Recent arrivals from Manchoukuo throw a fresh light on the arrest of nineteen foreigners recently made by the government of that state on the charge of listening in to the foreign broadcasts. Apparently the situation along the Mancht-Soviet border is not as easy as Japanese reports would appear to indicate, for there are large formations of Russian troops within striking distance of the frontier, and a considerable amount of tension exists. During the last few weeks, according to these informants, there have been several Russian broadcasts to the White Russian inhabitants of Manchoukuo, many of whom have not been having an easy time recently. The Soviet broadcasts promise that relief from the oppression under which the White Russians are supposed to be suffering will soon be coming. They remind the White Russians that, no matter what their political convictions, they are Russians, and the. Soviets will not hold their former opposition to the communist regime against They are urged to ensure for a short yet, until the armies of Stalin can come and save them from their servitude. If such broadcast talks are being received in Harbin aid other cities in Manchoukuo where there is a large Russian population, the recent Japanese ban on ig to foreign radio speeches can be od. How much import-Tance should be attached to such promises is, of course, a matter: of opinion. It should not be at similar promises were made by the Soviets during the war against Poland which place shortly after the success of the Red wÜlution, yet these promises were proved to after the war had been concluded. The "fact remains, however, that a definite threat to Japanese domination of Manchuria underlies these broadcasts. What else could be meant by the pledge to relieve the White Russians from their servitude? How otherwise than by military action could the Soviets hope to relieve the sufferings of the White Russians, provided these sufferings exist? And why should the Japanese ban listening in to these broadcasts unless they took the threats seriously?
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.