Evening star., 1938-08-03

n1ilitaristS OF circulating the air RAID
reports "in order to justify their re-
peated attacks on Soviet territory and
the tremendous losses which they have
to bear"
THE assumption also is expressed
that Japanese militarists are encour-
aged in their provocative actions by
certain Japanese diplomats" the COM
munique added.
Under these conditions, further
continuation of hostilities, fraught
with extremely serious consequences,
is regarded inevitable"
Workers organizations, in strongly
worded resolutions, demanded resist
ance to aggression. Pravda, the Com
munist newspaper, printed two pages
of resolutions today, with an edi-
torial that "if' war is imposed
Oh us by the rapacious Fascist
wolves the whole Soviet people will
rise as one man in defense Of the
fatherland."
The workers resolutions requested
the government to administer "a most
resolute repulse" and to let the jap
anese general staff learn what it
means to poke their swinish snouts
into our Soviet garden"
Hope to Limit Hostilitfes.
Although the nation thus gave free
rein to patriotic indignation, it ap-
peared significant that Pravda's edi-
torial started with "if' war results.
meaning apparently that Moscow still
sees possibilities of confining hostil-
tiles to the frontier-the worst Incl
dent in recent Soviet history, perhaps,
but still not cause for war.
Unless Toxic should insist upon pro-
voking general conflict, 1t appeared
here that there was chance Of re-
turning to previous plans for putting
the boundary dispute into the hands
Of an arbitration commission.
The Russian version of Changku-
feng fighting charged Japanese with
starting the offensive, said they were
shelled by Soviet artillery and bombed
by Soviet planes with Immense
losses"
The communique denied, however.
that Russian planes had bombed
Korean or Manchukuo territory, as
detailed in q Toxic army communique.
Text of Communique.
The governments communique Of
yesterdays operations, issued through
Tass (Russian official news agency, {,
follows:
Beginning at dawn on August 2,
Japanese troops resumed the offensive
against the hill of Zaozernaya
(Changkufeng), located In Soviet ter
ritory. The fighting for this hill
lasted the whole day.
while japanese troops were cross
ing into Soviet territory they were
to artillery fire and air
bombing from the Soviet side which
caused them tremendous losses. .
reports on the flights of Soviet
bombers over Manchurian (Manchu-
kuoan) and Korean territories. circu-
lated by japanese telegraph agencies
and newspapers, is emphatically re-
futed by competent Soviet circles.
"It is pointed out that since the
very beginning of the conflict the
Soviet government has declared that it
intends only to defend territory in
disputably belonging to the Soviet
Union, and, strictly obeying these in
structions, both land and air forces
remain throughout and exclusively
within the limits of Soviet territory.
1T is supposed that the above re-
ports were circulated deliberately by
interested Japanese nilitarist in order
to justify their repeated attacks on
5ovist territory and the tremendous
losses which they have to bear.
'"The assumption also Is expressed
that Japanese militarists are encour-
aged in their provocational actions by
certain Japanese diplomats. Under
these conditions further continuation
Of the hostilities, fraught with ex-
tremely serious consequences, Is re-
gArded inevitahlA.n