WAR IN THE EAST

Grey River Argus, 11 February 1938, Page 3

WAR IN THE EAST

• <’ TRAVELLERS’ VIEWS. AUCKLAND, January 24. Comments on various national policies and impressions of several famous men in world affairs were given by travellers here. Divergent opinions as to the possibility of war between Japan and the Soviet were given by Mr E. S. Little, who spends part of each year in both Shanghai and New Zealand, and Mr H. Graff, the German manager of'an international concert and broadcasting party, both of whom were passengers by the Wanganella. War between Japan and Russia was unlikely, according to Mr Graff, who has just spent seven months in Japan and China. The Russians were not aggressive, and any conflict would be of Japan’s making. Japan greatly feared the Soviet, however, and would be extremely careful to avoid a war. It was difficult to say whether hostilities between the two Powers were likely, said Mr Little. The Russians were peacefully inclined, although there was a war party which wished to join battle with the Japanese. According to Mr'Little, many still brooded over the ignominious defeat in the Russo-Japanese War and longed for revenge. But it was a question whether Russia would dare to attack Japan in view of the anti-Communist pact which the latter nation had signed with Germany and Italy. “Japan will ultimately be worn down by Chinese opposition; she will have to negotiate terms with China, but she will not be able to dictate.” This statement was made by Mr E. S. Little, a resident of China for 51 years, who arrived by the Wanganella from Sydney! Every summer for the past ten yeaps. Mr Little 1 has come to the Dominion to spend several months bn a property he possessqs_at Kerikeri. Bay of Islands. Except in the foreign settlement. Shanghai was in ruins,* Mr Little said. The foreign settlement was . being protected by an international army of 10,000 troops, .which was keeping the Chinese military away from the area. A certain amount of damage had occurred within the settlement. mostly through the nervousness or bad marksmanship of Chinese bombers.

Everything in the city was now dominated by the Japanese, who had taken charge of the customs and various services. Nominally the International Settlement was governed by a council of mine members, of whom five were British, two Americans, and two Japanese. Elections for a new council would be held in April, and the Japanese were keen to have three members. Whatever happened, it did not appear likely that the Japanese would permit any one to control affairs other than themselves. There was no doubt, however, that the conflict in the East had grown far bigger than Japan had intended, and that might be her undoing, Mr Little said. The Chinese were governed by hatred _of Japan. In a military sense they would not be able to stand up to the Japanese and would lose every battle, but they would gradually wear down their opponents.

The general opinion was that the 'war in the East would last another two years, that China would never be conquered, and that the Japanese would have to make peace on the best terms possible, he said. Japan had not a large enough army to occupy such a vast territory as China; for a nation of 70,000,000 people to dominate permanently another of 450,000,000 was impossible. A Russo-Japanese war was forecasted by Captain A. Alexander-Epstein, a widely-travelled business man of Paris, who has visited New Zealand on several former occasions, and is a cousin of the well-known sculptor, Mr Jacob Epstein. Of the likelihood of war between Russia and Japan, Captain Al-exander-Epstein said he had no doubt. For such a conflict Russia was already well prepared, having a standing army of approximately 1,000,000 in the region of Vladivostock. The men were well trained and thoroughly equipped, particularly with aircraft and submarines. The average age of the Russian people was 25 years, compared’ with an average age in France of 39. Russia was biding her time before she struck. Her western frontiers needed strengthening, especially along the Ukraine border. Germany had occupied the Ukraine during the Great War and longed to get this fruitful territory again under her control. Opinions of Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini expressed by Captain AlexanderEpstein were of a widely different character. Hitler he described as only a figurehead ‘in German affairs. The strength of the country rested in the efficient general staff. “Mussolini, on the other hand, is the nearest approach to Napoleon that it Is possible for a human to be,” he said. A great organiser, he had done wonders for the Italian people. -