Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1942. RUSSIA AND THE PACIFIC.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 February 1942, Page 2

Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1942. RUSSIA AND THE PACIFIC.

* T EADERS of world opinion have declared that in this war neutrality and isolationism are dead and this dictum is accepted very widely. It is in these circumstances paradoxial, at an immediate view, that Russia and Japan, one of them fighting most valiantly on the side of Ihe united nations and the other staking all its hopes on totalitarian victory, should be still at peace with one another.

The explanation of this oddity in the world and war situation of course is not far to seek.* Russia no doubt feels that she has her hands sufficiently full in the tremendous campaign in her western territory in which she is meantime making victorious progress in a winter counter-offensive. No exception can be taken reasonably to Russia’s desire to concentrate undividedly for the time being on her conflict with Nazi Germany, but conditions may arise in which it would be reasonable that she should reconsider that policy and modify it to some extent. If, on account of the time needed by the Allies to mobilise and deploy their forces in the Pacific, the danger appears of Japan gaining such advantages as would be likely greatly to lengthen the war, Russia may have to consider whether she can afford, in her own interests, to remain at peace with Japan. Nothing can be more certain than that if Japan succeeded in establishing herself in a strong defensive position in the Pacific, her next step would be to make war on Russia. Japanese hopes rest quite as much on an Axis victory over Russia as over other Allied countries. It has to be considered, also, that by closing the supply route to Russia by way of Vladivostok, Japan is already very materially assisting her Axis allies against Russia. There are, of course, mutual and interdependent Allied interests at stake in this matter, as in the war at large. It is very much in the interests of the Allies generally that Russia should inflict maximum damage on the German war machine in the present winter campaign, and in the spring and summer campaigns to follow. Britain and the United States thus have the strongest incentive to send Russia all the war equipment and other necessary materials they can place at her disposal. The provision of these supplies for Russia has, however, its bearing on the position in the Pacific and other war theatres, on the naval responsibilities of the Allies and, from the broadest standpoint, on the control and disposal of their total war production. There can be no question of withholding or diverting the supplies now going to Russia, but it may become a question whether the general interests of the Allies do not call for a Russian declaration of war on Japan. The stage at which that position would arise could only be determined by Russia, and her Allies in consultation, with the full facts before them. At a superficial view, the danger appears that Japan, in her attacks on Singapore, Burma (where the fate of China’s only remaining supply route, the Burma Road, is at stake), the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies and the island outposts of Australia, may be able to establish herself in a position of formidable strength, with great immediate detriment to all the Allied nations, Russia not least. On the other hand, if Russia went to war with Japan, the Siberian seaboard would become available as a base for air attack on Japanese naval and other bases and Avar industrial centres. The distance to be covered is about 500 miles and authorities are agreed*that Japan is exceedingly vulnerable to air attack from Siberia. The Soviet is reported to have well over a thousand modern military aircraft based on Vladivostok and Khabarovsk and additional air forces no doubt could be introduced speedily from the United States by the Arctic route. Whether it is reasonable to expect Russia to take action on these lines is a matter to be determined in light of fuller information Ilian is available to the general public. There is not much doubt, however, that the position in the Pacific would be eased very considerably, from the Allied standpoinrt, if .Japan, with her forces as widely dispersed as they are at present, found her home territory being attacked powerfully by bombing squadrons based on Siberia.