"November 1935"

The first person to come forward and give a date to the next Russo-Japanese war was little Major General Eiko Tojo. Last week General Tojo, who heads the Japanese War Office's press bureau, declared:

"Japan's neighbors, the United States, Russia, and China, knowing that Japan is likely to be confronted with various international difficulties in November 1935, are steadily preparing for war. . . . Japan's desire for expansion on the Eastern Asiatic continent, manifested in her Manchurian policy, has been her unalterable policy since her foundation. . . . Japan should maintain strong pressure on the continent. Only thus can she keep at bay the Soviets' attempt to advance in the Orient."

What General Tojo heard from his superiors as soon as this interview was published set his yellow ears atingle. In embarrassment he explained to reporters that when he said "November 1935" he was merely "referring to the general period of 1935 and 1936." When he said "strong pressure," he did not really mean "armed force."

In Moscow strong-jawed General Vassili Bluecher, commander of Red troops in Siberia, spoke just as bluntly to the All-Union Communist Party Congress, and made no retractions afterward:

"I shall confine myself to three proofs that Japanese action in Manchuria is not defensive:

"They have built in Manchuria more than 1,000 kilometres of railroads up toward our frontiers.

"They have built 2,200 kilometres of main roads in these two years, either parallel to our borders or running from the interior to the frontier. . . .

"They have laid out 50 airdromes and air bases, all of them above Mukden. . . .

"We have quite definite information that the Japanese have put 130,000 men in Manchuria, plus 110,000 or 115,000 troops of the Manchukuo Army and 12,000 Russian White Guards. . . . We have barred our frontier with a lock of steel and concrete strong enough to resist the sharpest teeth. . . . We fear no comparison with an enemy in tanks and aviation."

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