The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-12-18
4-PtWER PACT
G|vESISLAND To
JAPAN, BELIEF
Russian Observers Declare
saghalin y Guaranteed to New
Possessors by Treaty Terms.
By WICKWIRE.


NSpy18nt WI, kotnertne 0WteSog.)
The suggestion of one of the Rus
sian observers OF the arms confer.
ence. first presented here Wednesday.
that the proposed fOur-power treaty
In effect guarantees Japan in her
occupation OF the big Russian island
Of Saghalin. 10 resulting In q closer
scrutiny Of that document by some Of
tts earlier champions.
John Dewey, Americas foremost
authority on Chinese affairs, in an
article, "A Few Second Thoughts
on Four-Power Pact" published In
the Baltimore Sun this morning. dis
cussing the bearing Of the treaty In
relation to Russia. asks: Are We
committed to discussion and adjust
ment Of this matter in conferences
where Japan 10 represented and Rus
STA excluded?"
rIf So" he answers, this fact
alone is sufficient. in my opinion, to
Justify the Senate in either reject
ing the treaty or insisting upon q
reservation that, II the controversy
involves a nation not q party to the
treaty, that power shall be entitled
to representation in the. conference
on an equality with other powers"
H. w. Nevinson; of the famous
Manchester Guardian, in an article
in the New York World today. says
that the one apparently inviolable
rule of the conference thus far
developed il that whatever japan
presses the belief however, that
Japan probably will gradually with
draw her troops from eastern Siberia"
Russian Monarchist's View.
In an article here last week the
spokesman for one of the Russian
faction" who may now be identified
as Boris Brasol, head of the Russian
Monarchial Party delegation, was
quoted to the effect that 1T Is incon-
ceivable that any Russian govern
ment that may succeed the soviets
would ever abandon Russia's claim
to the Chinese Eastern railway with
out repayment of the billion rubles
invested therein
Apparently, now, Brasoi might have
included the Soviet government among
those who would press for the main
tenance Of Russian rights in this mat
ter. as Tchicherin, the Soviet minister
of foreign affairs, has since notified
the conference by wireless that hts
government will refuse to recognize
any action of the conference dealing
with the disposition Of the Chinese
Eastern railway. This seems to make
Russian opinion unanimous on two ~
sues-the railway, and the necessity
of evicting the Japanese from Siberia.
A third. also. as the TchicheriE pro-
test inferentially backs up the senti-
ment Of all the various Russian dele
cations In Washington for the confer
cnce, and voiced by Brasol, that ANY
settlement of Far Eastern problems
without Russian participation il i'm
possible" This idea seems to be gain
ing ground in Europe. and, further.
that any permanent settlement OF
world problems in general in which
Russia is ignored is impossible. Lord
Birkenhead. one Of the "die-hards" OF
the British cabinet, is quoted in press
dispatches from London this morning
as declaring that Russia must be rep
resented in the international economic
conference proposed for next spring.
Aggressions Are Known.
Though Americans in general have
teen kept in ignorance, the War De-
partment, and. through duplicate re-
poris, the State Department, has at all
times been well advised Of the repres-
sions and aggressions of the Japanese
cxpeditionary forces in Siberia.
The tragedy in one of these cases Is
almost lost, at this distance. In the
humor Of the japanese reason given
for it's occasion. Two Russian railway
employees at Imyanpo. ManchuriA,
were shot by the Japanese. without
trial, because lone of them asked a
Japanese soldier why the Japanese
have q mikado."
From this case, the report cites In.
stances Of Japanese oppression rang
ing in seriousness down to the tempo1
rary imprisonment of individuals or
groups without trial or the prefer
ment Of charges, and up to that of the
concerted attack on Russians at Vladt-
vostok, Nikolsk and Habarovsk In
April. 1920. when 400 were killed and
other hundreds thrown in prison by