FIGHTING IN SIBERIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18059, 6 April 1922, Page 7

FIGHTING IN SIBERIA.

JAPANESE ENGAGED. ADVANCE OF CHITA FORCES. BATTLE NEAR VLADIVOSTOK. By Tel«tr»ph—Press Association— Copyright (Received G. 5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. TOKIO, April 4. The Japanese War Office has confirmed despatches from Siberia announcing a conflict between Japanese troops and troops of the Chita Government near Spas.-'k, 100 miles from Vladivostok. Eighty' of the Chita forces were killed. A battle, in which heavy artillery is engaged, is raging. Despatches from Japanese correspondents in Siberia report frequent minor clashes between the Chita forces and the Japanese. The latter are said to be avoiding aggressions, even to the extent of withdrawals before the advance of the Chita forces. The Chita troops are pressing forward on both wings, and almost envelop the Japanese garrison at Spassk, which Japanese civilians are evacuating. The Chita troops advanced to within four miles of Spassk, exchanging shots with Japanese outposts, who withdrew. Japanese garrisons in the vicinity of Khabarovsk. 400 miles north of Vladivostok, wero ordered to withdraw. This will be difficult for some detachments, which will probably have to enter Chinese territory.

JAPAN'S FORBEARANCE. OPEN HOSTILITIES AVOIDED. Renter. TOKIO, April 4. In view of the uneasiness felt by Japanese residents and the Russian "White" forces, the Japanese command has issued a communique stating that tho withdrawals of advanced posts were not forced by the Chita troops, but were carried out in pursuance of the policy of avoiding open hostilities as long as was possible, in the hope of an eventual amicablo understanding. The communique added that in the event of future developments forcing the Japanese Army to demonstrate its efficiency it will not hesitate to take drastic stops. The Japanese command also despatched a Note to the Chita Government demanding tho immediate disarming of the invading troops or their prompt withdrawal on the initiative of the Chita Government. The correspondent of the Asahi Shimbun says that tho Chita Government is not likoly to obey, and will even court the risk of the defeat of their armies, which would be used to give support to the charge that Japan is aggressively ambitious. The Chita Government hopes thus to create American and European suspicion regarding Japan.

The Chita Government takes its name from the town of Chita in the TransBaikal province of Siberia, whore the Government of the Far Eastern Republic has been established. The Far Eastern Republic, though it does not subscribe to all the teneta of Bolshevism, maintains close relations with the Russian Soviet Government at Moscow. Its influence has been rapidly extending toward the Pacific Coast of Siberia, and its troops are now advancing on Vladivostok, which is the last stronghold of the anti-Bolshevik elements in Siberia, Japanese troops, which entered Siberia with the sanction of the Allies shortly after the Russian revolution, have been withdrawn from the interior and are now confined to the Maritime Province, which extends along the Pacific Coast to the north of Vladivostok. A conference of representatives of the Japanese Government and the Chita Government has been sitting for some months at Darien, with the object of reaching an understanding that will enable Japanese troops to be withdrawn and at the same time ensure the safety of Japanese nationals and property in Siberia. Japan is also claiming compensation for the massacre of a large number of Japanese subjects at Nikolaievsk bv Siberian Bolsheviks in 1920. ■