LULL IN FAR EAST

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 24 October 1941, Page 6

LULL IN FAR EAST

RUSSIA’S SIBERIAN ARMY ALERTNESS OF BRITAIN AND UNITED STATES SOBERING INFLUENCES ON TOKIO (Rec., 1.40 p.m.) Manila, Oct. 23 Tin- luri'r force Russia is still maintaining un the Siberian border is believed to be the ehief factor influencing the present lull in the Far Eastern situation. Reliable military information shows that despite reports to the contrary Russia has not seriously weakened her Far East forces. She still has 500,000 troops along the Siberian— Manc.hu kuoan border and another army of 350,000 in a sector examined from Lake Baikal to Kamchatka peninsula. i The Red Army has trail.'-ferred five | reserve divisions and ; ome fight< r I planes and tanks from east of the Urals Ito the Moscow area, but the equip- ■ rnent will soon be replaced by the j United States. j Another sobering influence on Tokio ! is the alertness of Britain, the United j States and the Netherland Indies to. ; prevent any further nibble which may I . I whet Japan’s imperialistic appetite. Di.tfh observers in the Far East iio not believe an outbreak of war in the I’a.cifie is imminent, mainly because Japan is not yet ready and knows it. Observers believe, however that the 1 war of nerves will be intensified. The : I divers military, diplomatic and econo at present embroiled is also influencing ■ the lull. Japan is engaged in sub- ■ i jugating Indo -China and in intrigues in | Thailand. She is policing occupied [China, fighting free China, and watch-j | mg Siberia. She is engaged alternative- | ; ly in putting out economic feelers to ( "ITh? Netherlands Indies and issuing j threats against the Dutch. She is also ' ! endeavouring to build up the Carolines 1 ! as an arrowhead against the outer 1 i islands of the Indies and British and 1 j Dutch New Guinea. , Admiral Hart, in a speech at Manila. 1 ' said. "If the United States enters the dispute for control of the high seas I jam confident we will not be hampered 1 very long. The Philippines should ( .[prepare mentally to face the possibility of war in the western Pacific. I still « 1 ; have hope that we will not have trouble out here, but it is not enough 1 ; i hope to permit the navy to cease pre- i 1 paring.”—U.P.A.