The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-05-06
WAR DEEMED
CERTAIN, SOON,
IN FAR EAST
Conflict Between Japan and
Russia Held Inevitable
by Expert.
BOTH FIGHT FOR LIVES
Interests Clash and Both
Realize That Peace Can
Not Prevail.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS
SeripDs-Howard Foreign Editor


tween Russia and Japan in the Far
East is inevitable and may come at
any time, Kinosuke Adachi, Jap
anese writer and authority on inter-
national affairs, told the writer to-
day.
Russia and Japan he said, ARE
like two locomotives racing toward
each other on single track without
siding. Collision is unacceptable.
Russia is a vast country of 16O,-
100000 people. II is growing fast.
More than ever, it feels the need
Of an outlet TO the open sea-to
warm water, an ice-free port.
In the west-in Europe-she is
bottled up. The Gulf o. Finland is
closed by ice half the year. In the
east she has Vladigostok-also ham,
pered by ice. SO, with the flow
Of her population eastward across
Siberia, she is looking for an out
let on the Yellow sea.
Japan Must Expand
only force can stop her.
Then take Japan. She has near
ly seventy million people. She, too,
is growing fast. Cooped up on
tiny island, mostly mountainous, she
must expand or die. She must be
able to control, under any and all
circumstances, sufficient territory
on which to raise food, else starve.
And her industries must have raw
materials or stagnate.
las Russia sees it, she must have
an outlet through Manchuria to
the Yellow sea. AS Japan sees it,
she must have Manchuria for her
self or cease to exist as first-class
power.
Russia and Japan. therefore, are
due for headon collision, and that
in the not distant future. There
seems nothing to prevent it. Little
statesmen. talking futile talk around
a green-topped table, can't stop it.
Talk can't stop nature and these
two countries will fight for self
preservation.
One Theoretical Course
There is, however, at least on
paper, one way to settle this thing
without war. A side-track, so to
speak, could be constructed hastily
so the Russian and the japanese
locomotives might pass without
colliding.
If Russia would permit Japan
free hand in Manchuria, she, Rus
STA, might make an outlet to the
sea for herself southwark from the
Lake Baikal region, across Mongo-
liza. to the Gulf of Chilli.
But, as 1 say, that may be con-
sidered theoretical. Russia never
would agree to any such thing in
practice. So there is no use dis
cusSing it, She would accept such
a solution only IL and when she had
been defeated in war.
LAS to just when the Russo
Japanese collision will come, it de-
ponds. The open powder barrels
are there. All that is needed for
an explosion is a spark and that
may come at any moment.
Toxic Must Act Soon
'Militarily speaking. the quicker
it comes, the better it will be for
Japan. Economically. delay would
be more to her liking. Every day
Russia is growing stronger and bet
ter prepared, and then the existing
hostility TO Russia, particularly IN
Europe, is now in Japan's favor.
Tomorrow. for Japan, might be too
late.
Even today, If war were to break
out. I'm afraid Japan would be de-
feated. In 1904. when she fought
Russia, it was like fighting the
France of Louis XVI.
To-day, fighting Russia would be
like fighting the France of Napo-
leon. I don't know whether Russia
has a Napoleon or not, but I do
know that post-revolution Russia is
quite a different country from pre-
revolution Russia as a fighting
power.
Japan Faces Necessity
win or lose, Japan must go on.
History must repeat itself. She
fought Russia in 1904 because 1t
meant certain death to her for Rus
STA to enter Korea. She was the
most surprised of all when she won.
when she began the war, she
simply felt the world would think
more of her if she died lighting than
II she died lying down.
To-day. If Japan is to survive, she
must have Manchuria. Without it
ST. must perish.
$50. just as in 1904, she faces
humiliation, but, come what may,
she must push on"
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