davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-05-21
ALSO NEEDED ON FARM

Editor Askov American:
The constant drain of our farm
labor into the Army is going to cause
serious situation in the very near
future if it is not remedied.
The farmer boys have no greater
right than any one else to claim. ex-
emption from military service, but
it is rather strange that the gov
eminent in one breath calls upon the
farmers of the nation to exert every
effort to produce the essentials of life
which are of primary Importance in
winning the war, and in the second
breath to deprive them OF the labor
necessary to produce those essentials.
I can appreciate the difficult and
thankless job of our draft boards,
but they have accepted the response
bility and they should carry out that
responsibility without fear or favor.
It is their duty to remedy this situa-
ton.
1t is my opinion that many of our
farmer boys who have been placed
in class la of the draft and who
have already been sent to camp
would perform a greater service to
Uncle Sam in winning this war by
staying on the farm than they will
in the armed forces of the country.
HENRY NYCKLEMOE.
Fergus Falls, MINI.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-05-21
MUCH CONFUSION
(Long Prairie Leader)

The confusion about the governor
and acknowledgement situation in
the state continues to grow and be-
come more complicated. Governor
Stassen has announced that if elected
he will serve only three months and
then resign, thereby making the
lieutenant governor the governor,
precipitating the most mix-up situa-
ton in Minnesota politics. Thousands
of voters will vote for Stassen for
governor not understanding he is
not going to keep the office. Other
thousands will vote for lieutenant
governor not knowing they are really
voting for governor. Still other
thousands, confused and perplexed,
may decide to;yote the Farmer-Labor
or Democratic tickets as the only way
of knowing for whom they are voting
and for what. It's nice mess that
is developing and one that has all the
possibilities of voting the Repub-
licans right out of the state capitol.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-05-21
so LONG AS THERE ARE HOMES

So long as there are homes to which
men turn
At the close of day,
So long as there are homes where
children are
Where women stay,
If love and loyalty and faith be found
Across these stills,
A stricken nation can recover from
Its gravest ills.
So long as there are homes where
fires burn
And there is bread,
So long as there are homes where
lamps are Lit
And prayers are said;
Although a people falters through
the dark
And nations grope,
With God himself back of these little
homes
We still can hope.
Light of the Years, by Grace
Noll Crowell, Harper and
Brothers, publishers.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-05-21
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
1.-TWO Harbors Chronicle)

Today most minds are conferred
on the job of winning this war
and that is one of the biggest jobs
that has come to any nation in the
history of mankind. At the same
time, many men are thinking of that
day when the war will finally end
and the equally vast task of recon-
struction must be started. They are
laying plans for this world of the
future, based on the hope that ways
can be found to make international
peace and prosperity real and per-
manent, instead of temporary and
illusory.
All Americans know what hap
pened after the last war. It was the
position of President Wilson that this
nation must accept the responsibility
of leadership in world affairs, and he
believed that the League of Nations
was the proper instrument for the
discharge of that responsibility. For
good or i'll, Mr.. Wilson could not win
the American Congress and the
American people to his side. He lit
orally burned himself out on a ma
tional speaking tour which proved
to be an utter failure. This nation
was sick of internationalism and
war. It wanted only to mind its own
business and to manage its own af-
fairs. It had little interest in what
went on beyond its borders.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-05-21
america FOR AMERICANS"
BETTER THAN "UNION NOW"
(Brainerd Journal Press)

1881
The American people are practi-
cally unanimous in the wish that
we prosecute this war to the very
end and with every resource at our
command. The realization of what
will happen in the event of Jap
anese or Nazi victory is too real to
be misunderstood.
But are we as clear about the
things just as important that are
transpiring on our home front?
A poll of public opinion would re-
veal more ignorance and indifference
than sentiment.
What do we know about the At
lantic Charter-which commits this
nation to help in the rebuilding of
the world after the war? We will
daresay that majority of the Amer
lean people never heard of it.
What does America and her allies
in event of victory-propose to do
when the war is ended? Well bite.
What?
We hear ear-to-the-ground politi-
clans mouth phrases such as: "The
day of equal peoples is at hand /.
We cannot keep freedom to our
selves" but they are very vague as
to what they mean. If asked, do
you mean that Britain will have to
extend equality to all her benighted
black, yellow and brown subjects on
a par with the white? And, if so,
who is going to make her do it?"
They will look shocked and answer,
How dare you talk that way about
our ally? We may, in the same
connection, ask, Are we going to
permit England to interfere in our
international affairs and tell. us, 81
say, you cawn't do that? It's some
thing to think over. 5Isa,
Are we going to embrace the the
Dry of "Union Now" and pool our
destiny with Britain? "Union Now"
has well financed and well organ
lied backing. 1t will be an (under-
cover) issue in the coming congress
sional campaign 1t will be a good
idea to post up on the subject.
Are we going to accept the League
of Nations proposal? That should
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-05-21

