Evening star., 1953-12-02

to build up Russia's military
might. they reported.
A japanese civilian expert on
Russia affairs described the So
Wet economic and military
buildup in Siberia as "terrify-
ing"
Convicted as war criminals by
the Russians, the japanese were
the first to come back from ST.
IBERIA since April, 1850.
Their return from Siberia to
this southern port. formerly an
imperial naval base, was ar
ranged by a Japanese Red Cross
delegation in Moscow. They ar
rived on the passenger ship
Koan.
A woman repatriate said she
learned of the atom bomb plant
from a Russian worker who had
helped build it in the Angara
River area, west of Lake Baikal
In South-Central Siberia.
The woman, who asked not to
be named, said she was told
uranium ore from the Arctic
Circle was brought up the Yen
essi River to the plant on the
Angara, which is a tributary of
the YeneSsi. The Yenessi emp
ties into the Arctic Ocean.
None of the other prisoners
told of an atom bomb plant, but
several said that they knew the
Russians were building some
thing big on the Angara River.
Others said they had heard
that JapaneSe-war prisoners
never accounted for by the Rus
Sians-were in slave camps inside
the Arctic circle of Central Si-
IBERIA and farther south along the
Sea of Okhotsk, working in
uranium mines. The sea- lies
north of Japan.
All but the higher ranking Off
GERS said they had worked as
slave laborers. Some said they
got a pittance day on construc-
ton jobs if they fulfilled a GER
tain quota of work.
Clothed in Russian half coats
and trousers and bearing a few
bundles of personal possessions,
they came home with deep lines
in their faces.
The highest ranking officer, 1t.
Gen. Yoichi Hitomi, said the
Russians had built many jet
fighter and bomber bases in ST.
IBERIA.
Col. Uichi HosagaWa, former
public information officer of the
KWantung army and virtual die
tator Of Manchuria'S wartime
hpresS, termed the development in
Eastern Siberia frightening" in
its vastness and relentless pro-
gresS.
Col. HoSagawa said that dur
ing his eight years in Khaba-
rovsk, known as the Soviet
Unions political, military and
cultural nerve center in Eastern
Siberia, that city had grown by
leaps and bounds.
A 43-year-old former employe
OF the huge state-subsidized
Manchukuo Electric Power
Corp. said. 'The tremendous de-
velopment of the economic po-
tential of Siberia is simply ter
rifying."
This expert on Russian affairs
said the accelerated develop
ment of Siberia was not limited
to heavy industry alone, but
could be seen in consumer
products and in social welfare
facilities"
The Soviets are pushing the
development of Siberia with
tremendous pressure" he said.
Mind you, the work is now be-
Ing done by the Soviet people
themselves. The era of foreign
slave-labor seems to have
passed"
n Another repatriate credited
the progress of Soviet plans to
increased mechanization and
greater mechanical and techni-
cal knoW-how of the average
Soviet worker.
A research expert from the
South Manchuria railway, sent
enced to 25 years in prison for
alleged documentary espion-
. age" told of his experiences in
the coal-mining center of Karag-
andah in Central Asia.
Big Completes Developed.
G "Karagandah was one vast
coal field" he said. There were
dozens of mines. The production
of each individual mine was not
astounding, but the total output
was tremendous because of the
vastneSs of the coal field. The
Russians maSsed thousands and
thousands of workers in that
area alone. Equally vast coal
mine complexes are being de-
veloped all over Siberia"
Another repatriate formerly
with Japanese counter intelli-
gence unit in Harbin, said Pre-
mier Malenkov's new consumer
production policy was making
itself felt in lower prices and
more abundant goods on the So
Wet market.
There has been annually an
average is per cent drop in
prices. Prices on some consumer
goods have been slashed as much
as so to 70 per cent" he said.
Another Russian expert said
there was evidence of a tre-
mendous trade with Red China.
"The effect of this trade is
noticeable on the consumer mar
ket in the form of fruit" he said.
Oranges and bananas from
South China we're plentiful on
the market at cheap price"
A Friend Comes Back.