RUSSIA’S WAR PREPARATIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 July 1938, Page 7

RUSSIA’S WAR PREPARATIONS

ESCAPEE’S REVELATIONS LARGE FORCE IN FAR EAST [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.} TOKIO, July 3. “I am £i. traitor to Stalin, but. never • a traitor to: ; .my fatherland,” said M. Lushkov, in kn alleged statement which he made to the Domei News Agency. The statement declared that Stalin is preparing to wage war against Japan, and that he has concentrated four hundred thousand men and two thousand warplanes to the east of Lake Baikal, and also concentrated 90 submarines at Vladivostok. The statement added that Stalin was assisting China to engage Japan in a war of exhaustion, after which Russia intended to attack Japan. Lushkov admitted that he had been collaborating in Stalin’s terrorism, this resulting in the massacre of thousands: but he said that he had repented for it. He alleged that Stalin had fabricated the intrigues which have been featured in the recent Soviet trials in order to liquidate his rivals as undesirables. Lushkov said- that the accused were shockingly tortured, until they deposed according to requirements. He added that dissatisfaction at Stalin’s activities was widespread in Russia. ESCAPE PLAN SUCCEEDS. (Recd. July 4, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, July 3. Lushov scented personal danger in May, when Marshal Blucher, Com-mander-in-Chief of the A Far Eastern Red Army, after a visit to Moscow, reprimanded him, after which his secretary was recalled to Moscow. Lushkov decided to escape the execution squad. He sent his wife to Moscow, so that she could go to Poland, while he would contrive to. reach. Manchukuo. He, after his wife’s departure, left Habarovsk ostensibly' on a tour of inspection of the Soviet-Manchukuo frontier. He received a telegram from his wife, indicating she was safe in Poland. Lushkov thereupon ordered a rearrangement of the frontier guards, and taking advantage of the confusion resulting from it, crossed the border in a dense fog on June 13, and sur- . rendered to the Japanese. He is now at Tokio. under detention, but is treated well. ATTACK ON SWATOW. SHANGHAI, July 2. In- addition to scores of Japanese bomber planes yesterday killing and ’ - injuring 400 at Swatdw, Japanese war-. ■ ships have begun shelling the city. Thousands are fleeing for'safety. Japanese motor-boats .have penetrated the Matang boom- on the Yaiigtse River. The Chinese have laid another boom at Hukow, 20 miles below Kiukiang, but the floods are minimising its effectiveness, though they are simultaneously retarding the Japanese attempts to travel upstream. CHINESE GUERILLAS. PEKIN, July 2. The Japanese estimate that at present, a quarter of a million Chinese guerilla troops are them in. the provinces of Hopei. Shangtung and Shanai. they being especially stubborn at Nankow Pass. AERIAL CLAIMS (Recd. July 4, 1.30 p.m.). SHANGHAI. July 3. Chinese planes raiding the Japanese river fleet at Nanking, claim to have sunk twelve, including an aircraft carrier and 1 two destroyers;.-and .to have disabled twenty-three. The Japanese claim to have brought down seven of fourteen Chinese planes at Nanking, besides sinking a-’Chfnese' gunboat. . . , Chiang Kai Shek sent ■ a circular to his officers, saying that although the hostilities' are serious, the terrain and . man-power are in favour of China in L the decisive stage nWw imminent. Vic- - tory is certain, if the 'Civil and..military officials co-operate with the-peo-ple, in augmenting the army. MUNITIONS SUPPLIES LONDON, July 3. The Tokio correspondent of “The Times”.says: The Japanese agree that munitions' entering China from Hong Kong and Macao are a mere fraction of the quantity from Indo-Chiha and the land routes. The Chines 1 e boast they have enough accumulated for ■ years of intense' fighting.