The reasons are, however, more
obscure Different opinions are held
by different people.
A member of Congress from a
western state laid it to the failure
of our national legislature to 60 fully
along with President Roosevelt on
his foreign program and policies.
Others are saying that it was the
pension grab Congress tried to put
across not long since, and its recent
attempt to secure preferential treat
ment in the issuance of gasoline ra-
ton cards.
Raymond Clapper, the newspaper
commentator, says it is because Con-
gress is nothing but collection of
two-cent, incompetent politicians;
that people don't give a damn what
the average Congressman or Sem
ator says. The reason they don't care
is that they know that what you
hear in Congress is 80 per cent tripe,
ignorance and demagogery and not
to be relied on.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-05-21
KEEP TWO-PARTY SYSTEM
Editor Askov American:

Editor Askov American:
I suppose there are few words in
the English language that are spoken
more or even as much as the word
democracy or democracies. The word
is Incorporated so badly that it
has very largely lost its meaning.
We often hear the expression, "The
democracies will win this war"
However, we do all hope and pray
that the side we. are lighting on will
win, but the facts are that not one
of the nations (the leading nations)
in this war is a democracy. The
United States, from its early days
until the last decade, was known as
republic. I am told that the word
democrat can not be found in the
Declaration of Independence or in
our Constitution. However, this does
not change the fact that we had dur
ing much of the life of this great
nation, the United States of Amer
lea, grand and reliable political
party known as the Democratic party,
and 1 for one, and I am sure many
others of us have thanked God many
times for such men as Jefferson,
Jackson, Cleveland, w. ]. Bryant
and many others who were real
Democrats.
During the first decade of this
twentieth century left-wingers be-
gan to work into our governmental
affairs and I took particular notice
of how much more freely the word
democracy was being used. We all
can remember that soon after we
were in the other World war. For
almost $50 years of this nations life
we maintained two political party
system. Two major parties formed
the life-blood of this nation. We
thrived and prospered. Freedom
reigned as the waters cover the sea-
In 1856 the Republican party was
organized and came into power in
1860. I look on such men as Lin
coin, Gen. Sherman, President Gar
field, President Mckinley, President
Theodore Roosevelt as real Repub-
licans.
Today there is in reality no real
Republican or real Democratic party
Many of the younger office seekers
of today who call themselves Demo-
Gratis and Republicans are nothing
more than saboteurs, helping sabo-
tage both of our grand old reliable
parties and to all appearances aim
ing to fuse the two old parties into
the New Deal. AS well as know
I am writing this letter, know this
is a sad mistake and it will perhaps
be seen after it is too late. To have
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-05-21
> TASK FOR MATHEMATICIAN


The registration of the American
people for sugar rationing cards is
now history and we would be some
what enlightened if some mathema-
tician would figure out for us how
much precious tire mileage was used
up and how much gasoline was con-
sumed over the nation in completing
the task; also the total number man
hours of labor lost, not only by the
registrants, but also by the thou
sands who acted as registrars?
Even though we do not have the
mathematician figures, it appears
that if an equal amount of effort had
been put forth in the production OF
sugar there would be an adequate
supply to meet all needs.
H. H. OPHUS.
Erskine, MINI. zas
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-05-21
Republican Split
Looms
State Faction Strife Called
s'WOrst Ever
and Dunn Rift Seen as
Benefit to Petersen.
BY L. d. PARLIN
Political Writer on st. Paul Dispatch
MAY Is, 1922

