davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-11-27

or freedom of educational and econ
omic opportunity. 1t is singular
fact that precisely in those sections
of the country where Mr.. Roosevelt
and his foreign policy are most
strongly supported the four freedoms
are most conspicuously denied.
The hypocrisy of these crusaders
for freedom in other lands but not in
America is beneath contempt. They
would bankrupt the United States
and, condemn a million of its young
men to death to establish, so they
say, freedom from fear in China
(but not in Alabama); freedom from
want in Czecho-Slovakia (but not in
Georgia); freedom of opportunity in
Italy (but not in Mississippi). Mr..
Roosevelt's heart bleeds for OPP
pressed Europeans and Asiatics but
he put Ku-Kluxer on the United
States Supreme court, and he has
never raised finger on behalf of
anti-lynching legislation which, if
enacted, might do belated some
thing to establish freedom from fear
in many sections of our own land.
1t might be added in this connec-
ton that there is nothing in the
record to indicate that Mr.. Roose-
velt's state department, for all it's
self-proclaimed preoccupation with
freedom the world over, has ever in
tervened on behalf of the black peo-
pie under British rule in Africa.
There are many millions of them who
are victims of the most CALLING of
determinations and the most savage
Of expressions. They are subject to
curfew laws. Their land has been
taken from them. Their labor is
forced. They are the victims of
abuses which fully parallel the worst
to be found in Hitler's Europe.
When million of our young men
have died to bring freedom to Chi
nese who never had it and to Ger
mans and Italians who may not want
it, the survivors can then continue
the crusade in Russia and some of
the British dominions and colonies.
1t looks like long war At the end
OF it we may perhaps be permitted
to turn our attention to the denials
OF freedom in our own land. Some
OF us prefer not to wait that long
to agitate for elementary justice and
decency at home.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-11-27
Government Issues
By Hjalmar Petersen.
How Is 1t To Be Done?

If person sets out to build resi-
dence, or a business building; if q
contractor is to construct a school
house, an auditorium, a factory, OF
any large building; or if we are to
embark upon great governmental
changes, there are certain fundamen-
tai things that must be considered
at the outset.
No contractor would bid on the
construction of large building with
out having
First-the perspective.
Second-the plan.
Third-the specifications.
We are told that Hitler must be
removed. The questions follow: What
are the plans to accomplish this?
What is the alternative?
Even those voting for war meas
ures and those who are trying to
propaganda us into thinking that
America must enter the war, still
tell us that they are for peace.
Up to the present we have been
talking or fighting loosely against
the individual monster.
Specifications should be determined
and agreed upon by all participants.
If we are to fight, then what are we
to fight for, and what will be the
result? What will be the costs in
money, life and other assets?
Are we for world economic pro-
gram, equitable distribution of raw
materials, world peace, or what is it
all about?
Let us know what are the aims and
how they are to be achieved
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-11-27
Farm, Home Week
January l9 To "a

Farm and Home week will be held
at University Farm from January
10 to "a, inclusive, according to word
received by County Agent Max Nc
Millin. Farm and Home week is a
short course when lectures and DEM
onstrations will be given on many
different phases of farming and
home-making.
Ray Barstow, president of the Sand
stone State Bank, is offering a SIS
prize to pay the expenses of a trip
to Farm and Home week. This is
being given to the person signing up
the most Farm Bureau members be-
tween now and January 10 in the
northern part of the county. This
is chance for someone to get free
trip to Farm and Home week as the
SIS will cover all the necessary ex-
penseS, according to Mr.. McMillin.
The offer is open to any farmer, and
receipts for Farm Bureau member
ships will be mailed to those asking
for them. The membership in the
Farm Bureau is ST per family per
year; and most of this money goes to
help pay the All Club leaders ex-
penses in the county.
According to law, it is necessary
to have this organization in the
county, and it is also necessary to
have this organization called the
Farm Bureau, and this organization
should have 200 members and 5000
on deposit for the county board to
appropriate for county agent work.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-11-27
PEACE OR WAR
Editor ASkov American:


