Evening star., 1932-03-05
Japan DENIES PLAN
FOR SOVIET RAID
Documents Published in Mos
cow "Fabricated," League
Commission Told.
ny the Associated Press.

ny the Associated Press.
TOXIC, March 5.-Gen. Sadao Araki,
minister of war, told the members of
the League of Nations Manchurian In
vestigating Commission that Japan has
no intention of invading Soviet Russian
territory. but that if the Soviet Army
menaced Manchurian territory Japan
would have no choice but to defend it.
Members of the commission conferred
with the war minister at the war office
for two hours today.
The war Office declared the 'docu-
ments'' published yesterday in the Mos
COW newspaper Izvestia purporting to
elucidate plans of japanese military
leaders for an invasion of Siberia were
"entirely fabrications."
The Soviet government the war office
spokesman said entirely misinterpreted
Japans military intentions in Man.
churia There was no intention, he
said. of having the brigade which now
is occupying Imienpo Hailin and MIN
guta to proceed farther eastward. Al
though disorders were reported along
the Western Chinese Eastern Railway
at Manchuli and Hailar. he said, there
was no present intention OF sending
troops there.
1t was believed, he said, that Gen,
Nah Chan-Shan, Governor of Hallung-
kiang Province. would be able to quelf
any disorders in that portion OF his
territory.
He also characterized the recent as
sertion of L. M Karakhan, acting
Soviet foreign commissioner, that the
Japanese were concentrating tr6ops IN
Northeastern Korea as unfounded and
added that on the contrary the Korean
garrison now is only at half normal
strength, two of its brigades having
been sent to Manchuria last September
and December, leaving only two orlgades
in the garrison. os
To the commissioners he stressed
Japan's overpopulation problem and the
comparative poverty of the lSlanos,
mentioning also that large portion OF
the world is closed to japanese emlgra-
tion, He explained the ideals and ira
ditions of the Japanese military organl-
cation also.
According to a Japanese officer, who
was present during the interview, tne
Earl of Lytton, British representative
and chairman of the commission, ana
Gen. MCCOY, American member, were
Gen. Arakis chief guestioners. 1ney
questioned him closely concerning tne
strategical role of Manchurla IN Japan
imperial defense scheme.
In reply Gen. Araki, as director OF
the military policies, which are the
principal cause of the commissions S
presence in the Orient, gave a his
torical resume of Japan's defense PROB
lens respecting adjacent continental
areas. from ancient times to now, IN
cluding an explanation OF the necessity
of the military operations m Manchurla
during the last six months.
Aware of Soviet Concentration.
The spokesman said no troops had
been sent to Korea since the Man
churian campaign began. The war
Office. he said, knew about recent ad-
ditions to Russia's Far Eastern garrison
which it estimated totaled approximate
" $4,000, along the Ussuri frontier Re-
cent reports from Vladivostok giving
the total Red Army increases as l00,-
600 were exaggerated. ne said, in the
opinion of Toxic military ofhcials.
Although Japan's forces in Man
churia do not exceed 25,0OO, OF Wnich
only 10000 are in North Manchurla'
the Japanese command Is not worried,
he said. over the concentrations OF
Soviet troops, for these are believed TO
have been based on nisapprehension
regarding the Manchurian situation.
He reiterated previous denials that
japanese military officials are aidlng
~wfite" Russians in Manchuria. he
said the army was not now contem-
plating reinforcing the Manchurian
force although it was considering pos
sibility of diverting one division which
was mobilized for the Shanghai expe-
dition to Manchuria to replace di-
vision now there.