Evening star., 1938-07-17

Inc populatlon OF the area north OF the
Amur Thousands Of persons whose class
background or civil war record indicated
doubt as to their loyalty to the Stain regime
have been forcefully moved to the mires
Of Central Asia, the timber camps Of the
north or other distant regions Few persons
who lived in this region have been allowed
to leave Russia, for fear they might convey
information Of military importance to the
enemy.
At the same time, there has been q con-
certed drive in schools, factories. collective
farms and offices to encourage the inami-
grafton Of Komsomols and other young
persons Of working class or peasant back
ground to the Far East Many special ad-
vantages have been offered them-higher
pay for the same job than they would re-
ceive elsewhere, choice farming land, re-
duced taxes and other inducements.
Army Given Special Banner.
Meanwhile, no stone has been left un-
turned to insure both the efficiency and
loyalty of the Red Army and N. X. v. D.
(political police) troops sent into this stra-
logically important region. The cream Of
the Red Army was SKINNED for the regi-
ments garrisoned there And, to brighten
their glory. they we're given the title of
"The Special Red Banner Far Eastern
Army" Under the command of Marshal
VASTLY Bleucher Of Chinese revolution
fame, this unit enjoys degree Of autonomy
not known among any other part Of the
U. S. S. RS defense forces.
Aside from troops, Moscow found two
other weaknesses in its Far Eastern de-
fense forces. One: Transportation. Only
the one thin line of the Transsiberian
connected the Far East with European
Russia. Only it could be depended upon
to transport reinforcements, munitions and
supplies to an army fighting 5000 miles
away from Moscow. two-fold answer
was found Thousands of workers were
assigned to double-track the Trans
siberian. task reportedly finished last
year. Second, parallel trunk line was
begun, running from Lake Baikal to the
Pacific, to provide a reserve link in case
the Transsiberian should be cut by the
enemy In the strategically- drive
toward the Lake Baikal area.
The second problem closely interviewer
with the hrst, was the lack of munitions
factories and allied industries in the Far
East. If, the strategists in Moscow rea-
soned, the Far Eastern army could be
supplied from an area nearer its base, then
the problem of weak transportation sys-
tenn would be less acute.
Munitions Factories Built.
Consequently, in the last ive years an
intense program Of industrial development
has been carried out in the Far East.
Munitions factories, aircraft plants, textile
mills and other fabricators OF war sup
plies have been constructed at safe dis
tances from the fighting front Produc-
tion of coal and iron has been speeded
up rapidly. 1t Is now the boast Of the
Russian press that the Far Eastern army
is virtually independent.
These military preparations have been
accompanied, naturally enough, by the
establishment Of vast system of espionage
in the Far East and by myriad restric-
tons on thes activities of foreigners
It was in 1888 that, for the first time,
the Russian foreign office ruled that for
eigr correspondents, intending to travel
anywhere outside Moscow, must frst pre-.
sent and have approved an itinerary Of
their trip.
More recently the Kremlin's suspicion
OF disloyalty has extended even TO the
Red Army itself.
A stringent decree providing for the ex-
ecution of any Red Army soldier who de-
serts across the border has been issued BY
the presidium OF the ALL Union Central
Executive Committee.
Another recent decree restored the old
post-revolutionary system of attaching "po-
litical commissars" to all important officers
Of the Red Army.
Wide Purge Of N. X. v.D.
Recently, too. there has been Q wide
spread purge of the N K. v. D. Only few
months ago Comrade Yagoda, described Q
Thousand times by the Soviet press rs "ths
shining sword of proletarian vengeance"
was executed for disloyalty to the Stain
regime.
And now, even the commander Of thu
Far Eastern secret police himself finds II
necessary, If he is to be believed, TO desert
to the enemy in order to save his own life
All Of which suggests two pertinent ques.
tions:
l. II, as Stain and his associates charge,
Soviet industry, the Red Army and ever
the N. X. v. D., itself, in the Far East are
shot through with spies and saboteurs
ready to betray the Communist regime u
the enemy, what becomes Of the Soviet
governments oft-vaunted boast that til
people are the happiest and most loyal Ii
the world?
2. II, indeed, such conditions exist, VIII,
does Stain lend aid and comfort to the
japanese (and Germany general staffs b
encouraging show trials" daily diatriba
about disloyalty in the Soviet offlcial pres
and public airing Of his nations vea,nss
before the world?