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


Statement on Russia.
The text of Baron Shidehara's
statement dealing with the Rus
sian question was as follows:
The military expedition of ia
pan to Siberia was originally I'M
dertaken in common accord and in
cooperation with the United states
in 1918. 1t was primarily intended to
render assistance to the Czecho-
Slovak troops who in their home
ward journey across Siberia from
European Russia, found themselves
in grave and pressing danger at the
hands of hostile forces under Ger
man command. The Japanese and
American expeditionary forces to-
gether with other allied troops
fought their way from VladivostocK
far into the region of the Amur and
the Trans-Baikal provinces to pro-
tect the railway lines which at
forded the sole means of transporta-
tion of the Szecho-Slova troops
from the interior of Serbia to the
port of Vladivostock. Difficulties
which the allied forces had to en-
counter in their operations in the
severe cold winter of Siberia were
immense
In January. 1920. the United
states decided to terminate its mill
itary undertaking in siberia, and or
dered the withdrawal of its forces
For some time thereafter. Japanese
troops continued alone to carry out
; the duty of guarding several points
along the Trans-Siberian railways
in fulhllment of interallied ar
ranSements. and of affording facii-
ties to the returning Czecho-S lo-
walks
The last column of Czecho-Slo
troops safely embarked from Vladi-
Vostock in September. 1920. Ever
since then Japan has been looking
forward to an early moment for the
withdrawal of her troops from ST.
IBERIA. The maintenance of such
troops in a foreign land is for her
a costly and thankless undertake
ms, and she will be only too happy
TO be relieved of such responsibility.
In fact. the evacuation Of the Trans
Balkal and the Amur provinces was
already completed in 1920. The only
region which now remains to DC
evacuated is a southern portion of
the maritime province around Vlad-
livestock and NikOlsk.
Withdrawal Not Easy.
1T will be appreciated that for
Japan the question of the with
drawal of troops from Siberia is
not quite as simple as it was for
other allied powers. In the first
place. there is a considerable num-
Der of Japanese residents who had
lawfully and under guarantees of
treaty established themselves in ST.
Z IBERIA long before the Bolshevik
eruption. and were there entirely
welcomed. In 1917. prior to the
joint Northumberland military
enterprise. the number Of such
residents was already no less than
9,1lI. In the actual situation pre-,
NalllnS there. those japanese resi-
dents can hardly be expected to
look for the protection of their
lives and property to any other
authorities than japanese troops.
Whatever districts those troops
nave evacuated in the past have
fallen into disorder, and practically
all japanese residents have had
precipitately to withdraw. to seek
for their personal safety. In So
Withdrawing they have been Obliged
to leave behind large portions of
their property. abandoned and un-
protected. and their homes and
places of business have been de-
stroyed. While the hardshfps and
losses thus caused the Japanese in
the Trans-Baikal and the Amur
provinces have been serious enough.
more extensive damages are likely
to follow from the evacuation OF
NladivostOck. in which a larger
number Of Japanese have always
been resident and a greater amount
of Japanese capital invested.
There is another difficulty by
which Japan is faced in proceeding
to the recall of her troops from
the maritime province. Due to
geographical pTopinquity. the GEN
erai situation in the districts
around Nladivostock and Nikolsk
is bound to affect the security Of
Korean frontier. In particular, il
is known that these districts have
long been the base Of Korean con-
spiracies against Japan. These hos
tile Koreans. joining hands with
lawless elements in Russia. at
tempted in 1921 to invade Korea
through the Chinese territory of
ChientaO. They set fire to the Jana
nese consulate at HunChun. and
committed indiscriminate acts of
murder and pillagc. At the pres
ent time they are under the effec-
tive control of japanese troops
stationed in the maritime province
but they viii no doubt renew rho
attempt to penetrate into Korea at
the first favorable opportunity thar
may present itself
Having regard to those consul
erations. the Japanese government
have felt bound to exercise precau-
tion in carrying out the contem-
kplated evacuation OF the maritime
province. Should they take basty
action without adequate provision
for the future they would be de-
Rlinquent in their duty of affordinr
protection to a large number OF
! their nationals resident in the die
tricts in question and of maintain
ing order and security in Korea.
Local Authority Preserved.
1T should be made clear that no
part of the maritime province is
under Japan's military occupation
Japanese troops are still stationed
In the southern portion of that
province. but they have not set an
any civil or military administra-
ton to displace local authorities
Their activity is confined to meas
ures of self-protection against the
menace to their own safety and IN
TIE safety of their country and ma
tionals. They are not in occuna-
ton of those districts any moe