The great majority of the people
OF the world are for peace-there is
no question about that! Unfortunate
ly, the system of capitalism and mass
production for profit breeds strife ano
war; strife between individuals, man
ufacturers, bankers, ETC., within each
country; war between financial and
commercial groups of one country
and those of other countries, backed
up by the armed strength of each
respective country, whose govern
ments generally are controlled or in
fluenced more by such interest groups
than by the majority of the people
The climax within a given country
comes when the majority of the
people challenge the special interest
groups, sometimes on foreign policy
mostly on internal conditions brought
about by the concentration of wealth
in few hands, and such challenge
is then met with oppression.
The American revolution and the
Russian revolution offer examples of
a successful challenge, while the die
tatorships of Germany, Italy and
Spain offer an example of an unsuc-
cessful challenge.
In Germany, the people were duped
by the trick of calling Hitler's setup
National Socialism" basing itself on
the program of shaking off or break
ing the shackles of the victors of
World War I, while in reality this
was only part of the program of the
German capitalists and designed as
a sugar coating to cover up the Bit
ter pill of dictatorship and war which
the German people would have to
swallow-and which led them and
the rest of the world into such misery
and mass murder as has never before
occurred in world history.
Italy's Fascism is the same thing
as German Nazism, with a different
sugar coating, while Butcher Franco
would have been unsuccessful if it
were not for the timely and substan-
tial aid from his fellow believers in
Germany and Italy. This is a short
of what are the causes of World War
II and I can not over-emphasize the
danger of clique trying the same
tricks of instituting a dictatorship
in our country. This danger how
ever, does not come from those forces
giving aid to England and Russia
in their fight against the Nazi-Fascist
relationships in Germany and Italy,
together with their satellites, but from
groups aiding Hitler under the guise
of isolation and 5000 miles of ocean.
If Germany and Italy, the mainstays
of capitalist dictatorship, are crushed,
that form of government, if we can
call it government, will receive a
blow that will forever make such a
setup impossible for any length of
time. If Germany and Italy win,
5000 miles of ocean will not be
barrier to Nazism- Fascism because
we will have plenty Petains and Quis-
lings in this country on both sides of
the Mississippi river so they will not
even have to get their feet wet.
Those who think we can stay out
of war by appeasement seem to for
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-11-27
FOREIGN RELATIONS
From Washington's Farewell Address
September II, 1896.

1t is our true policy to steer clear
of permanent alliances with any por-
ton of the foreign world, so far,
mean, as we are now at liberty to do
it; for let me not be understood as
capable of patronizing infidelity to
existing engagements. I hold the
maxim no less applicable to public
than to private affairs that honesty
is always the best policy 1 repeat,
therefore, let those engagements be
observed in their genuine sense. But
in my opinion it is unnecessary and
would be unwise to extend them.
Taking care always to keep our
selves by suitable establishments on
a respectable defensive posture, we
may safely trust to temporary al
liances for extraordinary emergen-
cies.
Harmony, liberal intercourse with
all nations are recommended by poll
cy, humanity and interest. But even
our commercial policy should hold an
equal and impartial hand, neither
seeking nor granting exclusive favors
or preferences; consulting the natural
course of things; diffusing and di-
versifying by gentle means the
streams of commerce, but forcing
nothing; establishing with powers so
disposed, in order to give trade a
stable course, to define the rights of
our merchants, and to enable the
Government to support them, con-
ventional rules of intercourse, the
best that present circumstances and
mutual opinion will permit, but tenn
porary and liable to be from time to
time abandoned or varied as ex-
perience and circumstances shall die
tate; constantly keeping in view that
1t is folly in one nation to look for
disinterested favors from another;
that it must pay with a portion of its
independence for whatever it may
accept under that character; that by
such acceptance it may place itself
in the condition of having given
equivalents for nominal favors, and
yet of being reproached with ingrati-
tude for not giving more. There can
be no greater error than to expect
or calculate upon real favors from
nation to nation. 1t is an illusion
which experience must cure, which
just pride ought to discard.
In offering to you, my country
men, these counsels of an old and
affectionate friend, dare not hope
they will make the strong and last
ing impression I could wish-that
they will control the usual current
of the passions or prevent our ma
ton from running the course which
has hitherto marked the destiny of
nations. But if may even flatter my
self that they may be productive of
some partial benefit, some OCCASION
al good-that they may now and then
recur to moderate the fury of party
spirit, to warn against the mischiefs
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-11-27

