SOVIET IN DEFIANT MOOD

Northern Advocate, 30 November 1936, Page 5

SOVIET IN DEFIANT MOOD

JAPAN TOLD WHAT ATTACK WOULD MEAN [United Press Association. —By Electric Telegraph. — Copyright.] (Received 10 a.m.) z MOSCOW, November 28, The Congress of today was marked by further impassidnate speeches defying Germany, Japan and Poland.

The President of the Soviet’s Far Eastern Executive, M. Krutoff, declared: “We are watching the preparations of the Japanese Imperialists and we warn Japan that if she attacks we will deliver a. shattering blow and will not yield an inch.”

New Munitions Centre. M. Krutoff added that the first through train had travelled from Moscow to Komsomolsk, Eastern Siberia, The latter wa!s a big new munitions and airpraft centre at the head of a new branch line north-west of Khabarovsk, It was situated in dense forest and was fairly safe from aerial bombing.

Amid tremendous acclamation, M. Krutoff introduced Marshal Blucher, commander of the immense Red Army which faces the Japanese in the Far East. Additions To Navy. Additions to the Russian Navy since 1933 were revealed by Admiral Orloff. He said submarines had been increased sevenfold, other warships threefold, and the Air Force fivefold. The Pacific and Baltic submarine fleets were faster and could be .longer submerged than those of any other navy in the world.. “In the face of measures being taken, notably by Germany and Japan,” said Admiral Orloff, “we cannot leave our coast undefended.” Strategically Important. Major-General A. C. Temperley, military correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph,” points out that the Komsomolsk railway is of considerable strategic importance, being the third great military line Russia has built to maintain communication with Vladivostok.

The line became necessary when the Japanese built strategic railways which brought the old trans-Siberian railway along the Amur to within striking distance of Russia. Japan also built heavy frontier fortifications, but nothing could alter the strategical weakness of her communications crossing the front of a potential enemy, even if at a considerable distance away.

The Soviet , continues boasting of their war measures, when the Assistant Chief of the Air Force, Khripin, at the All Union Congress, said: “The Soviet possesses 7000 planes, of which over 200 are for the front line, exceeding Germany both in number and in quality.” Hundreds of Soviet planes had a speed of 280 miles per hour, vrhile in the near future they would be able to attain 375 m.p.h.