One of the worst factional splits
in the history of the Minnesota Re-
publican party appeared to be threat
ening the organization today.
When the State Central committee
met in the ST. Paul Athletic club for
"a routine meeting" party leaders
on the outside studied possibilities
of a wide open break between "Stas-
sen Republicans" and ''old line" party
members.
Governor Stassen and Roy E. Dunn
of Pelican Rapids, Republican ma
tional committeeman and majority
leader in the Minnesota House of
Representatives are the two spot
lighted figures in the internal party
turmoil.
The two have disagreed over party
matters many times, but have been
surface in the interest of party har-
mony.
Now, however, friends of Dunn
and the group supporting his ideas
of party action, believe Governor
Stassen and his group have double
crossed them.
Friends of Stassen, on the other
hand, believe Eastern supporters of
Senator Robert A. Taft of Ohio for
the presidency, are involved in eff
forts to, embarrass Stassen in the
coming state election, and thus dam
age Stassen's chances of obtaining the
Republican presidential nomination
in 1914
For many months Dunn has been
under pressure from Stassen sup
porters to resign as nation committee
man, so that DR.. R. c. Radabaugh,
mittee, could take over that post,
presumably to use the position to
boost Stassen for the presidential
nomination.
Dunn consistently refused to re-
sign, and turned down an offer of a
highly paid state job as director of
the State Rural Credit department,
said to have been offered him if he
would give up the national COM
mitteeman's position.
Heavy financial contributors to the
Republican party are then said to
have threatened to withdraw their
aid unless Dunn would resign.
At last, about two months ago,
Dunn is reported to have agreed to
resign for the sake of party har-
mony.
Then, just a week afterward, Gov
ernor Stassen announced his COM
mission in the Naval Reserve and his
plans to run for a third term but to
serve only four months in office if re-
elected.
Friends of Dunn declare he had no
inkling of this when he agreed to
resign. They allege he was given the
double-cross and that his plans would
have been entirely different if he
had known what the governor was
going to do.
Now the question is: Will Dunn
resign July as he agreed? Strong
groups of his friends are urging him
not to do so. If the fires of dis
agreement are not quenched, there
may be knock-down and drag-out
fight in the party in the midst of
the state election campaign.
In such an event, Hjalmar Peter
sen would be the one to reap the
benefit if he should run against Stas-
sen for the governorship, either on
the Republican or Farmer-Labor
ficlxof
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-05-21
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS REVIEW
Continued from Page II

IrOIn rage II
are beaten back from positions
along the Burma road, and where
they do make little progress,
it is excessively costly to them.
During this week the theory has
been advanced that Japan may not
care to begin an attack on India and
Australia until the Chinese cam
paign is ended. That is probable;
in fact, it is not definitely known
whether Japan, for reasons of her
own, really is interested in going
after India, and it is uncertain
whether she dares do anything about
Australia. The Coral Sea battle a
couple of weeks ago seems to have
scared them stiff, and they are likely
to think not merely twice but oftener
before they will try another ap-
proach AS if the Coral Sea battle
were not enough to convince them,
General MacArthur's air forces have
beaten them back from attack after
attack on some of the cities on is
lands not far from the Australian
continent.
Under these circumstances, it is
likely that the Asiatic war for a
while will be confined to action in the
extreme southwestern part of China,
and much may hinge on the outcome
of that.
Lost for the Moment.
The Philippine Islands are lost to
the United States for the time being;
since the surrender of Corregidor
and surrounding forts in the Manila
Bay, it appears that all fighting has
ceased on all the islands.
And from the headquarters of
the United Nations forces in
Australia, General Macarthur
has announced that all commune
cation with the Philippine Is
lands has ceased. Complete sill
ence reigns.
In fact, japanese guns have sill
enced ever so many forts on ever
so many fronts, and that is, from the
viewpoint of United Nations strategy,
what it probably should be, for the
belief grows that Japan is exhaust
ing herself in achieving all these sud-
den successes. .......-
Dawn Coming. ..,-
Many facts seem to verify that
impression. It's the same with Hit
Ter and Mussolini; they may not yet
be on the last lap, but they show
decided signs of weakening.
That in itself would not neces-
sarily mean SO very much, but
when it is taken into considera-
ton that the United Nations,
especially the United States and
Great Britain, are gathering new
and battling strength while their
enemies are wasting theirs, the
situation appears pretty hopeful.
Dawn is on the way.
A few days ago Pope Plus ex-
pressed in speech the hope that
peace would soon return to weary
and suffering world. He didn't be-
lieve it would be just around the
corner, but he thought it was on the
way. And that belief is shared by
many observers who are trained in
the art of interpreting indications
of waning and increasing strength.
There is one casualty not yet listed.
Its name is: Hope.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-05-21

not intend this as any charge of bad
faith against the governor. l am
convinced that he has really come
to believe that he is indispensable
in whatever position he may choose
to serve.
We all have faith in the character
and capability of members of the
legislature. If we did not, we would
not elect them. AS a member of the
legislature and as chairman of the
house tax committee, / came to
know the lawmakers. Can it be
that the reason the governor lacks
confidence in the legislature, and
insists that he must be their guard
ian during the coming session, is that
he has never had any legislative ex-
perience? The citizens of this state
have a right to know why he ques-
tons the judgment of the Legislators
and what his legislative program
really is. His future intentions are
still secret.
The governor has made the un-
usual demand that he be elected fol
four months for the purpose of sit
ting in on the legislative session
It is, therefore, peculiarly incumbent
upon him to be sincere and frank
Common candor demands that he
tell us why the lawmakers are in
competent to perform their constitu-
tional functions unless he sits in the
governors chair.
We, in America, have come to
take for granted the legislative
branch of government. We forget
the untold blood and treasure which
was paid by our ancestors for the
right to have parliament. I am
happy to recall that in the fight fol
legislative government the Scandi-
navian people were the pioneers
They had the first parliament, estab-
lished thousand years ago. The
anniversary of the independence Of
Norway, which was celebrated two
days ago, was in truth the celebration
of the gaining of liberty under laws
made by a peoples parliament.
Even in the midst of a great war
Minnesota remains a sovereign state
with her local government and he,
local problems. In this great wal
our boys are fighting in all parts Of
the world to protect democracy. We
who are not in the armed forces
must keep faith with these boys by
preserving unblemished our democ-
racy at home. We must see to il
that government under the constitu-
ton and the law survives this tragic
era. To this end it is vitally i'm
portant that we preserve a free ano
independent legislative branch OF
government.
In conclusion, repeat, that the
people have right to know why
Mr.. Stassen deems it necessary thai
he be governor for four month.
while the legislature is in session
when our constitution provides thai
the legislature shall make the laws
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-05-21
Opinions OF Others

