| Show Russ Russ Denunciation of Jap Pact May Put Her in Pacific War WASHINGTON April 5 UP Russia's denunciation of her hern n neutrality pact with Japan was hailed by observers here as meanIng meaning mean mean- meaning ing that sh she will ultimately Join the allies aIlles In war against the island empire The prospective Russian participation might shorten the Pacific war When the Rus Russian ian participation will begin remains to be seen Under Under Under Un Un- der terms of the pact it it will re remain remain remain re- re main in force until April 25 25 1946 Cornered Japan might however provoke hostilities before that date This possibility was based on these facts I 1 1 Japans Japan's home Islands are now directly threatened and are arc highly vulnerable 2 She may be expected to make a last stand fight fig from northern China and Manchuria 3 3 To secure these are areas a. a she might well try to seize flanking I areas of Siberia with the strong forces she has built up on the con con- conI I 4 As she proved at Pearl Harbor Harbor Harbor Har Har- bor Japan believes in the military wisdom of ot seizing the initiative without respect for diplomatic niceties On the other hand the Russian far eastern tern forces also are strong and Japan may not want to tempt trouble with them News of the U. U S S. S S. S Rs R.'s action was received happily here Speculation Speculation lation immediately arose that Russia's Russia's Russia's Rus Rus- sias sia's denunciation of ot the treaty may have contributed to the downfall downfall downfall down down- fall of Premier cabinet The new development was well timed from this country's view view- point Contrary to popular belief at the time U. U S S. S military authorities authorities authorities ties did not especially want Russia Russia Russia Rus Rus- sia to go to war against Japan in the months after Pearl Harbor The armchair strategists strategist's theory then was that the United States would be greatly benefited by SIberian Si Siberian Siberian SI- SI berian bases from which to bomb Japan But military leaders knew that Russia had to concentrate against Germany and that we could not then defend such bases They knew also that any precIpitate precipitate tate action giving Japan an excuse excuse excuse ex ex- cuse to seize them would confer on the enemy a strategic advantage advantage tage for the future Now however ever with Germany reeling toward disaster in the west and the tide turned against Japan in the cast east both Russia Russi and the United States are in a greatly improved improved improved im im- im- im proved position to exploit whatever whatever what what whatever ever new situations may develop tt thin tain neutrality toward each other until expiration of the treaty's year five-year term April 25 1916 The pact signed in Moscow April 13 1941 and ratified 12 days later binds the two parties to maintain maintain maintain main main- tain peaceful and friendly relations relations relations rela rela- between them and to fo observe observe observe ob ob- ob- ob serve neutrality throughout the duration of any conflict in which either might be engaged with anI another another an an- I other power The clause setting the term to this obligation is Article III The lit The present pact comes into force from the day of its ratification by both contracting contracting contracting contract contract- ing parties and remains valid for five years In case neither of the contracting parties denounces the pact one year before expiration of the term it will be considered automatically automatically au au- au- au prolonged for the next five years What Russia has done is to forestall forestall forestall fore fore- stall any obligation to be bound by the pact beyond April 1946 to give notice that she recovers full freedom of ot action as regards Japan from that time However the effect of denunciation denunciation tion must be to weaken the force of ot the obligation of neutrality on both sides It remains to be seen whether both can can keep the the- letter of the pact during the tense period period period pe- pe pe pe- ushered In by Moscow's action |
