The daily independent., 1937-07-06

Into Baltic. MenaCing Russia,
/ Before Amur Incident; Sovie;
Trouble. Weakening OF Britain
France Make 1t Time TO Strike;
Japanese Military Must Have
/ Flag to Regain Political Power
/ in Tokyo.
WAsHNGTON-Ir IS difficult
10 gauge an intricate European
Asis.jc snarl al this distance. but
certain military maneUTers have
convinced some official observers
rha. Gle ely allied Germany ana
japan are determined 10 prec.pi-
tate way on Russia this var.
4 First significant maneuver was
/ the sending Of me German fleet
from the Mediterranean 20 the
Baltic. where !. could strike at
u-sia. Sixteen German war@hips
/ steamed north passing through
the English channel on the same
day the japanese lombard the
Russians IN Siberia.
In other words. they had LEI:
the Mediterranean TWO days be-
fore the Commandment started.
and at the specific moment Hitler
had been screaming about naval
rep-!sa3 agains. the Spanish.
| Second. he Japanese lombard
| ed and sank a Russian warsAlp
IN 1he Arnur River after the Soviet
Foreign Office had given asSur-
ances that Russian troops would
he withdrawn. The incident AaU
Ian the earmarks OF a deliberate
attempt TO provoke a clash.
Note - When the Germans
marched into the Rh!neland one
YEAR ago last March. the japanese
military and naval attaches IN
Washington knew about i I'VE
days in advance.
Squeeze Russia
! Piecing together these events
with cab.ed repor-s from Europe,
there is official fear that the Ger
mans and Japanese have decided
that now is the time 10 squeeze
Ru. sia. Here are some Of the I'M
portant factors which make this
the psychological time for Ger
many and Japan 10 strike:
!. Wholesale Soviet eXecu-
tions indicate something IS grave
" wrong in Russia. Eight Of the
soyie,s ablest generals have been
shot. Whether these men were
guilty or not, i leaves the army
crippled. Reports also persist OF
widespread political unrest.
2. France. chief Russian ally,
! is in the throeS OF ~evere financial,
economic crises. She would have
hard time coming 10 the rescue
Of her ally.
3. The British Government has
been served notice at the recent
Imperial Conference that the
Dominions. although supporting
the mother country in Western
Europe or the Pacific, will not aid
her in case Of war in Central or
Eastern Europe. This IS 100 re-
mote for the australians. New Zea-
.landers. South Africans or Cana
dlans. They can't get aroused
about il.
I. At the last elections. the
| japanese military suffered their
most overwhelming political de-
feat. What they want is good
fIag-waving campaign, especially
against their traditional foe IN
Siberia. War would restore their
lost prestige.
Note-lt is quite pos sible that
the japanese military provoked
/ The AmW River incident despite
opposite instructions from the
home during the invasion OF Man
churia il 1872.
Whether war comes now or 1t
seem certain that the above fac
tors. plus two nations which seem
bent on bloodShed, Will bring
major trouble sooner or later.
Sand Banks
incidentally. one of The Merry
Go-Rounders who .ailcd up the
Amur River during the japanese
occupation in 1922. can state that
the islands in dispute are mere
sand banks. and no more worth
| fighting for than the little patch
of mud in the PotamOc to which
Teddy Roosevelt. wan on dare
with his military aide. Col. Dan
IT. Moore.
Uipiomalic SDccd-VD
For years the 5ou!nolent State
Department has deed through
] International disputes. taking its
own sweet :ime about ending re-
plies 10 foreign nations.
NOW CONES l!-e lG'OIUJlCN.
L came with tnC advent Of
Summer Wei.c5 as Undcr ScC-e-
taly of Safe. Members OF tie
Western Europcan Division fit
realized il when WelIcS sent one
of is drafting Officers the out
linz CT note ID be written and
sent to a foreign government.
Weile5 had penciled 2 memo on
the edge of he instruction, The
messenger VIII wait and bring
back the note
The drafting officer nearly fell
of his chair. Ordinarily drafting
whose special job it is 10