Evening star., 1942-10-18
Siberia Suggested as Pivotal Second Front
China Could Share in Its Benefits
By Constantine Brown.

fight the Russians and hold what they
have gained so far. This Is particular
larly true so long as American forces in
the South Pacific remain on the jap
anese fanks.
The Russians are reluctant to rouse
the Japanese. They consider themselves
strictly neutral in the Pacific area and
apply their neutrality more meticulously
than we ever applied our Neutrality Act,
before the Axis launched its attack
against us.
Picture Has Changed.
So long as their armies were fighting
the Nazis between the Dniester and the
Don this was logical and understandable.
But now the bulk Of the Russian armies
is between the Volga and the Urals, and
the Nazis are stabilizing their lines on
the east bank Of the river The Russian
lines of communication - the United
States and Great Britain are in great
danger because the Nazi air force con-
trolls the areas in the vicinity of Muir
mansk, and Archangel will be closed to
shipping within the next few weeks. r.
The food, war materials and other
supplies which the several million fight
ing Russians need can come only by way
of Persia, and the lines of communica-
ton between the Persian Gulf and the
Caspian Sea do not permit any substan-
tial shipments to be brought across. On
the other hand, there is a splendid two
track railway-the Trans -Siberian-from
Vladivostok to the Urals.
VI, Il
the air. The Japanese islands contain
the entire industry of Japan and several
big raids could cause the total destruc-
tion of the Japanese war industry. Vlad-
ivostok is only 900 miles from the heart
of Japan-a hop, skip and jump for the
big modern bomber. .-.
The bulk of the Russian bomber force
formerly stationed in Siberia is now on
the Western front, but there would be no
particular difficulty about rushing Amer
lean planes from our West Coast If the
Russians made up their minds to open
second front against Japan in East
Asia as she is asking us to butt our heads
against Nazi walls in Western Europe.
Could Help Self, Partners. al
Few military men in this country or
In England doubt that If Russia aban-
doned her neutrality in regard to Japan
she would help us greatly in putting an
end to Japans aggression and she her
seld would be in incomparably better
position in Europe next summer. The
supplies Russia needs so desperately
could reach her unhampered.
IN
closer to Russia by the Atlantic route 1t
is only 4,500 miles to Moscow, but they
are long and hard miles, patrolled win
ter and summer by the Luftwaffe and
Nazi submarine packs The present Rus
sian front is some 5000 miles from our
West Coast, which is our chief plane
producing area. BY forcing the Jap bar
rier which separates us from Siberia this
distance would seem far shorter than the
Atlantic route.
American military strategists who have
been studying this situation recently
seem to think that while the battle to
open up the trans-Pacif1c route effective
ly might be bloody and difficult-tor a
few months-it is possible to beat the
Japs down at this point, provided Pre-
mier Stain is willing to open second
front in Asia while the japanese are still
heavily engaged in the South Pacific,
China and the Indian Ocean.
Within year, or even less, this second
front may become as difficult and costly
as the second front in Europe would be
for us and the British, but China is re-
ported to be willing to make any sacrifice
and the newly reconstructed forces Of
Gen. Sir Archibald P. Wavell in India
can have more than nuisance value for
the japanese in Burma and Indo-China.
The United States is more than eager
to do its utmost for the Russians in the
Pacific.
The risk the Russians run is nowhere
nearly as great as it has been-and is
on the European front. The Russian
American British Chinese second front
in the Far East is considered by an over
whelming number Of American strate-
gists as the best bet in the next II
months, if the Russian high command
would see this matter in our light.