Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-14
JAPAN PRESENTS CASE
Shows That Russia Provoked
the War.
DOCUMENTS OFFERED
PROVING THAT SHE HAD FOR
MONTHS BEEN SENDING TROOPS
Into the Country About Port Arthur
In Anticipation Of
Conflict.
DOCUMENTS OFFERED

conference Saturday afternoon was taken
up with presentation Of the Russian claim
that Japan was responsible for the war and
a signal refutation Of this claim by the sub
mission of documents which completely 81
fenced M. Witte and his associate.
In the morning M. Witte had handed to
Komura and Takahira Russia's answer to
the original demand Of Japan. In declining
to pay an indemnity the Russian plenipo-
tentiaries held that their country had not
courted war, that their foreign Office was
in no way responsible for the outbreak Of
hostilities. and the nation could not be ac-
cused of having forced Japan to the enor-
nous expense entailed since February OF
last year. That Russia was not seeking
war NJ. Witte said, was shown In the
fact that she was not prepared for 1t In
military, naval or administrative sense. She
had not broken any of her obligations nor
evaded any in Manchuria. Japan was the
aggressor, and the car. having half mil
lion men in the field now ready to hight,
could not be expected to recognize the Jap
anese proposal for reimbursement.
|. Baron komura, says the correspondent
tore this argument to pieces in the after
.noon..> Mr.. Sato and the other secretaries
brought over three suit cases filled with
documents to prove the Japanese case. and
when Komura had ended his history OF the
proceedings up to the breaking out Of the
war he informed the Russian plenipotenti-
aries that if they could disprove the plain
evidence, why then, it would be well to DO
1t by presenting documentary proof.
Events Leading Up to War.
In answer to NJ. Whites statement that
Russia was not expecting war and was
seeking peace Mr.. Komura submitted
statement of what Russia had done from
May, 1904, until November of the same
year in augmenting her naval strength In
the yellow sea-or. properly speaking.
Port Arthur. Russia had begun to do this
when Japan had courteously asked her if
she did not propose to state specifically
when she would evacuate Manchuria and
when she would cease terrifying points
the Yalu river adjacent to Korea.
Mr.. Komura produced the figures of Rus
sia's increase in naval strength In Port Ar
thur during the period when negotiations
were going on between the two nations.
In six months Russia had sent to Port Ar
thur by sea three battleships, one armored
cruiser, five protected cruisers, seven tor
pedo-boat destroyers, one gunboat and two
mine shps-a total Of nineteen, with tom
mage of S2,415. Mr.. Komura asked if that
was meant for peace or war.
Then he informed the Russian plen!po-
tentiaries that the most significant act of
the war committed by Russia, which he
then disclosed for the first time officially,
was that in September, five months be-
fore the war the ST Petersburg govern
ment has sent nine topedo boat destroyers
by rail across Siberia from Russia to Port
Arthur; that the work Of putting these
vessels together was hurried by engineers
and machinists brought from Germany. and
that seven of them had been completed
before the declaration of war. In addition
Mr.. Komura pointed out that before HOSTILE
ties were begun the naval authorities in
ST Petersburg had ordered out bat
tleship three cruisers, seven destroyers
and four torpedo boats, with a total ton
mage of 81 ,740, and that only circumstances
for which Russia was not responsible COM
nalt ha M
the Red sea.
Again Mr. Komura showed that on July
3, 1904. on the pretext OF trial of trans
portation the Siberian railway, Russia
had sent to northern Manchuria two COM
plete infantry brigades, two artillery bat
talonS, three regiments of cavalry, a MILL
tary train and a complete hospital outfit
Then. for the alleged purpose, as announced
by the military authorities in st. Peters,
burg, of accustoming the Russian soldiers
In Europe to the rigors of Manchurian
winter, an entire brigade of infantry, two
more artillery battalions and body Of
cavalry were sent out In September. thus
augmenting the army in Manchuria by
more than 10000 men of all arms.
Some Specific Proof.
Then by specific proof Japan's chief envoy
showed that throughout all the summer Of
1904 and the winter men were engaged day
and night in strengthening the Notifications
of Port Arthur and Vladivostok. building
forts at Hunchun and Liaoyang, and that
finally, on October IL, 1904 train of four
teen cars departed from Moscow for Man
churia laden with the equipment or held
hospital
cit was, therefore clear to Japan and to
all the powers Of the world" Baron Ko-
mura said, who had Interested themselves
in obtaining accurate information, that
Russia never had the least inclination for
a friendly settlement, but sought solely by
military preponderance to force Japan INTO
submission"
Baron Komura produced documents to
show that at 10 o'clock on the morning or
January u, twenty-six days before the out
break of the war, Admiral Alexien had dls-
patched three regiments of infantry, de-
tachment OF cavalry and battalion of ar
tillery to the northern frontier of Korea,
and he produced a copy or an order signed
by Alexieff on January %. ten days before
the war sent to the forces In the vicinity
of the Yalu, ordering them TO prepare FOR
war Finally, on February l. the com
mander at Vladivostok, under orders of his
government, notified the Japanese CONNER
cial agents at that port that as a state of
siege might at any moment be proclaimed,
he would have to request them 10 prepare
to withdraw to HabarOVSk.
Having thus shown Russas intention Ill
tmately to refuse the japanese demand.
Baron Komura produced all the documents
which had gone between HIM, Minister ku-
rino in ST. Petersburg and Baron Rosen In
Tokyo for the six months preceding the
war; and he held that the reading OF these
records showed conciusiVely RUSSIA clear
intention not only not to take step out
of Manchuria but to fortify 1t at all neces-
sary points; and. Furthermore. Baron Ko-
mura pointed out that these diplomatic
communications clearly proved Russia S in
tentions in Manchuria, because In three of
them she had insisted on the establishment
of buffer state. to be called neutral terri
tory between the Russian possessions In
Manchuria and the Kingdom of Korea. Most
of this territory was to be taken from
Korea north of the thirty-ninth parallel.
These communications came from Count
was the further insistence that, although
Russia desired this buffer state, Japan
must bind herself not to use any portion
OF Korean territory for strategical pur-
poses.
The Manchurian Question.
Mr.. Komura produced the documents in