Seward daily gateway., 1932-03-22
TROTzKY SAYS WAR REMOTE BETWEEN
 JAPAN AND CHINA
LONG DISTANCE BETWEEN HE TWO COUNTRIES SERVES
 AS PROTECTION

1sTANBUL, Turkey, Mar. a. Leon Trotzky, exiled leader of Rus sia,s Red Army under the Lehlli dynasty who was put into exile pe- cause of his opposition to the pres ent leader Joseph Stalin, in an ex- pression on the developments m the Far East with reference to Sovle1 Russia. said that Japan's aim Ill China was to colonize her the same as England colonized India. Irotz- ky added, however, that Japan was undertaking this too late Tor the British are beginning to lose thelr hold on their India and Japan could not expect to hang on to her India-China.
 When Trotzky was asked as to whether Japan would strike blow against the Soviet Republic, he said that this was not in their first line of plans but said that after they had consolidated their position III Manchuria, they would be in more of a position to strike northeast ward. War could not be waged against the U. s. S. R. by the same method as was used against China and would be of different propor- tions.
 The Soviets have often been at tackled for their aggressive aims. Trotzky insisted that these attacks were inconsistent because the Sov- tets are still building factories and other industrial enterprises and a war would make dead capital out of these.
 The conflict will not be deliber- ately provoked by Japan unless she has the sanction of allies. War be- tween Japan and Soviet Russia is almost as remote as a war between Japan and the United States be- cause the problem of long distance enters. Tn Asia, it is a land ocean and between Japan and the United States it is water ocean. Both the land ocean and the water ocean are too vast an arena to carry on military operations.
 Should a war result between Ja- pan and Russia, Japan would have to forego her Korea and also her China The Soviets will not be alone in their fight against the Japanese. The Chinese are willing to fight and the Russians and the Chinese will have the time element in their favor. There is only one railway by which the Japanese could trans port all their troops and supplies to Soviet soil and this would cause considerable delay. The Japanese could build more railroads to trans port their forces but here again time plays an important hand.
 A real war would have a great effect on China; it would give the Chinese new perspective; it would start new national movement in China on a grand scale, and every one knows that China has no lack of human material with which to fight.
 Should Russia and China be- come allies, the 'red army" already well trained in war lore, could in Struct the Chinese soldiers and in a period of about 12 months they could have a million of Chinese combatants ready for action. The second million would take even less time to instruct than the first. With the U. s. S. R. Red Army and her colossal reserves, ample strength would be provided to well resist any forces which can be mustered in Asia.
 Trotzky wound up his interview by saying that the Soviet govern ment is working to avoid war. He also said that Japan is now nov ing toward a decline. The key to the present situation is not in the Far East but is in Europe-at Ber- lin and interest centers around AdOlph Hitler