county should contact Bill Ames Of
Bruno, if interested in a cooperative
plan of hauling surplus commoditie:
to central points on the route from
Sandstone to Sturgeon Lake to Ker-
rick and to Askov.
Notices of available commoditie:
will be mailed from time to time by
the welfare office to the rural teach
ers who will contact the school board
Has an application been made fol
your school? Blanks were sent to all
the rural teachers.
More Vacancies.
Joe Kub, principal at Denham, Dis
trict No. 10, has resigned to enlist ir
the army. Under Federal laws he is
entitled to leave of absence for army
service. Mrs. Berg, one of the Tor
wick sisters from north Pine coun-
ty, has been selected by the school,
board to substitute for him at Den
ham.
Miss Ann Patrick, district IS, has
also resigned. Mrs. Fern Yocum Mar
tin Of Hinckley, we understand, has
been selected to fill this vacancy.
Institute Program.
The following program was
given at the Pine County Teachers
Institute at Sandstone November "a
and 25:
Monday, November 24-9:3O a. M,
group singing; 10 a. M, administra-
ton, A. E. Gustafson; 1920 a. M,
recess; 10:45 a. M, supervision, A. E.
Gustafson; 11:50 a. M, noon inter-
mission; lis p. M, singing; 100 p.
M, The Teachers Job, A. E. Gus
tafson; 2:15 p. M, Tests and Meas
urements, A. E. Gustafson; 2:3O p.
M, recess; 2:45 p. M, Extra-Cur-
ricular Activities; p. M, Our Read
ing Problems, A. E. Gustafson; 4 p.
M, dismissal.
Tuesday, November 25-9 a. M,
singing; 9:15 a. M, Miss Grace Nor
gard, State Supervisor; 1920 a. M,
recess; 10:45 a. m, Miss Grace Nor
gard; 11:50 a. m, noon intermission;
(12:OO to LOO p. m, luncheon spon-
sored by the Pine County Public
Health Association at the Madison
hoteD lis p. M, Miss Grace Nor
gard; 2:30 p. m, recess; 2:45 p. M,
Miss Grace Norgaard; 4 p. m. dis
missal.
MARROW minds think and speak
mostly of scandal and riff raff''.
D-Small minds center around
mere people and past events.
C-Large minds dwell much on
places and things worth while.
B-Great minds develop and pro-
mote great ideas for good
A-The greatest minds are often
misunderstood and prosecuted for
thinking and speaking of great ideas
too far into the future.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-11-27
The Mote And The Beam

The Chicago Daily Tribune
which is fighting militantly
against American Intervention in
the wars of Europe and Africa,
emphasized in an excellent edi-
torial the other day the point
that our national administration
gets its greatest support from
sections of our country where the
four freedoms are most lacking.
The Tribune maintains that there
should be more freedom from
fear in the South and that the
United States should maintain
elementary justice at home be-
fore we do too much talking
about spreading the four free
doms all over the world.
The Tribune editorial follows:
A number of readers have called
our attention to an incident which
occurred week or so ago at town
hall meeting in New York. Their
accounts vary somewhat but it APP
pears that somebody in the audi
ence asked a question about extend
ing the four freedoms to the Negroes
in this country. The moderator ruled
that the point was not pertinent to
the subject under discussion but the
questioner persisted and it was only
with some difficulty that he was
silenced.
We do not know whether the
moderator was correct in his ruling
but certainly the point which was
raised goes to the heart of the larger
debate in this country on its foreign
policy. Here we are, summoned by
our administration to make stipend
Gus sacrifices to establish Mr.. Roose-
velts four freedoms everywhere in
the world; and here we are, in a
country in which a very substantial
proportion of the Negroes are not en-
joying freedom from want and fear,
freedom from racial discrimination,
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-11-27
THE MIRROR
Thanksgiving Vacation.
Askov Public Schools
BY Esther Mikkelsen

