The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-10-07

and Roosevelt, himself, req Ethiopian situation, is the E
 Surface conversation centers on the danger of war in Europe. a blockade. the hazards of American shipping.
 But naval and military strate- gists are looking in the opposite direction. The area they are worried about is China. Siberia and Japan.
 Reason for this might be summarized in the words of Colonel Kenji Matsumoto, Jap anese military attache in Wash- ington. Colonel Matsumoto is extremely frank. Without the bat of an eye he sayL:
 "HfanchuIuO is . very nice country, but 1t has no gold. The Maritime Provinces | (Eastern Siberia) have gold. They also have fish, timber, many things Japan needs. Whcn we get ready we shall take them. This will be the first result of the ItaIian.E Ehti- Oplan war"
 Japanese War Plans
 Even if Colonel Matsumoto were not so frank, U. s. military and naval intelligence offices have ample reports, indicating all to vividly Japan's plans for taking not merely Eastern Si- berin, but the China coast. Hongkong and even the Dutch East Indies.
 In fact the Japanese foreign office, one year ago, was almost as frank as Colonel Matsumoto. It suggested to both the Dutch and British government that the time might come when Su- matra and Hongkong would become 0 liability to the present owners and they might wish to turn them over to Japan.
 This Is what has furrowed the brows of naval and military strategists, and even of the pres- ident himself.
 They are not particularly concerned about Japan biting on . piece of Siberia. But for Japan to march down the China coast. develop the trc- mendOus resources of the Yangtzc valley, the rich mar kcts of South China, and corner the oil wells of the Dutch East Indies, would al ApHu u,ns Il i'm the Pacific, but one of the most powerful nations i'm the world.
 Secret Confabs
 That is why eie state, war watching so intently the next move of Great Britain and the use of its powerful fleet. For it is automatic that once the Brit ish fleet becomes definitely in- volved in the Mediterranean, the Japanese cut loose with impun- ity in the Orient.
 It Is also why the British are doing q lot more thinking than appears on the surface, to decide whether to go the whole hog against Italy. Finally, 1t is why there have been some very in- formal and very secret sound ings to learn just what would be the position of the American fleet in relation to the British fleet, in case war breaks and spreads to the Pacific.
 In the latter event, there is ~F ,t,.n fAr uf Nnft h the administration which be- lieves that the United States should throw it's weight em- phatically with the British. Mediterranean Mix.Up
 Confidential cabled reports in- dicate that the British admiralty is not seriously worried about the Italian fleet. British warships could wipe the Italian navy off the Mediterranean, the admiral ty figures. But in doing so, the British would lose at least two or three battleships and three or four cruisers.
 Tine admiralty considers this inevitable. And this really worries them. Forsuch a loss would mean a free hand for Japan fin the Far East--a free hand which would begin on the minute hOstilitlcs started fin the Mediterranean.
 Mussolini knows this. The last thing he wants is war with the British, but he figures Brit hnD D1r
 Mussolini also knows that the Russians arc powerless to help the British in the Far East. He himself encouraged Hungary. Italy's ally, to form a supple mentary alliance with Germany and Poland, in part directed against the Soviet. The minute Moscow is engrossed with trou- ble in Siberia, Poland plans to bite off the Ukraine.
 France?
 Therefore. the only country which can be of material assist ance to the, British is France. Hence the constant dickering be- tween London and Paris.
 French support for the Brit ish has been reported denied. No matter what the final official decision may be, the real fact is is that the French are anything but enthusiastic about backing their friends across the Chan mel.
 The letter from Sir Samuel Hoare giving general support to