Evening star., 1933-01-03
MAJOR OFFENSIVE
FEARED IN ORIENT
Far-FIung Plan of Japan
Seen Behind Renewal
of Fighting.
Continued From First Page)

eventual union with the Manchukuo-
Japanese Empire should this daring
scheme of the japanese government be
successful
While the japanese Army is now
ready to move in the direction of Pei
ping, Tientsin and Jehol the japanese
military have made in the course Of
the month of December the last move
toward consolidating the Northern
Manchurian frontier by the occupation
of Taheiho, few miles from the i'm
portant Soviet city of Blagoveschensk.
This section of the Manchukuo frontier
close to Russia is reported to be suf-
f1ciently garrisoned and prepared for
any eventuality should Russia decide
to throw her lot with China.
The occupation Of Jehol seems now
to observers of the situation only of
secondary importance. Jehol is just q
bait Do enable the japanese to complete
their more grandiose plans.
Prepared for Resistance.
The Toxic general staff announced
that the operations in China proper viii
not be continued If the Chinese do not
offer resistance to the Japanese Army
which has been given the task to oc-
CuPJ OC11Oa. Dub bliC OdPdllCoC 6ClCl al
staff knows full well that the Chinese
are prepared to oppose the penetration
of that province and consequently the
Japanese Army, not making an attempt
to go into Jehol through Manchukuo, is
now preparing to take the longer and
easier road via Tientsin and Peiping.
What the consequences of such a
move will be is uncertain. The entire
problem OF the Japanese using the force
Of arms to defend their alleged rights
in Manchuria is at present before the
League Of Nations. While it appeared
possible that the League would take
measures against Japan, the Japanese
government has delayed its other oper-
peared evident, however. that the dis
sensions between the nations members
OF the League were sufficiently marked
to prevent sincere collaboration for
the defense of the various peace pacts
and international treaties, and this was
obvious the day the Committee of Nine
teen postponed the examination of the
Lytton report, the Japanese have de-
cided to proceed without fear OF any
outside interference.
Powers at Loggerheads.
The moment seems to have been
carefully anu We'll ScleCLeu. Lie Itld-
tions between the Western powers are
at present more strained than ever. Be-
sides the tension created by the war
debt question, more important discen-
tons have broken out recently between
the principal members of the League
of Nations. There is at present a seri-
Gus crisis between Yugoslavia and Italy
which is likely to degenerate into a
first-clasS crisis unless the other powers
intervene. On the other hand the Ger
man government is reported to have
indicated its desire to open the ques-
ton of territorial readiustment, this
changing certain clauses of the YER
sailles treaty. France is unlikely to ac-
cept good humoredly such a request.
Consequently the principal nations
forming the League Of Nations are at
present again at loggerheads and they
will have but little time to spare to
settle the Far Eastern problem, i'm
portant as 1t may seem on this side OF
the ocean.
There is OF course the nine-power
pact which binds the signatory nations
to respect the territorial integrity of
China. In certain quarters 1t has again
been suggested that it should be in
voked in this new fragrant case of
violation Of the rights of that nation.
But the nine-pOWer pact Is based
, merely on the good faith of the sigma
tory powers and does not contain any
clause whereby Japan or any other ma
ton infringing the territorial integrity
OF China could be coerced to respect
its signature.