Omaha daily bee., 1917-02-25
RUSSIAN TREATY
IS STRONG PACT
Collateral Agreements Most
Important Parts Of Recent
REINFORCEMENT.
BOTH WITHDRAW TROOPS

Correspondence OF The Associated Press.)
London, Dec. 25.--According to in.
formation through Russian sources
the recent reapproachment between
Russia and Japan is likely to have a
more far-reaching effect than is shown
in the formal treaty signed at Toxic
and made public, The formal treaty
had a platonic assurance that neither
country will attack the other, and in
case of a difference both countries will
consult with a view to adjustment
But Russian officials who were In
Japan at the time of the negotiations
and are now here en- route homeward
say certain collateral agreements
made in conjunction with the treaty
give it real and practical bearing and
are really more important than the
treaty itself.
One of these collateral features as
described by the Russian officials, is
the withdrawal Of Japanese troops sta
toned as guard in central and west
ern Manchuria. The presence of these
troops, while not an aggressive move
has been considered sufficient
menace to require the presence of a
like Russian force in eastern Siberia,
along the border of Manchuria. The
withdrawal of the Japanese troops is
said to be Of great advantage to Rus
STA, as it now permits the large force
of Russian soldiers, hitherto held in
active, to be transferred to the west
ern fighting front. This feature,
which is not expressed in the treaty,
is said to be one of the chief cor
rollaries from the formal agreement
not to attack each other.
Fnlarging Treaty.
Other features agreed upon are
said to be in extension and develop
ment Of the terms Japan received un-
der the treaty Of Portsmouth. Fol-
lowing that treaty the great trunk rail-
way running north from Port Arthur
and Dalney through southern Man.
cfuria passed under Japanese control.
This control is now to be further ex-
tended northward, from Shangtung to
Hardin, thus giving Japan authority
over practically all of the great trunk
lines through Manchuria.
Another extension of Japan's COM
mercial authority will be on the Sum
gari river, one of the great branches
of the Amur, heretofore restricted iii
trade to Russia, but now to be open
throughout its length to the COM
merce OF Japan. The Sungari is 800
miles long and its adjacent commerce
is so great that the region has the
distinctive name of Sungaria.
The Portsmouth treaty also gave
Japan one-half Of the island of SAX
hahn lying of the Russian Pacific
coast, and practically a part of the
Japanese group of islands as it is sep
arated from Yezo only by narrow
strait. Under the new agreement it
is said that Japan will acquire the
other half of Sakhalin at the conclu-
OF the war, thus extending its au-
thority over the entire island, with an
area Of some 10000 square miles, and
completing its control of all the
islands in the Japanese groups.
Referring to the effect of the treaty
not only the formal text, but the
collateral effects of the present and
future as above summarized-a dis
tinguished Russian said:
Russia gets immediate advantages
In the release of its Siberia troops for
its western fighting front, But in
commercial and territorial advantages
Japan secures exceptional advantages,
Its extension of territory being
greater than any of the belligerent
allies has secured during the war"