The midland journal., 1907-08-02
The LAST TRACES OF
A NOTABLE WAR
Japan and Russia Now On AmicabIs
Terms.
RUSSIA PLANNING COLONIZATION.
Treaties of Commerce, Navigation and
Fishery Between the Two Countries
Soon to Be Followed by Publication of
Political Entente, Wiping Out the
Last Vestige of Hostilities.

St Petersburg (By Cable).-The
signing at the foreign Office here of
the treaties of commerce, navigation
and fishery between Russia and
Japan will be followed shortly by
the publication of political entente
wiping out the last traces of the
contentious and hostilities arising
from the late war.
The foreign office confirmed the
dispatch from Toxic on this matter
and admitted officially that a gen.
eral political agreement between the
two states was in course of prepara-
tion that the negotiations to this
end had almost reached their con-
clusion, and that the signatures
would be affixed to this document
within a few days.
This entente is conceived along
the same general lines as the re-
cent similar agreement between
France and Japan. Under its terms
Russia and Japan will mutually
guarantee their rights and territory.
The negotiations looking to this en-
tente have been conducted with COM
plete secrecy because of the japanese
dislike of publicity, but it was learn
ed that Foreign Minister Iswolsky's
desire to settle pending questions in
the Far East and inaugurate a new
policy of peaceful colonization and
development in the Russian prov
inces bordering on the Pacific was
met in a spirit of moderation and
conciliation on the part of Japan
which enabled satisfactory progress
to be made and assured success
iful outcome. The relations between
Russia and Japan are on such sat
isfactory basis that the recent oc-
currences in Korea exercised no in
fiuence upon them. Russia, who
considers herself bound by the
Treaty of Portsmouth, is content to
give other nations, whose hands are
free, chance to champion the
Koreans.
The commercial treaty between
the two countries is of temporary
nature. 1t expires in 1911. No pro-
vision is made for tariff agreement,
but in place of such an understand
ing the two powers agree mutually
to apply the most-favored-nation
clause. They stipulate further that
the subjects of each shall enjoy
equal commercial opportunity, with
out hindrance or discrimination, and
that neither shall be subject to spec
ial imposts. The most important
feature of this convention consists
of an article excluding Kwantung
province from the provisions of the
treaty.
The fisheries convention is to last
for 9 Thnrn hos hnon much
dissatisfaction over the question of
braces the Okhotsk, Yellow Sea and
Bering Strait areas. 1t includes all
sea animals, with the exception of
the sea otter. The coast is to be
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 Vladi-
vostok with two months notice of
the intention to hold such auctions.
The Japanese concessories are given
the right to cure fish on the beach.
Russia makes unusually liberal con-
cessions to Japanese fishing on the
Russian coast and the Amur River,
and it is claimed that under these
privileges Japan will dominate the
fisheries of the Pacific.
The convention bestows upon Jap
anese subjects the right to fish
along the entire coast, with the ex-
ception of "a inlets and rivers; to
repair their fishing vessels and to
erect sheds for the drying of fish in
the sun or by fire and other neces-
sary buildings.