THANKSGIVING vacation.
We had two-day holiday last
week because of Thanksgiving, which
was very nice on top of all the six
weeks exams. We are now starting
on our third six weeks period.
Parkinson Musical Ensemble.
Monday afternoon of last week the
Parkinson Musical Ensemble pre-
sented the students with a varied
musical program. The program was
carried out by two young girls who
sang, played piano and violin, and
gave a talk on the history of the
violin. They also had display OF
instruments with them which were
the forerunners of the violin.
Grade News.
The primary children are busy
making a movie of Little Black
Sambo."
On Monday the children started
Franklin's Course of Study in Music.
The lessons are planned for every
week in the year.
The first grade will soon be read
ing in the primer, Fun With Dick
and Jane"
Fifth and Sixth Grade News.
Norman brought an all-Jewish
newspaper for the sixth grade his
tory class. They have just COM
pleted their study of the Hebrews.
The sixth graders have their book
lets on the Scandinavian countries
on display this week.
The fifth grade language class has
made booklets on group of poems
called "At Our House..
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-11-27

get that we have the Philippine Is
lands, Alaska and whatnot, and if we
don't want to protect them, we should
have high-tailed it home to the United
States proper long ago, or better still,
should never have ventured out,
Peace is not won by appeasement
but by collaboration with those ma
tions who are against Fascist-Nazi
aggression.
AS to those vitriolic outbursts
against Soviet Russia, so prominently
displayed in reactionary papers, we
are thankful to them for smearing
it on so thick that people can not
possibly swallow their stuff. 1t is a
real service and acts as a boomerang
against their own arguments.
LARS P. JENSEN.
Askov, MINI.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-11-27
A Fifth Freedom Needed

Not long ago we heard the Presi-
dent of our country talk about spread
ing the four freedoms all over the
world.
On Nov. 10, our former President
Herbert Hoover, gave a most ex-
cellent talk before the Union League
club in the city of Chicago, in which
among other points he dwelt on the
four freedoms advocated by Presi-
dent Roosevelt. Mr.. Hoover expressed
the thought that without a fifth
freedom-it is difficult to have free
dom from want and fear, and to
have freedom of expression and re-
ligion.
While certainly there are differ
ences of opinion on how economic
freedom is to be attained, there can
be little, if any disagreement, with
Mr.. Hoover on the point that we
must have economic freedom in order
to enjoy the other four freedoms.
Mr.. Hoover asked and answered
the question:
"And what becomes of American
freedom while we are fighting a
long war overseas?
Even today our country is just
ly alarmed that freedom is slip
ping in America. Truly under in
tolerance we are slipping in the free
dom of expression. Certainly we are
slipping in the freedom from fear.
"Unquestionably with dislocations
OF employment and rising costs of
living we are slipping in freedom
from want
1.-The American system is built not
on four freedoms but on five. And
absolutely we are slipping from the
fifth freedom, that is, the freedom
of men to choose their own jobs, the
freedom to save for ones children
and old age, the freedom of enter
prise.
'The four freedoms have never
survived in all history without eco
nomic freedom. The four freedoms
were born and live by economic
freedom.
Inevitably America could carry
such an economic burden of man.
power and industry as required by
expeditionary forces only by re-
pressions which duplicate the re-
pressions of Nazism itself.
whether we 60 to all-out war
or not, the volume of our present
commitments requires the economics
of war. And that means economic
freedom must in some degree 60 into
eclipse.
Moreover, if this becomes a war
of expeditionary forces it will be so
long a war that vested interests,
vested habits, the power of those
who would destroy the fifth freedom
will forge so permanently the totali-
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-11-27
NO FREEDOM OF RELIGION
Editor Askov American:

