RUSSIA AND JAPAN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 139, 12 June 1917, Page 4

RUSSIA AND JAPAN.

Japan has rendered such liberal assistance to Russia in the way of providing guns and munitions that the present inactivity on the Eastern front is causing her grave uneasiness lest it should prove that this assistance has been to a large extent wasted. But stall more serious for Japan is the attitude taken by Russian extremists towards treaties entered into by the Russian Foreign Office under the old regime. Although there seems a general desire to keep faith with the Allies as regards the larger questions of the war, there is a growing feeling in Russia that the full text of all secret treaties ought to be published and their terms submitted to the people for ratification or rejection as may seem best. Amongst these secret treaties that between Prussia and Japan occupies a foremost place. The tenna of this treaty have never been fully disclosed, but the history of events leading up to it throws some light on their nature. After the Russian retreat and the evacuation of Gallipoli and the conquest of Serbia, the Germans approached the Russian Government with proposals for a separate peace. These proposals offered Russia a free hand in the Far East and concessions in regard to Persia, and aimed at creating a new triple alliance in Asia to consist of Germany, Russia, and Japan. It is said. that Representatives of the Russian Government met emissaries from Germany, and it was decided to test the feeling of Japan. According, in •January of last year the Grand Duke George Mikhailovitch went to Japan, accompanied by General Kasakof, Director of the section of the Far Fast in the Russian Foreign Office. Germany meanwhile had endeavoured to prepare the ground by instigating a vehement Press campaign in Japan against Britain, representing that Britain was the most powerful obstacle in the way of Japanese ambitions in the East. But public opinion in Japan was strong against Germany, however favourable it may have been towards a forward foreign policy in regard to China. Japan preferred to secure active support among the Allies themselves, and it was natural that she should turn to Russia, leaving Germany out.

Negotiations between Russia and Japan in regard to Ohina continued till June, when a secret agreement was entered into as to the respective interests of Russia and Japan in Eastern Inner .Mongolia It was generally asserted at the time that in this agreement Russia admitted.to the full Japan's pretensions in Eastern Inner Mongolia, and promised to give assistance in realising them. In addition to this secret treaty an agreement was signed by Chinese, Mongolian and Russian delegates by which Outer Mongolia was made autonomous, but without any power to conclude international treaties with foreign Powers respecting political and territorial questions, and the Chinese were denied the right to send troops or colonists into the country. As regards Inner Mongolia, Japan secured the right to send her subjects t- take part in agricultural and industrial undertakings. But Japan had far wideT pretensions than these, and in July, 1916, it was announced that Russia and Japan had concluded a treaty for the protection of their respective interests in the Far East. Article 2 of this treaty stated that, in the event of territorial rights or special interests in the Far East of one of the contracting parties recognised by the other contracting party being threatened, Japan and Russia would consult with each other on the measures to he taken with a view to support and co-operation being given to one another for the safeguarding and defence of such rights and interests. The scope of the treaty was not limited to China, but embraced the whole of the Far East, a vague phrase which presumably covers Germany's late island possessions in the Pacific. In addition, Japan secured a stretch of the South Manehtirian railway line, from Chang-hun to the left bank of the Sungari River, in part payment for munitions supplied. In view of the fact that Russia will, in all probability, refuse to recognise the secret clauses of the treaty, Germany has apparently begun to approach .Japan with the object of detaching her from the alliance by promising concessions in the Pacific. But Japan will not listen to such proposals. The question of honour apart, she will prefer the tangible commercial concessions the Allies arc in a positron to give her to the shadowy territorial offers of Germany. Meanwhile it is probable that the Russo-Japanese treaty will bo modified so as to bring it more in accord with the interests of the rest of the Allies in regard to both Ohina and the Far East generally.