Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-30
JAPAN AND RUSSIA.
Signing Of Trade Treaty Renews Ami
cable Relations.

ST. PETERSBURG. July 3O.-The signing
Sunday at the foreign Office here of the
treaties Of commerce, navigation and fish
cry between Russia and Japan will be fol-
lowed shortly by the publication of a politi-
cal entente wiping out the last traces Of the
contentious and hostilities arising from the
late war.
The foreign Office yesterday confirmed a
dispatch from Toxic on this matter, and
admitted officially that general political
agreement between the two states was in
course of preparation; that the negotiations
to this end had almost reached their con-
clusion. and that the signatures would be
affixed to this document within few days.
This entente is conceived along the same
general lines the recent similar agree
ment between France and Japan Under
Its terms Russia and Japan will mutually
guarantee their rights and territory. The
negotiations looking to this entente have
been conducted with complete secrecy be-
cause of the Japanese dislike of publicity,
but 1t was learned that Foreign Min
lister lswolsky's desire to settle pending
questions IN the far east and inaugurate a
new policy Of peaceful colonization and de-
velopment In the Russian provinces border
ing On the Pacific was met in a spirit of
moderation and Cancellation on the part Of
Japan winch enabled satisfactory progress
to be made and assured successful out
come. The relations between Russia and
Japan are on such satisfactory basis that
the recent occurrences In Korea exercised
no lnnuence upon them. Russia, who con-
siders herself bound by the treaty of Ports
mouth, Is content to give other nations
whose hands are free, a chance to cham
piOn the Koreans.
The commercial treaty between the two
countries Is OF temporary nature. It ex-
pires In 1911. No provision is made for a
tarif agreement, but in place Of such an
understanding the two powers agree mu-
clause. They stipulate further that the
subjects Of each shall enjoy equal CONNER
clal opportunity, without hindrance or dis
elimination, and that neither shall be sub
1ect to special imposts The most impor
tant feature Of this convention consists Of
an article excluding I>wantung province
from the provisions of the treaty.
The fisheries convention Is to last for
twelve years. There has been much dis
satisfa ction over the question of fishing
rights. The convention embraces the Ok
hotsk, Yellow sea and Boring strait areas.
1t includes all sea animals, with the excep-
mapped into sections, the fishing rights for
which shall be auctioned publicly to the
highest bidder. The Russian government Is
Obliged to furnish the Russian consul at
Vladivostok with two months notice of the
intention to hold such auctions The Japa-
nese concessionaires are given the right to
cure fish on the oeach. Russia makes I'M
usually liberal concessions to Japanese fish
ing on the Russian coast and the Amur
river, and 1t is claimed that under these
privileges Japan will dominate the fisheries
of the Pacific.
The convention bestows upon Japanese
subjects the right to fish along the entire
coast, with the exception of thirty-fo In
let's and rivers; to repair their fishing yes
sells and to erect sheds for the drying Of
Ash in che sun or by fire and other neces-
sary buildings. The Japanese are to pay
the same taxes as Russians, and the export
Of fish to Japan is declared to be free from
all export duty. The japanese concession
borers along the coast, except at the mouth
Of the Amur river. where they are obliged
to employ Russians.
In view Of the cheap price Of coole labor,
1t is believed that the Japanese will be able
to beat down all competition at the public
aucti9als at Vladivostok and become pos
scarf Of nearly all thA 6shin& concsssiauS.