Editor Askov American:
The vehement and widespread
protest of United States citizens which
assailed President Roosevelt's state
ment anent the freedom of religion
in Russia was in itself manifestation
of the deep feeling of revulsion which
we entertain for the Soviet satraps
and their devilish work over the years
they have been in power. For days
after the Presidents statement the
pulpits and press of the land were
aflame with denunciation and amaze
ment. He cited the Soviet constitu-
ton as granting religious freedom
much in the same manner and degree
as we enjoy such freedom under our
own constitution.
Yes, Article 124 of the Soviet con-
stitution does indeed mention such
a guarantee, but in the words of the
Washington Post, "The civil and re-
ligious freedom granted by the Sow
ct constitution began to look little
thin when Stalin's great purge took
tens of thousands of lives a few
months after the constitution was
published. It must be obvious to
everyone but the purblind Stalinite
that the freedom that the document
granted was always subject to sud-
den withdrawal by the G. P. w. and
its firing squads
Let us consider the statement
proudly published by the Anti-Religi-
oznik of Russia in February, 1910,
'Now not even one-eighth of the pre-
vious members of churches is left. In
the whole country one cannot count
even 1000 ministers of religion"
What has been the fate of the
others?
"Some of them died., the Anti-Re-
ligioznek explains.
Despite Article 1874 of the Soviet
constitution guaranteeing religious
freedom, LOO Russian Orthodox, 24O
Catholic chur CHI es, 81 Protestant
churches and 10 Mosques were
closed in 1887. The surviving churches
were heavily taxed; in 1885 SO, OOO, 900
rubles, and in 1887 145,OOO,0 900
rubles-thus preventing them from
functioning.
Those who wish to know what
Soviet Communism thinks of religi-
on, can read what Lenin wrote-"Our
party is league of class-conscious
progressive fighters for the liberation
of the working class. Such a league
cannot and must not be Indifferent
to the lack of class-consciousness, to
ignorance or insanity in the shape of
religious beliefs" And again, the
influential if blasphemous publication,
Acknowledgements says, "The Com
munist has always and shall always
struggle against religion-against any
religion. Communism and religion
are implacably hostile. Communism is
militant atheism"
No, Americans cannot be hum
plugged into supporting an aid-for-
the-Soviet program by any attempt
to induce them to believe that Stain
and his murderous crew have become,
in the extremity of their need, stall
warts of democracy and religious
freedom.
ll19-6th st. S. E., Minneapolis.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-11-27
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS REVIEW
Continued from Page II

Continued from Page -
1t is said that the British forces
in Libya comprise 100000 men.
French Forces.
1t may be that the policies pur-
sued at Vichy, capital of unoccu-
pied France, may influence events
in Africa, for General Maxine Wey-
gand has retired-more or less vol
untarily-from his post as command
er-in-chief of the French colonial
armies.
His resignation is generally
considered the elimination of one
serious obstruction to the So
called French cooperation with
Germany, and it may be that the
French forces in North and West
Africa will be placed at the dis
pOsal of Germany. That of course,
would to some extent embarrass
the British.
1t is now said that Marshal Henri
Philippe Petain, head of the Vichy
government, one of these days may
have conference with Hitler and
that he thereupon may announce that
he is ready to quit. In that case,
Admiral Jean Darlan is likely to
become head of the shadowy Vichy
government, and it is also very like
ly that Pierre Laval, Hitler's quite
special friend in France, may re-
enter the Vichy cabinet.
After all, it doesn't make a great
deal of difference who is in charge
at Vichy, for it's Berlin which says
the last word-in unoccupied as well
as in occupied France.
And should Hitler want the French
colonial forces in Africa, he has the
means of getting them, no matter who
is in charge at Vichy. That would
apply, also, to the French navy.
IntermissiOn.
Negotiations between Secretary of
State Cordell Hull and Special Jap
anese Envoy Saburo Kurusu have
been temporarily interrupted, ap-
parently for the reason that Mr.. Ku-
rusu found it necessary to ask for new
instruction from the Tokyo govern
ment.
1t is still a fact that no official
announcement has been made in re-
gard to what the japanese demand,
and what the Americans offer.
But, unofficially, it is learned
that Japan asks the United States
not to interfere in the war against
China, and to raise the economic
blockade, in effect for some time.
Likewise unofficially, it is under
stood that the United States will Of
fer Japan access to much needed raw
materials-provided she stop her war
with China and leave the axis ALI
ance which makes Japan a partner of
Germany and Italy.
Whatever the demands and the
counter-demands are, there is no in
dication that either side will resort
to compromise; there will be no
give as far as can now
be seen. Nor is there any prospect
that whatever controversies may be
pending, war will be resorted to.