The Washington times., 1937-10-11
Collapse of Chinese Defenses
In Two Months Revealed AS
Prediction of Russian Envoy
Must intervene NOW,
If EUer, His Report
To MOScOLU
BY Fl. r. KNICKERBOCKER
Copyright. 1887. by international
News Service)

Copyright. 1887. by International
News service)
SHANGHAI, Oct. 1.-THE rea
reason for the spectacular return
Of the Soviet's ambassador IL
China, Dmitry Bogomolov, to
Moscow was revealed for the frs
time today on unimpeachable in
formation from Nanking authori'
ties.
Bogomolov, according to these
sources, presented the report to
the Kremlin that Russia, if she
expects ever to intervene against
the Japanese in China, must act
within two months because the
grave possibility exists that the
Chinese will collapse within that
time.
SOVIET ENTRY DOUBTED
II Russia waits longer, she will
likely be faced not with a weaker
Japan, entangled and dispersed in
China, as the Kremlin hoped, but
with a japanese army stronger
and more strategically placed
than ever before.
Foreign observers at Marking
are divided on the question as to
whether, in view of this situation
Russia will dare to enter the con-
flict or will risk the delay.
But the weight Of evidence is
against Russian entry.
Before the present war started
the Japanese military attache re-
ported to Tokyo that the execu-
ton of Russian generals crippled
the red army. Then the Japanese
army pushed against the Russians
on the Amur River and found
such little resistance that Japan
decided it could ignore the red
army.
The war on China started at
that point.
It is now considered highly sig
nificant that, in spite Of the con-
slant reports of the shipment OF
Russian airplanes and the pres
ence Of Russian or Mongolian red
army pilots with the Chinese
forces, none of the foreign mill
tary observers at Marking has
ever seen any, and none believes
they're there.
CALCULATIONS UPSET
Nevertheless Bogomolov's report
puts the decision before the Krem-
lin in its most vital form, for the
breakdown of Chinese resistance
in the North is so serious that it
has completely upset Russian cal
culations.
Substantially, Bogomolov re-
ported:
That the Chinese are break
ing up all along the northern
front, and are not likely to be
able to fight longer than an
other two months.
That 10000 troops under the
young Mashal Chang Hsueh-
Liang, now facing the japanese
south of TientSin, have thrown
down Ghe;r rifles and have re-
fused to fight.
PROVINCES WAVERING
That two important Chinese
generals, Hal Fu-Chu, the war
lord Of Shantung, and Yen Hsi-
Shan, the war lord Of Shansi,
are wavering in their loyalty to
Marking.
That maneuvers believed aimed
seiSing Chins'S only east.to.weSt
railway, and the possible ad-
vance of the Japanese to Sianfu
would enable the japanese to
deploy cross the caravan route
from Russia via Sinkiang, and
thus completely isolate China
from her northern ally.
Finally, Bogomolov reported
there is every indication that If
the Soviet Union does not inter.
vene now, Japan intends to at
tack her as soon as the conquest
Of China is complete-which may
be very soon.
The valiant Chinese defense Of
Shanghai, which is absorbing
world attention, has obscured the
more significant fact that the
Chinese are losing the war in the
north, and from this loss may
come consequences affecting the
whole world.