Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-05-14
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS REVIEW
Continued from Page ~
Fall of COrregidOr.


The japanese, successful in Burma,
also have won a so-called victory
on the island of Corregidor in Manila
Bay in the Philippines-so-called,
because there really isn't much glory
in subduing a few thousand half
starved and insufficiently armed
American and Filipino soldiers whose
positions had been bombed almost
necessarily for many days and nights.
In so far as it is possible to speak
about glory in defeat, the collapse
of Corregidor is case in point, for
there are few examples on record
to match the bravery of the defense
conducted by Lieutenant-General
Jonathan Wainwright, and begun by
General Douglas Macarthur, now in
Australia. It's one of those defeats
which cannot possibly justify any
sense of humiliation.
The practical effect of the conquest
of Corregidor and surrounding small
island forts is that it now will be
possible for the enemy to transfer
thousands of soldiers and hundreds
of bombers to other fronts.
Madagascar Invaded.
History, like music and poetry, has
a rhythm all its own, swinging back
and forth between defeat and tri-
umph.
On the French-owned Island Of
Madagascar, off the coast of Port
uguese East Africa, the high COM
mand of the Japanese forces was
assumed to have cast a covetous
glance, and just in order to prevent
the Nipponese from Selling that COL
ony, the British moved in few days
ago, overpowered the Vichy-French
defenders and captured the import
ant naval and military positions. In
vain did Vichy protest on the ground
that French national honor" was
being OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Vichy, with
out saying a word about protesting,
few months ago let Japan occupy
French Indo-China, the British do
not pay much attention to objections
raised by the Hitler-manipulated
shadow government headed by Petain
and Laval
New POstponement.
During the last few days there
has been lot of accommodating evil
dence showing that axis power is
becoming less and less effective.
One indication is that Hitler
again is reported to have post
pOned his big offensive against
the Russians. Why? Surely,
there IS only one reason, and that
is that he does not feel strong
enough to go through with it.
Hitler is being beaten on the Rus
sian steppes so thoroughly that all
other attacked and occupied Euro
pean countries begin to feel pretty
hopeful about the final outcome.
Churchill Speaks.
On Sunday, observing the second
anniversary of his rise to the post
of British prime minister, Churchill
broadcast a speech noteworthy be-
cause it gave the first recorded indica-
ton that he is beginning to feel pretty
optimistic about the outcome of the
war.
On the basis of what he called
authentic rumOrs about Hitler
getting ready to use poison gas
against the Russians, he warned
the Nazis that if they actually
did resort to this horrible ex-
treme, the British empire would
retaliate-and retaliate furiOusly.
Mr.. Churchill was able to point
to a number of concrete facts show
ing that the axis powers are slowly
weakening-that the United Nations
are correspondingly increasing their
strength. But-he warned that vigi-
lance will be necessary for quite a
while yet-vigilance, action, sacri-
fr<a