SOVIET TROOPS MASSING.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 9 April 1927, Page 9

SOVIET TROOPS MASSING.

What Does This Portend? ALARMIST INTERPRETATIONS DEPRECATED, By Cable—Press Association —Copyright. Sydnoy, “ Sun ’’ Service. * (Received April 8, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, April 7. Soviet despatches received in London report the massing of at least three Russian battalions, on the borders oi Ma lelmria and Mongolia. Some believe that this is connected with tho strained relntinnvs between China and the Soviet, but official circles deprecate alarmist interpretations. They particularly deprecate the idea that this may portend a Chino-Soviet war. It is pointed out that. Russia is unlikely to forget that a declaration of war would only recoil on herself, because it would frustrate the Soviet’s present methods of conducting a world-wido Communist campaign. For example, Britain would he ablo to intern or deport every Russian intriguer and agitator, and presumably every British Dominion would . take similar action. Well-informed sources regal’d the presence of Russian troops rather as a threat, with a view to preventing General Cluing-Tso-Lin proceeding iurther south against the Cantonese troops. “CHOKED WITH WAR SUPPLIES.” SOVIET’S WARLIKE ACTIVITIES.

By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received April 8, 10.30 p.m.) COPENHAGEN, April 7. The Soviet is despatching General Lebeder to command the troops on the Manchurian frontier. Tho trans-Siberian railway is choked with war supplies.