ATTACK ON SIBERIA

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 175, 3 November 1941, Page 3

ATTACK ON SIBERIA

POSSIBLE MOVE BY JAPAN

British and American diplomatic circles and Naval, Army and Air Force observers in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Manila noted several developments recently which, they believe, may portend that Japan is preparing to stab Russia in the back by attacking Siberia.

Such a move would be destined to divide Soviet resistance and cut oil American supplies via Vladivostok. IT Japan attacked the Soviet, it is believed that General Otozo Yamada Avill be commander-in-chief of the Japanese forces, with General Agaki commanding the right wing and Generals Yasuqi Okamura and Yosliijro Umetsu (now commander-in-chief of the Kwangtung Army) commanding the left and central forces respectively. Japan, it is also believed, would probably use her Fourth and Sixth Imperial Fleet units, strong in sub, marines and anti-submarine equipment, as her main naval forces. Soviet Strength The strength of the Soviet's Far Eastern forces is estimated at 40 infantry divisions, 50 submarines, 10 destroyers, JO torpedo boats, and 1500 aircraft. Developments which British and American official and services quarters regard as ominous are:—. Large-scale Japanese manoeuvres have started all over Manchuria, and could be the prelude to operations against Siberia. No specific reason is given for advancing by a fortnight Japan's na-tion-wide A.R.P. exercises beyond hints that centres of population are within bombing range of a possible enemy. Demei, tlie Japanese semi-official news agency, reports a message obviously designed to reassure the Japanese public. Japan, it says, has certain and ample supplies of food, iron and other raw materials from Indo-China and Hainan, and arrangements have already been completed for the export of rice from IndoChina. to Japan. The coal deposits of the northern districts of IndoChina are described as inexhaustible while Hainan has the world's largest iron ore deposits.