Omaha daily bee., 1920-03-01
|Cloud Of General War
In Far East Never So
Black As at Present

tile Siberian villages. know tler
have been numberless cruel atroci
ties committed by the Japanese
Hardly Siberian lives in th'
sectors held by the japanese whs
has not felt the weight OF the Japa
nese military's iron heel. Hundred,
OF these people told me they will b'
willing to give their lives before
they will see Japan remain in 81
IBERIA. ....
So intense is this feeling that the
civil war is almost forgotten i'll the
wave of nti-Japanese hatred.
The great majority OF Siberlans
believe the Japanese are trying to
stay, and they are preparing them.
selves spiritually to face what they
believe the tremendous task OF driv-
ing the Japanese from Siberia.
No one apparently knows exactly
what Japan's policy will be, but the
judgment of the best observers is
that it will be forced out The day
of the V1adivostok revolution the
Japanese lacked the plain nerve to
keep the anti-Kolchaks from max
ing the town their own. The min
ute Vladivostok fell to the pink ST.
berian revolutionists Japan was
whipped.
Military Leaders Sore.
Today Japan's military leaders are
sore as bears. They have not leg
to stand on. From every point of
view they have been outmaneuvered
Within a few days they will be
hopelessly outnumbered, most of
their troops cut off in the interior,
the winter against them. They will
face the ultimatum to get out or
fight with a faint<heart.
Reports from Japan show popular
sentiment against continued inter-
ventior. | have been told on reliable
authority all members of the Jap
anese cabinet, excepting the war
minister, favor evacuation. Unques-
tionably all the liberal clements
and this is new thing in Japan
and must be reckoned with-are
putting up strong fight for recall
of the expedition. Today the mill
tary party is able to stand against
them, but they have played their last
ace in Siberian affairs.
The picture of the imperialistic and
militaristic army of Japan fighting
Siberia over rule of democracy
and justice will always be one to
bring tears.
In Control of Army.
Most of the japanese army Off
GERS do not know how to spell
democracy. But they can spell
such words as punitive expedition,
burning villages.
The liberal, enlightened elements
of Japan are just as much against
this type of military as Americans
and in writing of Japan's Siberian
policy il must be explained that it
is not unanimously supported at
home.
Many believe Japan will retire
from Siberia proper, but will make
desperate attempt to squat on the
Chinese eastern railroad through
northern Manchuria, making short
cut between V1adivostok and the
ns-Siberian railroad at Manchu-
ria City. Japan long has coveted
this priceless railroad and now it has
an excellent excuse to possess itself
Of the roadbed and to stay there,
Just as it squatted on southern Man
churia and stayed there.
America Halted Japs.
Japan will tell the world it was.
,nly protecting the Chinese border
rom the flood of red bolshevism,
which otherwise would swoop down
rom Siberia. It would be as worthy
, bit of fiction if they would say
hey were holding southern Man.
.huria with bayonets so that Asiatic
:holera would not sweep over
'apan.
The real bottom reason why
America sent an expedition to Si-
,eria was in order to check Japan
rom grabbing Siberia at the mo-
nent when Siberia could not resist |
t. There were other reasons, such |
IS helping the evacuation Of the |
--zechs. but the real idea was to |
heck Japan. The Job is done, and