The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-02-21
SEEM HEARD
around the
National Capital
@By CARTER rIELDs

@By CARTER rIELD-
WashIngton.-Two tremendously Inn
portant changes In the known factors
of the Far Eastern situation are serl-
ously worrying every nation which has
any interest In that part of the world.
These are: Cd Proof that Japanese
can make good flyers. as proved In the
recent hostilities In two widely sep
arated portions of old China. (2) The
fact that the Japanese are slowly but
steadily extending northward, until
they are within striking distance of
the line of communications across 81
IBERIA.
Until recently, when the Japanese be-
gan their latest drive in north China,
the Russians had very powerful ar
gument against Japan's provoking war.
This was that the Russians had a
strong bombing fleet OF aircraft at
Vladlvostok and other points not too
far from the big Japanese cities.
They still have. But conviction
among military experts now is japan
would have to endure only one or at
most two bad bombings. After that
there would be no more bombs. For, In
the meantime, the Jap army and Jap
flyers starting from north China would
effectually block the line of supply
from European Russia to the Pacific
ports.
with the next news story about ia
pans aggrandizing movement In north
China will be very Illuminating on this.
Still another disturbing fact is that
the Japanese commanders In the field
seem to have more leeway than any
generals since the invention of tele-
graph. They do not bother to annoy
Toxic with questions as to whether
they should seize this or that territory.
There Is nothing new about this 1t
has been going on ever since Japan
began to expand her influence In north
China, In her long drive to take con-
troll Of first one Chinese province and
than another.
Misleading 'fT ''''
Which has made 1t possible for the
Japanese ambassador In Washington,
or for that matter at Geneva, to deny
many things for weeks after they had
really happened. Then 1t would de-
velop that Toxic had mIsled the ambas-
sador because 1t had received no re-
port from the army In the field.
So much so that aides under former
Secretary OF State Stimson used to
complain. with trace of sarcasm, that
there should be better understanding
and exchange of communication be-
tween the war and foreign Offices in
Toxic.
The immediate Importance OF this
situation, which seems to still exist,
is that at any moment there is apt to
be some clash In the Far East between
Russians and Japanese, due to some
Jap movement utterly unanticipated by
the japanese foreign office. And when
something OF this sort starts, some
times 1t Is impossible to control 1t.
Optimists say that Japan has dis
covered that Russia does not want to
fight now, and therefore there will be
no war for some time to come. Their
theory Is that japan Is very busy d.
costing the big pieces of north China
she has bitten off, and acquiring add
tional pieces-a process which may
take several years.
Pesslmists point out that the Rus
slams know perfectly well what the
reason for Japan's extending her troops
so far northward has been--to threaten
the line OF communications OF Russia's
Far Eastern air fleets. SO they be-
lleve 1t nnthlnkable that Russia has not
made some moves TO circumyent this
danger.
All of which--the arguments OF both
nessimlsts and optimists--ls probably
true. And the situation, as thus
summed up. might readily mean only
that there Is fair chance OF contin-
ued postponement OF real hostilities..
The fly in the ointment Is that unantic-
ipated clash which may touch off the
fireworks.
Then the big questions will be-can
the United States, and the rest OF the
big nations, stay out?
Important Question
What is going to happen about July
i, when Chester G. Davis retires from
the Agricultural Adjustment
administration Is perhaps the most In
teresting question mark In the govern
ment at the moment
Davis now has free hand, with the
backing of both President Roosevelt
and Secretary OF Agriculture Henry A. !.
Wallace. He was permitted to throw
out the radicals and others he thought
were obstructing the carrying out OF
his policies. But what wifi happen
when he leaves?
The point, Of course, is that the brain
trust, SO far as AAA Is concerned, is
temporarily In complete eclipse, but
that no one knows definitely whether
Ii will stay In eclipse or not.