(Short timely letters on topics Of
public interest are welcome whether
or not the writer's opinions con.
form with those of the American
All letters must be signed with the
writer's name for our information
Signed articles always are more eff
wish to have his name used. 1t will
be withheld).
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-05-21

I have faith in the constitution of
Minnesota and in it's lawmaking
body. I believe that the men who
wrote the constitution of Minnesota
and provided for a full two year
term for governor provided wisely.
But I do not believe in the principle
of personal indispensability. I do
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-05-21

I venture, respectfully, to differ
with these opinions. do not believe
it was the pension grab. Mr.. Roose-
welt was, himself, beneficiary of
this law, and, if remember right,
signed it. Yet he was exempted
from criticism. And I doubt whether
it was the gasoline cards. 1t appears
that these cards were given to them
as matter of course by the distri-
buting agency, without request on
their part that they be given pre-
ferential treatment.
Nor do I believe that our present
congress stands out in ignorance, in
competence or stupidity over pre-
vious congresses. It's members prob
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-05-21
Fact And nd, Opinion

Why Congress is no Longer Respected
During the, last few years, Con-
gress has fallen steadily lower in
public esteem. 1t is fact so widely
recognized that it needs no elabora-
ton. a.. -s.T r.:
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-05-21
From Exchanges

Editorial Comment From Other News
papers Which May or May Not
Conform With the Opinions of the
Askov American.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-05-21

portant that he be elected for four
months. His reason is that the leg
islature will be in session, and that
he must be governor during its de-
alterations. This raises an inter-
esting and important question.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-05-21

ndulO DIOduSdSt oVCi "SSO oiio
other stations May 10, 1912.
BY Hjalmar Petersen.
Fellow Citizens of Minnesota:
Let us consider tonight the gov
ernor's radical proposal to elect two
governors at the next election.
Before commencing the discussion
l wish to thank the radio stations
for the time they have so generously
allotted me.
The voters of Minnesota should
understand the significance of the
governors announcement that he will
be a candidate for election to a third
term and, if elected, will resign with
in four months after taking the oath
of office.
He is probably the only governor
in history to announce his resigna-
ton before his election, and to an
nounce that the welfare of the state
demands his presence as governor
during the legislative session,
It is hard to believe that the gov
ernor is doing this of his own free
will. 1t looks more like the blue
print of the financial powers behind
the throne who fear session of the
peoples legislature and who are in
sisting that he seek reelection to
protect their interests during the leg
islative session.
The governors present term lasts
until January, l943. He has an
nounced, among other things, that
during the period until January,
1913, he will see to it that the de-
tense plants in Minnesota are
promptly built and put into efficient
operation, and that the iron ore on
the range is mined. In time of war
these are important detectives, and
I sincerely hope, that, during the
governors recent absence from the
state, the work in our war industries
has not Jagged unduly, and that the
output of iron ore has not fallen off
alarmingly.
Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1942-05-21

come from them. Unlike their scared
and timid Democratic brethren, they
were able to oppose, free of fear
of political reprisal. The admins
tration had already done everything
it could against them in their home
bailiwicks and failed.
The effort to beat down and dis
credit the Republican opposition is
constantly going on. Now they are
being widely attacked as unpatriotic
by reason of the non-intervention
stand they took before Pearl Harbor.
It is hoped, by this means, to in
flame the public sufficiently against
them so they will be defeated at
the coming election and Democratic
yes-men or Republican administra-
ton rubber stamps elected in their
stead. The voter would be wise to
recognize it for the election prop
uganda that it is.
If confidence in Congress is to be
restored, and if that body is ever to
resume its proper functions, I do not
see how it can be ACCOMPLISHED
other than by replacing the Demo-
cratic majority with Republican
majority.
1t will bear repeating that the
reason Congress is no longer re-
spected is that it is no longer i'm
portant.