Tokyo Planning to Place Force on Permanent.
Footing: Air Arm Being Reformed Tokyo, Jan. 14 Plans to place the Japanese Army Manchuria on a permanent foot ting are now being studied by high army. authorities, a spokesman for the Ministry of War announced today. Maintenance of Japanese forces Jin. Manchoukuo is stipulated in the Protocol of September 15, 1982, which ig. tantamount to a defensive and offensive alliance.
'The major problems confronting the high command are the advisabilalways maintaining the same [Japanese divisions in Manchoukuo or replacing them every. few years. [The latter' method. the spokesman pointed out, would be more expen-live but would be more beneficial in that all home divisions would be trained for Manchurian duty in rotation.
These changes will demand a Jreshufling of the Japanese forces at home and will also require special consideration from a financial standpoint. he added "The Japanese forces in Manchou-luo, whose numbers are kept secret. were placed on a peace-time footing, jon January 1 this year.
"Although still referred to as the /Kuantung Garrison, the name of the forces will probably be changed to JJapenese Expeditionary Forces IManchoukuo os soon as their per-[manent status is established, the spokesman indicated—Rengo.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.