The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-03-21
Continued From Page II

in the next six months. They
would be as efficient as the ia
ranese.
6. The Soviets and China would
have the advantage in fighting
morale.
7. That vital element, "time," is
working in favor of Russia.
Trotski stroked his chin and
smiled as he talked Of the posi-
bility Of arousing the Chinese
nation with it's 450,000,000 popula-
ton on "the grand scale
THE objective Of such a war
between Russia and Japan would
be greater infinitely than the
questions Of the Chinese Eastern
railway and Manchuria together"
he said. Certain French news
papers hasten to predict that Boil
shevism would perish in the
steppes Of Siberia. -"
THE steppes and forests Of ST.
IBERIA are vast enough for many
things to succumb there, but is it
so certain that it would be Boil
shevism that would periSh?"
r MET Trotski at his place of ex-
Il lie on Prinkipo island where
he has spent most of his time
since he was driven from Russia
because of his opposition to Josef
V. Stain.
The day was cold and stormy
and, instead of going to Trotski's
home as first arranged, met him
at the docks as he was Ell route to
Istanbul. He said he was paying
a periodical visit" to his doctor,
but the fact that he had been
granted admittance to Czechoslo-
vakia, where he hopes to receive
better medical treatment, may
have had some bearing on his visit
to IStanbul.
He came swinging down to the
docks, a short, sturdy figure in
dark-grey overcoat and dark-grey
striped suit, with cream-colored
muff1er twisted loosely around his
neck. He carried light-hued
malacca cane and was the picture
of good health.
We went on board the ferry
a primitive and dirty boat that
has only the virtue of riding the
sea well-and to the cabins which
were once for the yelled Turkish
harems.
We sat opposite each other in a
tiny cabin, so small that there
hardly was room for two of us to
sit facing each other.
TrotSki hao been accompanied
by his Austrian male secretary,
and also several other "secretar-
les" who we're selected by the
secret police. They remained out
side.
TINE man who stood with Lenin
L in the terrible days when the
Soviet republics were being born,
the man who spent the greatest
days Of his life on train that
whirled him across RuSSia'S battle
fronts during the Civil war, was
smiling and friendly as we talked.
His hair still is black and thick,
his muStache a little grizzled.
He spoke in English, expressing
himself with remarkable precision.
THE military action of Japan
in China" Trotski said, is de-
veloping according to the system
of a spiral; its range is increasing
from month to month.
This system presents political
and diplomatic advantages: 1t
draws into the war, little by little,
first her own people and then the
enemy, placing the rest of the
world before a succession of &C
complished facts.
ct proves that the military
clique is at present obliged to
overcome not only external but
also internal obstacles.
From a purely military point
of view such action is in itself
disadvantage. Evidently the jap
anese leaders consider that, in
view of the military weakness of
China and in view of the inSoluble
contradictions in the enemy camp,
they can allow themselves at first
a certain loss of time by making
their advance along a spiral.
n
HOWEVER, after the first
IL phase must evidently come
with or without interruption
the second, that is, the phase of
real war. What is Japan's politi-
cal objective?
The leading newspapers of
Paris, which carefully transcribe
in French the views and sugges-
tions of the japanese general staff,
have been urging all the time that
there was no question of war,
but only of police measures.
This explanation is necessary
part and parcel of the spiral-ad-
vance system, and will fall to the
ground of itself as soon as the
military action has reached its full
development, and when the at
lacking forces are brought into
correspondent with the objec-
tiveS aimed at.
THE aim of Japan js-to colonize
China, A grandiose aim indeed,
but it must be said at once that
it is not within Japans powers.
She has come into the field too
late.
AT the moment when Britain
is preparing herself to lose India,
Japan will not succeed in trans
forming China into new India.
rs it not possible that the Toxic
oligarchy also has another obiec-
tive, namely to aim a blow at the
U. S. S. r.? To consider such a
plan as altogether excluded would
be too haSty. But it can not be a
flrSt-line plan.
only after having seized Man.
churia and consolidated her posi-
ton there, would Japan be able
to make her objective that of
striking blow northwestwards.
But as the Soviet government