shipping schedules were cam
celed; the natural conclusion to be
drawn from this circumstance was
that Mussolini had definitely made
up his mind to go to war-and to
use for troop-transport purposes all
the liners and other ships whose sail
ings were abandoned.
Fight in Norway.
In the northernmost part of Nor
way fierce fighting still appears to
be in progress about the port of Mar
vik where small German garrison
has been entrenched almost since the
beginning of the Hitler invasion of
Norway on April g. British, Nor
wegian, French and Polish troops are
trying to dislodge the Germans from
Narvik, and few days ago it was
rumored that Hitler was insistent
that Narvik be not surrendered.
There was even talk that he would
send reinforcements through Swed-
iSh territory. He didn't, though.
1t appears from some dispatches
that German parachute soldiers as
well as supplies are being landed in
Narvik from airplanes, but for the
moment the fate of the city is
shrouded in deep uncertainty.
| Conditions in Denmark.
Cablegrams from Copenhagen dur
ing the last few days have pictured
life in German-occupied Denmark in
rather rosy colors; there are, however,
uncensored bits of information which
indicate that life is anything but bear
able. Newspaper mail from Dem
mark-dated as late as May 4-indi-
Gates the complete emasculation of
news carried on by German censor
ship; stories in those papers concern
mostly broken legs, obituaries, gol-