Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-06
COMMERCIAL Prestige IS At STAKE
Be- 'ss Desire to Hold Controlling
>CS<SA r in Chinese Province.
NAVIGATION BONE OF CONTENTION
japan Would Declare Russo Chinese
Treaty Abrogsted by War.
CAR CLAIMS TO STAND FOR OPEN DOOR
Allegation Made that Russia Has
Yielded More Than Justice De-
mRnds, but japan Insists
on More.

on More,
ST. PETERSBURG, Jan. 6.-(SpeciaL)
The dispute between Russia and Japan is
everywhere discussed with measure of
anxiety. The Russo-Japanese negotiations
began at st Petersburg, apparently under
favorable auspices, each party protesting
a desire to deal with outstanding questions
In the spirit of give and take. Moot ques-
tions were those which the Portsmouth
treaty had referred to the good sense and
the good will OF both governments, more
particularly the conclusion of a CONNER
cial treaty and the definition of the fishing
rights to be conferred upon Japanese sub
jects on the Pacific coast of Russia. The
Russian government tackled the unpleasant
task in the spirit of a self-respecting
sportsman who. having lost certain sum
regards it as debt of honor and proceeds
TO pay every penny, but naturally expects
his obligations to extend no further than
the debt incurred. Hence the negotiations
opened well. Corea's international status
being among the first topics dealt with
Russia evinced most liberal attitude,
foregoing its right to question Japans In
terpretations, the deductions and the prac-
teal consequences of which, were II ami
mated by desire of profting by technical
arguments in its favor, it might have done.
Its motives were the desire of establishing
a lasting peace and cultivating neighborly
terms with its recent adversary. For the
same reasons further exorbitant claims
which the Mikado's government advanced
were regarded as mere desires, not as
practical proposals, still less as irreducia-
BILE demands
Tshis ia cIa hos NOT hean
appreciated 1t is claimed that Japan in
sists upon unacceptable terms, the refusal
of which by Russia may be arbitrarily in
terpreted as a refusal to observe the Ports
mouth treaty, while their acceptance would
transform the peace between the two en-
pires into the merest armistice. That is the
present position. and 1t is claimed that II
deserves the attention OF all of the sincere
friends OF peace.
Japan Wants Rivers.
In the first place then, 1t appears that
Japan requires the rivers Sangar and
Amur to be opened to international navi-
CATION. Russia asking wherefore, receives
the answer: Because the third clause Of
the Portsmouth treaty involves this act of
self denial and abrogates ipso facto the
Agun treaty by which China in 1858 con-
ferred upon Russia the right Of navigating
those rivers, and also because. last year.
Japan concluded a treaty with China by
which the latter state throws open to it's
trade all commercial centers in the Amur
and Sungari basin.
Here the czars jurisconsults join issue
with the Japanese, pointing out that the
Portsmouth treaty neither implies nor in
wolves Russia's renunciation OF special
rights on the rivers aforesaid, and cannot
possibly be taken to abrogate the treaty
concluded by China and Russia because
international treaties are annulled in a
different way. In the third clause of the
Portsmouth treaty the Russian government
declares that II possesses in Manchuria no
| territorial privileges or preferential or ex-
ceptionaI concessions calculated to infringe
upon China's sovereign rights, or incom-
patible with the principle of equality of
rights Now, the authorization to navigate
the Amur and the Sungari rivers is not in
cluded by that declaration because 1t is
not a mining. railway or agrartan privilege,
neither does it encroach upon China's SOW
ereign rights any more than the navigation
of the Prussian stretch OF the River Wis
tula by Russian steamers would be a vio-
lation of the king of Prussia's sovereign
rights. Riparian peoples are accustomed
to accord each other navigating privileges
on the river systems that traverse both
| countries These rights are the outcome OF
geological situations and are bestowed only
| by neighbors upon each other AS the
Portsmouth treaty could not abrogate the
Aigun treaty. neither could last year s
/ agreement between China and Japan abb
rogate II, and in neither document is the
Aigun treaty mentioned. The first clause
OF the Chino-Japanese treaty provides for
the opening of various Manchurian centers
to international commerce. To this Russia
has offered no objection, although the term
for the evacuation has not yet expired.
Nor does it affect the river navigation.
Evacuation of Manchuria.
The complaints which are being uttered
that Russia is slow to evacuate Man
churia and that the foreign powers are
Indifferent to it's procrastination are
| deeply to be regretted because being ut
terly groundless they betray a spirit
which would not be conducive TO such TO
lations between the two countries as
would guarantee lasting peace in the far
east. The truth is that it is conceded
quite generally that Russia has with
drawn its troops with commendab,e ,e
promptitude, and so much more quickly
than Japan that at present its military
establishment there is numerically less
much less, than that of its neighbor In
deed. Japan has about twice as many sol.
diers as Russia there.
The dissatisfaction expressed at Rus
sia's attitude on the question Of the Sag,
halien fisheries is equally unfounded. Sc
serupulpusly has the Russian government
acted In this matter and so anxious has
II been not to prejudice any ostentationi
| point that even where Il might reasonably
farm out the fisheries to its own subjects
on longtime leases. as heretofore. II has
docliaed to grant leases for longer than q
twelve month. On the other hand II has
not published complaints, although ia
subjects have not yet received either fish,
cry rights In Southern Saghalien or tbs
property which was seized there. And
yet the tenth clause OF the Portsmouth
treaty completely guarantees those rights
Outsiders who stand up for the Oper
door and equal opportunities have sug