The Washington times., 1921-12-16
APANESE BUSY
!. WITH INVASION
Of RUSSLANDS
Serious Situation Being Re-
vsaIsd In Study Of Saghalin,
Says Wickwire.
b WICKWIRE.

~ VvA0AA w AA~A~e
Exposure here of the activities Of
he japanese in the Russian division OF
he Island Of Saghalin, and Of the pos
sible bearing OF the proposed four
,ower treaty on their occupation. has
-esultsd in q demand for further facts.
5aghalin may be rs well known to
americans before the Senate has pass
d upon that treaty as Is the now
amous Island of zap.
Determination of Americas, obliga-
ions under this document may well
70 left to the Senate's experts on
International law.
The facts az to the Japanese occupa-
Ion OF Saghaltn seem simple enough.
japanese forces arrived at Alexandra
ysk. the capitol Of the Saghalin dis
riot in the spring Of 1920. shortly
after the much exploited Nicolaevsk
massacre over on the mainland. Pre-
sumably these forces were a part OF
hose sent by the Japanese to avenge
hat affair, though their commander
announced that they had come to
investigate reports of the killing Of
Japanese subjects on the island and
hat neither interference with local
Affairs nor territorial expansion was
Intended.
This declaration was confirmed
alter, In May. by General OF. comman-
der Of the Japanese expeditionary
forces in Siberia. when he proclaimed
hat Japan has no thought to take
possession of Russian territory"
These declarations both seem to be
of thought at Tokyo, as disclosed by
The Japanese press of that period. The
Tokyo-Asald Ehimbun Of May 81 de-
clared that "the japanese without fail
must direct their attention to the
riches Of Saghalin."
RoChriston Island.
1t perhaps should be here interjected
that the japanese never refer to their
half Of the island as Saghalin. having
re-christened It Karafuto.
The same paper above quoted, in an
editorial published June Is, In view Of
the storm Of foreign criticism of the
japanese handling of the Nicolaev5k
affair, advises that "the government
shall oonfine itself to the occupation
Of northern Saghalin. Nicolaevsk and
the region around Dkastry bay"
On June 20 this paper reports that
at a cabinet meeting the previous day
was discussed "how far 1t would be
possible, under international law. TO
seize the districts Of Saghalin and
Nicolaevsk, with all economic prtyi-
leges. both governmental and private"
Tokyo Nichi-Nichi. on July 20. re-
ported two secret meetings OF the
lower house of the Japanese parita-
ment for discussion of the occupation
of Saghalin. Since these meetings
were secret, the paper does not dis
close what detectives were determined.
These we are left to Judge by the fact
that now, after eighteen months, the
japanese forces remain In Saghalin.
In the period intervening they have
abrogated all Russian laws, substitute
ing their own civil code for the gov
eminent of japanese on the island. ard
their courts-martial for the govern
ment of the Russian citizenry. They
arc building railroads, making harbor
improvements. and even remaining
cities and streets, according to docl-
ments in the hands Of M. Goudkoff,
head Of the maritime province COM
mercial mission, now In Washington,
q summary Of which was submitted
Tuesday to the State Department.
Returning to consideration Of the
Tokyo understanding of the purposes
of the Saghalin occupation, an article
in Kokumin Shimbun of September ~.
1920. concerning Sashalin. says:
Dkastry Bay Essential.
Nations 60 the way of least re-
sistance. From this viewpoint that Of
japanese colonization) we should con-
slider South America and Siberia. Into
the latter II IL very easy to go through
the back door, that IL, from the north
east, and not through Manchuria,