USE OF SIBERIAN BASES

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24389, 16 October 1944, Page 3

USE OF SIBERIAN BASES

REPORTED PLEDGE BY RUSSIANS . NEW YORK, OcU 13. Air bases in Siberia for launching bombing attacks agafnst Japan .have been pledged to the Allies by Russia after the War in Europe ends, according to the Chicago “Tribune’s” Washington correspondent, who says that the information comes from an unimpeachable source. A pledge is reported to have been made personally by Mr Stalin to a high-ranking American official. The correspondent adds that it i?‘ not disclosed whether the pledge includes a Russian declaration of war against Japan. - Observers in Washington, however, believe that Russia would not join in the attack because all Soviet energies will be needed to rebuild the territory ravaged by the Njuds, The granting of these bases would constitute reverse lend-lease by Russia. Therd has been for a considerable tim£ criticism in America over the Government’s failure to demand action by Russia against Japan in return for, the billions of dollars’ worth of material poured into the Soviet.