INTERNATIONAL NOTES

Grey River Argus, 21 May 1938, Page 12

INTERNATIONAL NOTES

(Contributed bv “Left Wing.” Nazis Land on Swedish Islands: STOCKHOLM, March 21. Five German warships, a large cruiser and four destroyers recently anchored on the east coast of the island cf Oland, comes a report from the capital, Borgholm. They carried out a series of operations, coming right up Io the coast. Under smoke screen cover, small boats practised landing exercises. It is the first time since the World War that German ships* have appeared in these international waters and I heir p'resence has aroused consternation on the island and in the rest of Sweden. Unemployed in Ireland: DUBLIN, March 16. According to figures published by the Northern Island Ministry of Labour and the Department of Industry in Eire, total unemployed in the whole of Ireland is 200,000, of which 97,374 are in the six Counties. This is a decrease of about 5000 and is due to the fact that agricultural workers at I his period are struck off the unemployment registers. Schools’ Strike: DUBLIN, March 26. The strike of pupils at the Dockinella School on Achill Island against the teachers (who are Fascists) and the provision of meals to the children has been concluded with a victory for the children. Some teachers have been dismissed or removed to other districts and meals will be provided in the future. As a result of this settlement more than 200 cases to be heard at the local Court as a result of the strike, have been struck out. Austrian Seizure: PARIS, March 21. Just before Hitler’s troops marched into Austria, Rene Pax wiote in the Catholic paper “La Croix”: — “It is known that Germany is meeting with great difficulty in getting

supplies or iron ore, caused in part b the paucity of foreign exchange in Germany and in part by the refusal of certain countries to deliver greater quantities of ore than they had been doing in the past. Austria, however, has very important beds of iron ore, in Styria, where the famous Erzaberg is a veritable mountain of iron which is partly extracted above ground. This is almost unique in Europe and is of tremendous help in production. It is this iron ore tha Germany is after. “Here is one of Iho reasons push ing Germany to get the Anschluss with Austria. But there arc still olhe materials in Austria. Austria is th largest producer of magnesite in Europe, which is also necessary for making steel. It is found in Styria and Carinthia. There is copper and graphite of a very good quality, as well as zinc and lead. < All these are necessary for armaments. Finally, Austria possesses in the Hirtenberg works, munition factories of a scale which could still further increase the German production " “British Flag Below Panama Ensign :” Rudyard Kipling, that apostle of British Imperialism, wrote: — “The poor little st’reet-bred people, who vapour and fume and brag, They lift their voice in the stillness to yelp at the British flag.” Had he lived until to-day he would have seen not the poor little streetbred people, but the Imperialists themselves, led by a member of the ultra-imperialist Chamberlain family, treat with contempt, not simply a bit of bunting but- tile lives of British seamen and the democratic traditions of the British people. While German and Italian war planes are sinking British ships in the Mediterranean, their friends of Fascism in the British Government’ are signing treaties encouraging further onslaughts on peace and democracy. Well might Captain Scott, of the steamer Stancroft, say that British shipmasters are disgusted with the Government for not protesting against the Fascist attacks on shipping.

“It is in Spain That Peace Must be Saved:” , BRUSSELS, March 24.

Fascist agression in Spain must be defeated if freedom and peace are to be saved, states Louis de Brouckere, president of the Labour and Socialist International, writing in “Le Peuple.” “Italy can only continue her vionlence under orders and to the profit of Germany,” he writes. “Ingenious tacticians have had the admirable idea of inviting her to change camps. If Mussolini, returned to grace, will help us against his own accomplice, we shall abandon Abyssinia, and give up Spain to him, thanks to the camouflage of non-intervention. A strange enough way of defending peace! “To betray Spain (to whom we are linked through the League), so that Mussolini will in turn betray Hitler, is an idea almost as ingenious as cynical....

“There is only one way of putting an end to Hitler’s power, growing in the West just as in the East to the point of his hegemony over Europe; that is to oppose with the greatest energy all his attacks wherever they take place. “That main attack is taking place now in Spain. And so it is there that freedom and peace must be saved.” American Chinese Help Countrymen: New York March 16. Chinese residents in the United States have contributed more than £4,000,000 towards the defence against the Japanese invasion. A three-week campaign the defence fund in the San Francisco district netted 1,000,000 dollars. Chinese theatre groups and speakers are touring America, all proceeds going towards the defence fund. In addition, many of the crack airplane pilots of China were trained in the United States and are now bacl in China, fighting against the Jap anese,

Japanese Atrocities: HANKOW, March 30.

More than 50,000 houses in the vi< lages along the Peiping-Hankow rail road have been burnt down by th Japanese troops and many thousand of the inhabitants murdered, Ther are 200,000 people in the region with out food and shelter.

So declares a telegram sent to the paper, “Singhuachipai,” by Chu Deh, commander of the Eighth Revolutionary People’s Army, and his adjutant. Ponde Hue, “we are rtiaking known the ferocity of the Japanese conquerors," says the wire, “in the hope.

that all Chinese citizens and the peo pie of the whole world will give active assistance to the Chinese, submitted to such inhuman treatment.” Sailors’ Manifesto: HANKOW, March 30. Fourteen thousand sailors of Shanghai have, through their trade union, published a manifesto claiming then determination to join with the Chinese people in defeating the Japanese aggressors. The manifesto, addressed to Um Central Government, the command at the fronts and to all officers and soldiers says:— “Under the pretext of fighting Communism, Japan is seeking to conquer China. The Chinese people will never allow this. All members of our union solemnly promise not to live under the same sky as the Japanese invaders. We hope that all Shanghai citizens, following Chiang Kaishek. will refuse to be ruled by the Japanese militarists’ puppet government. The people will light against Japanese invasion till victory ;s theirs.”