The Washington times., 1923-09-14
JAPAN IS READY
TONEGOT|ATE
W|THREDS
Russians Said to Be Receptive,
As Recognition May Follow
Proposed Farley.
By DUKE N. PARRY,
Cosmopolitan News Service.

COSMOPOLITAN News Service.
TOKYO, Aug. 14.-As the open
ing Of the third Russo-Japanese par
ley seems nearer, advocates of me-
gotiations with the Soviet, in Tokyo,
claim that Japan, by taking this
step will lead for the first time in
q vital piece Of diplomatic en-
deavor
Hitherto, following the lead of the
United States and Great Britain,
and never stepping forward with a
constructive piece Of. diplomacy, ia
pan-so the claim goes-will be the
first nation of the worlds great
powers to give Moscow even de
jure recognition-and Japan may
lead the powers that failed at two
European conferences to q solution
OF the difficult question Of Czarist
debts and old Russian obligations
to the powers.
The program at Tokyo at present
is to be as follows in dealing with
the most vital questions pending
between Russia and japan:
i. The settlement Of the blame for
the Nikolaievsk massacre, in which
japanese were maSSacred in whole
sale by Russians.
2. The purchase Of Saghalien, the
northern half, or the evacuation of
that particular section of this isl
and. This second question hinges
on the settlement Of the long pend.
ing Nikolaievsk problem, which the
japanese say caused the army to
go into SaghalIen.
.. The agreement that the settle
ment Of the Czarist debts and obIi-
cations question will be postponed
to a later date, when an interna-
ttonal conference will take 1t up
Plan Formal Conference.
II IL with the foregoing agenda
In mind that the japanese and Rus
sian delegates will go into a formal
conference, IL such a conference
comes about.
That the two parties are nearer
an agreement than was the case at
the time OF the Chang-chun Confer
ence last fall is proven by the fact
that the Russians have indicated
they will assume blame for NikoIaie-
vsk and have even gone SO far as
to state that they will sell the north
ern half Of Saghalien, the only
stumbling block apparently being the
matter Of the price Japan must pay.
To offset Japan's claim that Rus
STA must pay an indemnity for Nike.
laievsk the Moscow delegates have
advanced the claim that the japanese
soldiers injured property in Siberia
and that Japan-meaning the war
office-must assume blame for the
acts Of her soldiers.
AS further proof that the Russians
seek an agreement with Japan has
come the semi-Official statement
from the Russians that they may
yield on this point. The importance
Of this point will be appreciated by
Of the army in Japan.
Russians Arc Receptive.
That there is a disposition on the
part Of the Russian delegates to do
something toward settlement Of the
old debt and obligations question IL
a further proof that there is strong
hope Of the two parties in the pres
ent discussion getting together. II
Japan causes Russia to agree to a
further international conference on
the matter of Czarist debts Japan
viii be doing q service to all the
nations which seek SO greatly to get
q settlement on the big debts and
obligations Of the Czarist regime.
Summed up the Russians seek
an agreement with Japan partly be-
cause the Russians have had poor
success elsewhere. and Moscow
knows the moral as we'll as the very
actual value that Is to be had from
an agreement, even though the
agreement be only de jure recogni-
ton from Japan.
cetao eynamtmeoho esla com HH
Every indication in Tokyo of late
has been that the Russian delegates
are in a yielding mood. On the
other hand, the business men of ia
pan, OF whom Viscount Goto Is a
great leader, demand that the pres
ent preliminaries be brought to
more important form and that Tokyo
reach the long-sought agreement
With. a weak cabinet, but a Pre-
mier who is able to diagnose public
opinion and to- realize the precarious
state of his government at present,
every indication in Tokyo points to
a successful conclusion Of the third
Russo-Japanese conference, If such
a conference Is held.