Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-09-15
MoIotov on Japan

Premier Yoshidas government, express
ing itself through anonymous spokesman,
has responded with proper skepticism and
GOODNESS to Soviet Foreign Minister Molo-
TOYS remarks about the Kremlin's desire to
restore normal relations with Japan.
With Pravda giving his words big
front-page splash, Mr.. Molotov has struck a
noble "peace-loving" pose and declared, in
effect, that Moscow would be delighted to
re-establish cultural, economic and diplo-
matte ties with Tokyo. But the trouble is,
according to him, that all efforts to bring
about this happy event are being obstructed
by certain Japanese circles who follow
orders of the ruling circles Of the United
States"
In saying this, of course, Mr.. Molotov
has done little more than repeat the hack
neyed line Of propaganda that the Kremlin
has been following ever since the 1851 San
Francisco Conference at which the United
States and 48 other countries agreed upon
and signed the Japanese peace treaty. His
latest observations, in short, amount merely
to the replaying of an old Soviet phono-
graph record-one that mixes up hypoc-
risy, mendacity and piouS talk about
peace" to produce phony, tinpanny tune
that has long since been discredited
throughout the free world.
The tune is one that all patriotic Jap
anese have reason to resent. For 1t insults
them in the sense that it accuses their
freely elected government (their ruling
circles') of conspiring with the United
States to keep them Gin the status of de-
pendent country" Certainly, in giving
voice once again to such a charge, Mr.. Mol
otov has left little room for doubt that he
is not really interested at present IN nor
Mailing relations with Tokyo. If he were,
why then has he gone out of his way to
libel Premier Yoshida and his colleagues as
mere American puppets?
Clearly, if the Kremlin were sincerely
intent upon restoring normal relations with
Japan, Mr. Molotov would not thus impugn
the honor and patriotism of the Yoshida
government. Instead, as the Tokyo spokeS-
men have emphasized, he would offer to re-
treat from past Soviet policy by signing a
peace treaty comparable to the one worked
out at San Francisco more than three years
ago-a treaty that has since been ratified
by practically all nations except those be-
hind the Iron Curtain.
Apparently, however, the men of the
Kremlin remain as opposed as ever to oh
a treaty because they quite accurately re-
gard it as something designed to give the
Japanese the kind of independence they
need to fill in the ASiatic vacuum Of power
caused by their total defeat in the Second
World War. To put it simply, the Soviet
Union would like nothing better than to
maintain that vacuum In order to expedite
the spread of communism in the Far East5
hence the continuing refuSal-deSpite such
talk as Mr.. Molotov's-to normalize rela-
tons with Tokyo.
. But fortunately Japan has been becom-
ing less and less vacuum since 1851. That
is why it has been able to respond promptly
to Mr.. Molotov with sharp comment plainly
indicating that it takes very dim view OF
his Pravda remarks and suggesting that the
Kremlin-if 1t is honestly seeking better re-
lations-had better sign something like the
San Francisco treaty.