The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-01-24

led to his overthrow in January.
1920. They maintained an attitude
of strict neutrality. ard refused TO
interfere in these movements. which
it would have been quite easy for
them to suppress if they had so
desired.
In relation to this policy of non
Intervention. 1t may he useful 10 re-
fer briefly to the past relations be-
tween the japanese authorities and
Atamam Semenoff. which seem to
have been a source of popular mis-
giving and speculation. 1t will be
remembered that the growing rap
procurement between the Germans
and the Bolshevik government In
Russia in the carly part of 1918
naturally gave rise to apprehen-
siOns in the allied countries that a
considerable quantity of munitions
supplied by those countries and
stored I'm Vladivostock might be re-
moved by the Bolsheviks to Euro
pcan Russia for the use of the Ger
mans. Atamam Semenoff was then
in Siberia and was organizing 4
movement to check such Bolshevik
activities and to preserve order and
stability in that. region. 1t was in
this situation that Japan. as well
as some of the allies. began to give
support TO the Cossack chief. After
few months such support by the
other powers was discontinued.
But the japanese were reluctant to
abandon their friend. whose efforts
in the allied cause they had orig
inally encouraged: and they main
tanned for som2 time thci,. connec-
ton with Atamam Semenoff.
No Interference intended.
They had. however. no intention
whatever of interfering in the do
nestle affairs of Russia, and when
it was found that the assistance
rendered to Atamam was likely to
COmplicate the internal situation in
Siberia. they terminated all rela-
tons with him. and no support sor
any kind has since been extended
to him hy the Japanese authorities
The Japanese government are
now seriously considering plans
which wGnld justify them IN carry
ing out their decision of the com
plete withdrawal of Japanese
troops from the aritime Province,
with reasonable precaution for the
security of Japanese residents and
of the Korean frontier regions. 1t
lssfor this purpose that negotiations
were opened some time ago at
Dairen between the Japanese repre-
sentatives and the agents of the
Chita government.
Those negotiations at Dairen are
in no way intended to secure fol-
Japan any right or advantage of an
exclusive nature. They have been
solely actuated by a desire to adjust
some of the more pressing questions
with which Japan is cnntrC nted in
relation to Siberia. They have esq
sertially in view the conclusion Of
commercial arrange
ments. the removal of the existing
menace to the security of Japan and
to the lives and property of Jap
anese residents in Eastern Siberia,
the provision of guarantees for tne
freedom Of lawful unGertakings'. IN
that region, and the prohibition of
Bolshevik propaganda over the ,Si-
berian border. Should adequate pro-
visions be arranged on the line in
the Japanese government
80 a. "hNC ~ OtCNu W lliG
of Japanese troops from
the Maritime Province 80 e.
The occupation of certain points
in the Russian Province of Sakhalin
Is wholly different, both in nature
and in origin, from the stationing
Of troops in the Maritime Province,
History affords few instances SINH
lar to the incident of 1920 at Niko-
laievsk, where more than 700 Jap
anese. including women and chill
1r en-, as well as the duly-recognized
Japanese consul and his family, and
his official staff, were cruelty tor
tured and massacred No nation
worthy of respect will possibly re-
main forbearing under such a strain
Of provocation. Nor was 1t possible
for the Japanese government to dis
regard the just popular indignation
aroused in Japan by the incident
Under the actual condition of things,
Japan found, no alternatives but to
occupy. as a measure of reprisal,
certain points in the Russian Prov
ince of Sakhalin in which the out
rage was committed. pending the
establishment in Russia of a respon-
sible authority with whom she can
in order to obtain due
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