The Washington times., 1938-01-25

L AhlkC, y dill. ~ Nl'-N''O'j
from Tsuruga to Nladivostock
Hirohito to the Red realm OF
crossing no mans land, from {
black ocean was empty, not
dared venture in waters VIII
wait for battle.
The little Siberia Maru trl
heavy swell, and seemed res
preaching Vladivostock, a h
months ago she was boarded,
police until Tokyo wrenched /
1t was a lonesome trip and I
was delighted when we touched
at three ports on the northeast
coast of Korea-RaShin, Seish1n
and Yuki, but 1 reckoned with
out the japanese police, for they
kept us all on board. Because
these are new naval bases, and
ports for landing apaneSe
troops to be rushed up by the
railroad the japanese have built
all along the frontier nearest
VladivoStock.
FLYING FIELDS VITAL
Thousands of soldiers and
hundreds of coolies swarmed
around the busy docks of these
formerly insignificant Korean
fish villages. Here the Japanese
have construct spring
boards from which to leap upon
their principal objective, the
military air fields around Vladl-
Vostock.
That outpost of the Red EN-.
pire, nearest point in all Rus
sia to Japan, is just 675 miles
from Tokyo and Yokohama,
about four hours flying time
for one of the big Soviet bomb
ers. The Japanese will strike
first and hardest at Vladivos'
tock's flying fields if and when
the striking moment comes.
They fear above all the effect
of air bombardment upon the
seven million inhabitants OF
their capital and its suburbs.
LIKE Cooked PISTOL
yladivostok, for this reason,
Is in the Japanese eyes a
pistol held loaded and cooked
at Japan's back. They can
never feel secure until that pistol
Is removed.
It will be hard to take. I got
up before dawn to watch us
enter Vladivostosk harbor. This
was an experience worth sitting
up all night to see. 1t has not
been many journalists luck. to
visit Vladivostok since the Red
Army made it one of their pr1n-
cipal bases.
The sea had turned coal
black, was CLASSY calm, but
heaved in long, slow Swells as
we dropped anchor, still by
night, and waited for the pilot.
Presently rocky chain OF
islets emerged on the left and
then a bigger One came in sight
as the dawn advanced. The big
island, called Russian Island,
provides what is prob bly, the
most perfect submarine base IN
the world.
CLIFFS FORTIFIED
Splitting it almost, but not
quite in two, is a bay called
Novik, very deep, capable of re-
ceiving the largest warships, and
surrounded on all sides except
the narrow entrance, by craggy
cliffs now fortified to Withstand
the heaviest naval attack. In
fact. it seemed possible that the
Soviets might be able with their
heavv coastal artillery to hold
the japanese navy for an in
definite time way from their
submarine base on Russian
Island while the SUBS themselves
plus mInefields keep the navy
away from the harbor Of Vladi-
Vostock itself
Russian Island is situated at
the very mouth of Vladivostock
harbor, called Zolotoi Rog, or
Golden Horn. Vladivostock is
at the erd of a small peninsula,
flanked by the Amur Bay and
the Gssuri Bay, both of which
are surrounded by mountains
easily defended against attempts
at landing.
SUBMARINES HIDDEN
Altogether, the defensive ca
pacities of VladivoStock, I'm
mensely stronger now than they
ever were under the Car make
it probably impregnable from
the sea, I stood at the raj
studying through field glasse
this most critical spot in th'
Far East. In vain 1 looked TO
submarines. I found out late
they were hidden in Novlk Bay
They are now. learned oil
excellent authority which never
theless must remain anonymous
not less than SO of them. The
were all manufactured in Lenir
grad or Moscow. and shippe'
dismantaled to VladivoStok b
the Trans-Siberian. This figur
and further details are cor
firmed by the intelligence serN
ice of one of the powers mos
concerned.
The manufacture Of subms
Yines is well known to be on