The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-19

cause suspected by the very people he
fought TO save. Semineff started off rs
bandit-murderer and never has been
anything else.
The second force standing between
complete control of Siberia by the Com
munists and the rest OF the Asiatic
world is the feeble local government AT
Vladivostok, which is afraid even 10 hold
a session between fear of the Japanese
garrison in the maritime province and
fear OF the Communist power which has
seized the reins in the so-caled buffer
State and which is pressing Vladivostok
to join in unreservedly and become
merely branch of the new government
Of the Russian Republic holding forth
at Chita or take the consequence.
This Vladivostoh Government will
stand just SO long as it Ia forced to
stand by the Japanese bayonets at the
disposal OF Cen. OF. the commander OF
the Japanese forces in Siberia. The
General has formally notified all the
Siberian governments that Japan will
not permit Communism to control in any
section of Siberia where its forces are
garrisoned. which just now means in the
port of Vladivostok and the territory
some hundred or so miles north and in
the northern part of the island of Sag
halien, which Japan is holding as a
pledge that whatever Siberian govern
ment may eventually evolve will indem-
nifty Japan for the slaughter of her SOL
diers and citizens at Nikoaievsk last
winter and spring.
At the same time the Japanese politi
cal and military missions in the so-called
Russian Republic are endeavoring u
force that hoped for buffer State to so
shape its government as to make it
hat nd
China Corea and Japan.
The situation is IN the balance. If the
wipng out OF Semireff is followed by
Bolshevik propaganda campaign on
larger scale than the present semi
secretive one in China, and especially in
Manchuria and thence into Corea, Japan
may be forced to act. Or. what is the
more probable. II the Soviet representa-
lions induce the Vladivostok Government
to throw in its lot with Chita and defy
the orders of Gen. OF. then japan may
feel obliged to seize Vladivostok and the
Pacific littoral of the maritime province
and come into a direct clash with all
Russia.
1t is safe 10 say, too. that the an
nouncement that large part of the
Kamchatka peninsula has been given by
Moscow as a concession to certain
American interests (the Washington +.
Vanderlip syndicate) without protest
from the Chita administration, which
ostensibly has jurisdiction over the ter
ritory has not improved the situation.
That concession, as 1t is interpreted by
many in Japan, brings Americas sphere
of influence within n very few miles OF
Japan. as the Kurle Islands. the north
ern extension of the Japanese mainland,
are only few hours steaming from the
southern Tin IF Knncbafka
The Japanese for years have had val
liable fishing rights along the Okhotsk
Sea shore OF that peninsula. obtained
from the old Russian Government. but
which the Soviet concession to Vanderlip
and MS American associates apparently
would wipe out. This Is one more rea-
son why Japan should prevent. If posi-
Bile. the extension OF undisputed Soviet
Jurisdiction over the Pacific shores Lf
Siberia.
1t is safe to say that there is mono
but the very smallest handful of Japan
csc higher ups who desire to see any
military activities on q large scale In
Siberia or anywhere else, and these the
most militaristic whose Individual am
billions would be served by war. It
is equally safe to say that not one Japan
csc in n thousand is thinking Of any
probability of war with United Russia
Japan to-day is worrying about her
reduced export trade. her idle merchant
marine. her totteiing banks and rising
taxes. but not about external trouble
Expansionist desires certainly there are
none for the moment.
But should It be pointed out by the
leaders that in addition to the final
slamming Of the door to North America
there exists real danger OF the loss OF