Evening star., 1941-08-19
Russo-Jupunese Tension


Although the understanding among
Britain, Russia and the United States
is directed primarily against Ger
many, one Of its aspects has been to
complicate relations between Russia
and Japan. Those relations never
have been cordial, but they were
smoothed over temporarily by the
neutrality treaty negotiated between
Stain and Matsuoka while Russia
and Germany were in seeming ac-
cord
The outbreak of war between the
Reich and the Soviet Union imme-
diately undermined the basis upon
which the treaty had been nego-
tiated Russia suddenly became a
full -fiedged ally of Britain and was
pledged American aid. The Soviet
Union was thus closely associated
with those English-speaking powers
who were Japan's potential antagon-
lists in her drive for domination of
Southeastern Asia.
At once, the old fear of Russia,
entrenched along Japan's borders on
the Asiatic mainland from Korea to
Inner Mongolia, was revived. This
fear centered about Russia's great
Pacific base of Vladivostok, lying
annoyingly near both Korea and
Manchuria, and within easy range OF
Japan's inflammable cities for long
distance bombers winging their way
across the Japan Sea.
Neither Japan nor Russia has ever
relaxed their suspicious vigilance OF
each other. For many years Russia
has maintained large armies in the
Far East, equipped for independent
action over a long period. Those
Far Eastern armies normally aggre-
gate some 100000 men. Although
some divisions undoubtedly have
been sent to the European battle
front, their strength probably has
not been unduly depleted.
Furthermore, Toxic Is faced with
the unpleasant fact that large-scale
assistance to Russia, already on the
way, is routed chiefly via Vladivostok,
and the most efficient use of this aid
would be to supply RuSsia's Far
Eastern armies, thus obviating the
necessity of sending Russian-made
munitions thither from its European
arsenals. That would be especially
true of aircraft. American-made
airplanes, both bombers and fighters.
could be flown easily from Alaskan
bases across the narrow Bering
Strait and Kamchatka to Vladivos-
tok, and thence by easy stages to any
points in Russia desired.
This prospect has literally in
furiated Toxic. From the very first,
the Japanese press and oficial
spokesmen inveighed against the
latent dangers to Japan which such
American aid involved. Those warm
ings now have reached an ominous
intensity. The japanese press Is in
full cry against what it asserts Is an
intolerable situation, while Captain
Hideo Harade, official navy spokes-
man, accusing America of seeking
Far Eastern Russian bases to COM
plete Japan's "encirclements" ex-
claims: "A step further and Japan
will be driven to make a decision
involving her life or death. No ma
tion with any legitimate claim to life
can be expected to accept its doom
without question or struggle"
Japan unquestionably is concen-
trating a great army along the ST.
berian border. All foreigners have
been ordered out of Manchukuo.
whose railways are pre-empted for
troop movements. Russia is re-
ported to be similarly engaged in its
Far Eastern provinces, and already
clashes between the embattled armies
admittedly have taken place.
Until recently, the main thrust OF
Japan's aggressive foreign policy was
assumed to be southwark, toward
Thailand and the Netherlands In
dies. But the prospect OF large-scale
American aid to Russia in the Far
East, plus the trend toward German
victory in the Ukraine and elsewhere
on the European front, make it pos
sible that Japan may strike north
ward. For Toxic, like Berlin, time