The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-01-20
WAR BETWEEN
JAPAN, RUSSIA
MAY Be NEAR
Japan Confident CT Her
Power Since Latest Chi
neSe Conquest.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS
Scripps-Howard Foreign Editor

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20.-Failure
Of the great powers to back up the
peace treaties, in the opinion Of a
high diplomat here, has brought
the far east to the verge of an ex-
plosion which may rock the world.
This dovetails with information
reaching the capital over the week
end that Japan and Russia may
clash in the spring-not because
Russia wants it, but because the
japanese general staff, now in the
saddle, is said to believe that the
world situation favors the Mikado's
arms.
That Japan senses that she now
holds most of the trump cards, is
indicated in her reply to the Amer.
lean note on Manchuria. IRON
ically she admits interpreting the
nine-power treaty to suit herself,
her Interpretation setting at naught
the avowded purpose of the treaty.
She excused her occupation of
Manchuria by saying that the
present unsettled and distracted
state of China is not what was in
the contemplation of the high con-
tracing parties at the time of the
treaty Of Washington"
Sure Of Success
On the contrary, it is pointed out
here, China's unsettled and dis
tracted state was precisely what
was in the minds of the trainers
of the treaty, and that it was to
protect China, while in such state,
that the agreement was signed.
In fact, the official title of the
document is 'the treaty of Chinese
integrity" and it pledged the
signatories not to take advantage
of the chaos existing in China, but
to help her get on her feet.
Thus, after carefully feeling her
way for the last four months, Japan
today seems confident of a pretty
clear field ahead, so far as the
peace pact signatories are con-
cerned. And therein is seen the
chief danger.
Great Britain is too occupied with
troubles at home and in India to
go adventuring in China. Nor, for
that matter, is she seriously con-
cerned. Her interests are chiefly in
central China, not i'm the north,
and If China falls to pieces her
share of the loot is pretty well
staked out.
u. 8. Stands Alone
France, too, Is busy nearer home.
can happen in Germany,
her next door neighbor, or to
Europe for that matter, and she
does not intend to become involved
at this iuncture in disturbances on
the other side of the world. Be-
sides, if China is to be dismem-
bered, her slice would be in the
south.
Italy is not a far eastern power,
and can not become one unless
China is broken up. Meanwhile so
long as the open door is not closed
to her comparatively small trade,
she won't get very excited.
Belgium, Holland and Portugal
all are too small to count.
The remaining party to the treaty
.omitting Japan and China-is the
United States. Alone it is genuinely
interested in China's territorial and
administrative integrity. In the
light of history as written a third
of century ago, it is the one great
power seriously opposed to China's
ACKNOWLEDGMENT. Trade, not terri
tory, is its chief interest.
Japan Watches Russia
To date, however, the United
States has done nothing to cause
Japan to stay her hand as she
warily pursues her course in Man
churia.
Russia is the one power Japan
really has to fear. Though not a
party to the nine-power treaty, she
has a greater interest in Manchu-
ria than any foreign country. She
has fought one war to hold on to
her warm water, ice-free port on
the Yellow sea, and nobody doubts
her Willingness to fight another to
get it back.
But Russia is not ready for war.
Only a single-track railway across
Siberia affords communication.
However, a French authority de-
clares this will be remedied within
the next few years. Meantime, he
asserts she has 100000 well-drilled
troops in barracks and 100000 in
reserve. AS soon as she gets her in
dustries going to back up these
soldiers she will have the most
powerful army in the world.
Far eastern sources declare the
peril of the moment is that the
Japanese general staff, sensing all
this, will decide to strike now, be-
fore Russia is ready.