The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-07-08
BY JACK MASON,
Manager, Far Eastern Bureau, News
paper Enterprise Assoei.t;on

paper enterprise Association.
Shanghai, China, July behind a
screen of strict military censorship
Japan is boldly, arrogantly. pushing
her project to conquer and absorb
the maritime provinces of Siberia.
Areaf war of aggression is in prog
ress, comparable to htat begun by
Germany in 1914. II is like the Prus-
sian attack both in the ruthless meth
DDS used and in the great natural
richness of the wide territory coveted
by the invader.
This war is being conducted on the
flimsy pretext of a friendly occupa-
ton" to restore law and order. Ii is
actually grim and terrible drive to
spread the confines Of the japanese
empire.
The governments of the United
States and Great Britain are fully in
formed of its progress and purposes.
They know because they have secret
intelligence agents scattered through
out the Far East.
Thus far, however, they have taken
no steps to thwart Japan's aggres-
sive purposes. nor even to inform their
peoples of what is going on.
Japan hopes for a free hand in her
interruption or interference, because
she thinks the United States, Great
Britain and other allied powers are
up TO their necks in their own domes-
tie problems. and in the general Euro
pean mess, nearer home.
From private sources of the ut
most reliability 1 have received in
formation about Japan's war in ST.
hof uh ha Of
the world 1t comes by secret chan
nels, from Vladivostok, which Japan
has sought to shut off from the
worlds view.
The facts 1 present cannot be gain
said or denied. The various foreign
governments cannot make public the
reports of their own secret agents
without proving all this and much
more which l cannot tell at this time
without going beyond the positive in
formation at hand.
Japan's new war in Siberia began
late in the night of April with the
capture Of Vladivostok from the Rus
sian provisional government. 1t was
accomplished by a treacherous coup
d'etat against provincial officials with
whom Japan had been dealing on a
supposed basis Of friendship and
peace.
During that night, and succeeding
days, hundreds of peaceful, inoffen-
sive civilians were shot down in the
streets of VladivostOk and other 81
berian cities. The total dead num-
bered thousands-how many thou
sands no one ever will know.
Most of the dead were unarmed
men, women and children who hap
pened to be in the streets, and who
offered no resistance.
Many of these deac were buried Sc
cretly, by night, to conceal as far as
possible the direct evidence Of unpro-
voked, wholesale murder.
In at least one instance. whefs hun
dreds were killed. there wtre no
wounded.
The coup d'etat was planned with
military cunning. II was executed
without a hitch. 1t was a complete
In this it was typically Jap.
anese. like the attack. without notice,
by which Japan began her war against
Russia in February. 1904.
japanese soldiers now rule the oc-
cupied territory with an iron rody
merciless in severity, intended TO wIY
out all hope of resistance.
. The prize Japan seeks is big. il. f
very large stretch Of territory, bd
dering the Sea of japan, the Gulf
Tartary and the Sea Of okhotsk.
has wide areas for colonizing Japai
crowded millions. II has great veal
Of mineral resources for Japan's ra
idly expanding industries.
In japanese hands this Siberian te
ritory will be an ineXhaustible stor
house of military supplies for "
OF world conquest, as well as gre
breeding ground Of human cam
fodder for such a war.
Only three things may stand
the way Of Japan's success in grabbl
eastern Siberia:
One-The desperate resistance
the sturdy, patrioticy Siberian peas
ants, who will fight against Jap
nese domination TO the point Of oxtine-
tion.
Two-Possibility OF financial panic
industrial depression and popular re-