SOVIET’S EAST FRONT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22368, 15 September 1934, Page 4

SOVIET’S EAST FRONT

COSTLY DEFENCE WORK ENTRENCHED RAILWAYS. According to latest information from Soviet territory (says the Morning Post), the Soviet Government is militarising the whole of the Far East at a rapid rate. From every part of Soviet Russia troops and supplies are being entrained for the Far East as 1 quickly as possible, and the whole railway line from Irkutsk to the Pacific Ocean is under military control. Private individuals cannot travel except with the permission of the military commanders, while everywhere that the line is yet a single one double tracking is being carried on as fast as possible. The railway lines are protected on both sides by wire entanglements, and trenches have been dug parallel to the tracks. The whole of the population born in the year 1907-1908 are being mobilised and being despatched to the East. The whole of the Far East is filled with arms and guns of every kind; this is more particularly to be seen from Chita to Dauria, and at all points near the Manchurian frontier. Aerodromes have been built in all parte of the country, most of them able to house not less than 60 aeroplanes, while at the station of Badabulan there is a large aerodrome, where a great number of bombing aeroplanes are to be seen.

Even at small sidings troops are now stationed, and barracks are being erected every year on the railway line. At such a small station as Dauria there are at present 15,000 troops, with tanks of the latest type. The Harbin Times, in a leading article, states that in 1931 the U.S.S.R. started a plan to ‘militarise the entire Soviet Far East, creating huge fortifications not only in the districts of the Maritime, Amur and Transbaikal Provinces, but along the whole coast of the Pacific. These plans, however, were more than it was in their power to carry out. Owing to this, it was decided in Moscow to start work in the first place in the three Far Eastern Provinces only, those that lay /along the frontiers of the Manchurian Empire, leaving the shores of the Pacific Ocean, and particularly Kamchatka, to be fortified at some future date. American steamers are reported to be arriving on the shores of Kamchatka, bringing large quantities of building materials, and there will be enormous abases constructed on the Kamchatka shore for (provisions, naphtha, coal and other materials.

Great attention is being paid by Soviet circles to the development of aviation in the far north. Engineers of American construction companies, it .is reported, are taking part in the work.