Evening star., 1950-11-25
Russian Blast al Plan
For Japan Pact Seen
AS Propaganda Cue
BY the Associated Press

proposals for Japanese peace
treaty were regarded here today
as the launching base for new
Soviet propaganda drive against
the United States in Japan.
The Soviet raised half a dozen
critical questions in a note re-
leased yesterday, one as to wheth-
er the United States and other
nations might conclude separate
peace with Japan.
Officials said that the Russians
will set an answer to all their
questions, and indicated it prob
ably will be made clear to them
that separate peace is a posi-
bility if they are not willing to par
ticipate.
The United States wants an
early japanese peace settlement
with Soviet participation if pos
sible on a reasonable basis but
without it If necessary.
American officials are hopeful
but not very optimistic about the
prospects of Moscow's cooperation.
Propaganda Aim Seen.
The fact that the Kremlin made
the American proposals public,
when they were supposed to be
tentative and confidential, and re-
leased their critical questions at
the same time, was taken as
sign that they are more interested
in propaganda than in private
diplomatic negotiation.
Russia inquired pointedly, for
example, whether an American
proposal to have United States
forces take primary responsibility
for Japan's security after
treaty is concluded means that
this country intends to maintain
military. naval and air bases in
Japan. The United States had
spoken of cooperative RESPONSE
bility between japanese facilities"
and American forces.
American officials said that this
country contemplates making no
request for base rights What &C
tually is planned. they said, is to
ask the japanese government to
make treaty, separate from the
peace settlement, by which the
two nations would share RESPONSE
bility for protecting the islands.
Another point the Russians
raised can be exploited by them
as a defense of Japan's territorial
integrity. They asked the United
States what basis this country has
for proposing to place the Ryukyu
Islands, which include Okinawa,
and the Bonin Islands under a
United Nations trusteeship op-
Grated by the United States.
In proposing a peace. treaty, the
United States suggested that
Russia. Britain, China and this
country should decide the status
of the island of Formosa and it's
neighboring Pescadores Islands,
which lie south of Japan and of
the southern half of Sakhalin and
the Kuriles, which lie to the
north. S. 49,
Sakhalin Interests Reds.
The Russians evidenced par
ticular interest in this proposal
because it would technically at
least reopen the question of their
right to occupy Southern Sakhalin
and the strategically important
Kuriles. They argued that their
right to these territories was
agreed to by the United States
and Britain at Yalta in 1945 and
was not subject to being reopened
now.
The Russians also took the posi-
tion about Formosa that the
United States and other powers
had agreed during the war-at
Cairo and Potsdam-that it be-
longed to China. That was the
American position until President
Truman said at the start of the
Korean war that the future of
Formosa should be determined by
the United Nations or in a Japa-
neSe peace settlement.
The Russians asked what the
United States intends to do about
consulting Communist China on
the treaty proposal. At the mo-
ment, since the United States con-
tinues to recognize Nationalist
China, there is no plan here to
consult the Chinese Communists
at all.