The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-12-31
ASIA ON VERGE
OF EXPLOSION,
WORLD FEARS
Future of Far East at
Stake in ManChuria,
SimmS Reports.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS
Scripps- Howard Foreign Editor

WASHINGTON. Dec. 31-Titanic
forces, involving the destiny of at
least three nations with nearly half
the population of the globe, are
described in semi-official advices re-
ceived here today as speeding to-
ward a catastrophe collision.
The three nations are China,
Japan and the Soviet Union. Their
populations total approximately
8O0,OOO,0OO. But the future of all
Asia is involved in the drama now
being enacted.
The political assassinations in
China, the japanese moves to set
up autonomous buffer states in
North China and inner ond outer
Mongolia, and the almost daily
clash of outpoSts along the far
flung Siberian, Monaghan or Man
churian frontiers, are seen as mere
surface indications of far graver
trouble ahead.
For the moment the three powers
are playing desperately for the con-
troll of vast segment of central
Asia, stretching from Tientsin al
most to Samarkand-an area as
large as the United States.
Japan filings Charges
Already Nippon is in control of
Korea, Manchuria, Jehol and
Chahar. Step by step she is
tenaciously driving a wedge west
ward between the Soviet Union and
China by fostering independence"
movements in inner Mongolia. North
China and regions westward toward
Chinese Turkestan.
Avowedly her purpose is to Gre
ate a chain of autonomous buffer
states to check the eastward drive
of Communism. Her spokesman
told this writer that Japan fears
the Soviet Union is repeating what
Czarist Russia did between 1895
and 1904.
Czarist Russia's occupation of
Manchuria led to the Russo-Jap-
anese war of 1904. Now, Japanese
charge, Soviet Russia is pushing
into Sinkiang (Chinese Turkestan)
and outer and inner Mongolia, and
they fear the same result.
To substantiate the charge,
semi official japanese sources with
in the area in question have pro-
vided me with maps and data pur-
porting to give the details of rail-
way construction of a decidedly
strategic character.
New Lines Being Built
One new line under construction,
approximately $50 miles long, is
from Vernke- Udinsk to Urga (Ulan
Bator). Urga is the capital Of
outer Mongolia, a region already
supposed to be under Soviet in
fuence.
A second line, 1850 miles long,
is from Semipalatinsk, north of Chi
neSe TurkeStan, to UliaSutai, in
outer Mongolia Presumably this
railway eventually will be extended
to Urga.
Three other lines, ranging from
$50 miles long to $50, branch oJ
eastward from the Novo- Sibirsk-
Samarkand (Turk-Sib) trunk-line
to the border of Chinese Turkestan.
These railways, Japanese army Of
ficers declare, would be of the ut
most Importance to Soviet Russia
in conflict with Nippon.
Russians Give Their Side
Russians, on the other hand, con-
fess equal anxiety. Not only have
the japanese completed network
of new railroads and highways
throughout Manchuria and Jehol,
but they are now taking over con-
troll of the routes from China and
Manchukuo to Urga.
By, her occupation of Manchuria,
Nippon has driven Russia's strategic
frontier back to Lake Baikal, 200
miles inland from the Pacific.
Should she gain control of Urga,
even the Baikal line would be men
aced.
If the trans Siberian were cut at
Lake Baikal, Eastern Siberia would
have to face Japan with only such
resources as that region boasts. The
only other way the Russians could
get at the Japanese would be from
the direction of Russian Turkestan.
Hence the supreme Importance of
the new railways running eastward