Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-02-11
KuriIes
Continued From First Page.

ervation of the status quo In Outer
Mongolia which Mr.. Byrnes did not
mention.
Included were the strategic Kurile
Islands of Northern Japan; the
southern half of Sakhalin Island
Russia already had the northern
half-and adjacent islands; inter-
naturalization of the Manchurian
port OF Dairen, safeguarding pre-
eminent" Soviet interests: restora-
ton of the Russian lease on Port
Arthur, and Joint Russo-C Chinese
operation of the Chinese Eastern
and South Manchurian railroads.
Once Claimed Interest.
Russia claimed an interest in the
Kuriles prior to 1875, when treaty
with Japan gave Russia all of SAX
halin and Japan all of the Kuriles.
Japan took back the southern part
of Sakhalin in the 1904 Russo
Japanese war
When Mr. Byrnes admitted ex-
istence of the agreement making
these concessions to Russia recently
he told questioners he knew of nc
reason why such an agreement had
to be made when it was.
This agreement was apparently
made the last day of the confer
ence,' reporter said. did Stain
agree to~enter the Far Eastern wal
earlier in the conference?"
Mr., Byrnes replied that while he
had not heard Stain say SO, it was
his understanding that he had 81
agreed.
The Secretary explained to hi.
January % news conference that
although he had been at the Yalts
Conference, he had learned of thu
agreement giving Russia the Kurile.
only last September, after the Japa.
hesc surrender. He still had not seer
the text of the agreement, he sale
then. He presumably did not Iearr
until later-during the last few day!
that the agreement had been {
condition" for Russians entry intt
tAiC Wal dsdlIlSt JdpdIl.
Didn't Mention China.
The first official indication here
of existence of the agreement came
from Mr.. Byrnes in a news confer.
ence last September 1.-TWO day.
after he learned of the pact-wher
he said this Government would moi
oppose Russian claims to thu
Kuriles and Sal1halin. He explained
that this statement was based or
discussions at Yalta, but declined tt
say then whether a definite agree.
ment had been signed, and did no.
mention the concessions from
China.
In statement accompanying
publication of the secret agreement
today, Mr.. Byrnes emphasized tha
tit lin no way" controlled relation.
between Russia and China, which
was not a party. to it. The Chinese
concessions to Russia provided il
the Yalta agreement were ratified
later in a treaty between the Sovie
and Chang Kai-shek's government
signed at Moscow last August IA.
The Yalta agreement stipulated
that the provisions concerning Out
err Mongolia and Chinese ports ant
railroads would require Chang Kai
shek's concurrence, and that Presi
dent Roosevelt would take meas
ures in order to obtain this concur
renee"
It stipulated further that all tn,
Soviet claims mentioned shall b
unquestionably fulfilled after japan
has been defeated"
Treaty Not Mentioned.
There was no effort today +
reconcile this pledge of unquestion
able fulf1llment with Mr.. Byrnes
previous insistence that the awar,
of Japanese islands to Russia woul,
have to be settled definitely, or for
malized, in the eventual peace treat
with Japan.
He told questioner January 2
that there was no question abou