Evening star., 1920-07-06
JAPAN TAKESSTEP
T0OBTA|N REDRESS
FOR RED DATROC|TY
Will Occupy Portions of ST.
IBERIA Pending Settlement
for Recent Massacre.
By the Associated Press.

innate government and a satisfactory
settlement for the massacre Of 700
Japanese at Nikolaievsk.
The government decision was pub
lished yesterday in the official Ca
zette at Toxic and at the same time
| announced by Premier Hara in his
address at the opening of the spe-
cial session of the imperial diet The
premier also announced that Japanese
| troops would be Withdrawn immedi-
ately from those districts of Siberia
where their presence no longer was
| needed.
! Japanese troops will not be with
drawn from the Vladivostok region.
1 however, the government holding
! that that stands on different foot
/ ing because Korea can be menaced
from that direction. Many japanese
live there, and Harborovsk, within the
region, constitutes point o. Stra-
tegic Importance on the way to Sag
halien.
Premier Hara's Speech.
Premier Hara's speech, as made pub
lie by the japanese embassy here, fol-
| lows:
Special session of the diet being
brief in duration. the government in
tends to propose only bills whose
Nei ~ peSSdSc Is III tHe interest OF ma
tional demands, viz: Those concern
ing the national defense, the increase
or salaries, the revision of pension
system, the improvement of judicial
system and the development of ma
tional power
"Of our foreign relations the ques-
ton of the renewal of the Anglo
Japanese alliance is under serious
consideration of the government, The
question of the Chinese loans, the
government is gratified to note, has
been solved by the formation of a
new consortium. But the question of
Shantung is still unsettled, due to the
failure of the Chinese government to
accept the proposal for negotiations
Laments Fate of Atrocity Victims.
"The event of Nikolaievsk is heart
rendlng in extreme. The government
laments the fate of those who fell
victims of atrocity, and honor of the
nation demands positive action.
Therefore the government has decid-
ed to take such course as announc-
ed in the statement published today.
AS also announced at the same time,
the government has come to the de-
cision, in conformity with previous
declarations, to evacuate those dis
tricts in Siberia. where the presence
of Japanese troops is no longer
needed.
"A few words respecting the pres
ent financial condition of the country
with particular regard to the ad-
was careful to follow the policy of
avoiding such measures as might
cause general depression by abruptly
interfering with the existing econom-
ic arrangement. Despite that caution,
it is regretted that the financial COM
motion has recently been experienced.
The government is doing it's best to
remedy the situation and secure the
financial stability"
Governments Announcement.
The governments announcement in
the Official Gazette, referred to by the
premier, follows:
Between March IL and the latter
part of May, nearly 700 Japanese,
men, women and children, at Niko-
laievsk, including officers and men of
the garrison and the consul and his
family, were massacred by bolsheviki
In the most revoltingly cruel manner.
Faced by such event. the Japanese
government felt it incumbent upon
them to take steps to uphold honor
and prestige of this country, but in
absence, at this moment of any re-
sponsible government to whom repre-
sentations might be made the Japa-
nese government have been at a loss
as to the proper line of action they
should follow to achieve their end. In
these circumstances, the Japanese
government nave come to the deCi-
sion, pending the establishment OF
legitimate government and the sat
isfactory settlement of the present
affair, to occupy such points in the
province of Saghalien as they may
deem necessary.
Vladivostok ON Different Footing.
Having regard to the complete
evacuation of Zabaikal province by
Czechoslovak troops, the Japanese
government have decided to with
draw their troops from these regions
in conformity with their repeated
declarations. Districts round Vladi-
vostok, however, stand on a differ
ent footing. Not only is the menace
| from those quarters against Korea
still present, but the situation tends
rather to aggravate. Moreover, there
is large number Of Japanese resi-
dents in the neighborhood, and Har-
borovsk constitutes a point of stra-
tegic importance on the way to the
province of Saghalien.
I'm view of these considerations,
the Japanese government find them
selves compelled, until such time as
peace and order shall have been COM
pletely secured, to maintain sufficient
number of troops in these regions"