RUSSIA AND JAPAN

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27642, 26 April 1955, Page 13

RUSSIA AND JAPAN

Peace Talks In June In London

(Rec. 830 p.m.) TOKYO, April 23. Japan today formally proposed to Russia that the two countries should hold their peace talks in London in early June, usually reliable government sources reported in Tokyo. The Japanese proposal was contained in a Note dispatched to Japan’s permanent observer at the United Nations in New York, for transmission to the Russian Government through the chief Soviet delegate to the United Nations. The Japanese proposal was a reply to the Russian Note delivered last Monday.

Japan originally proposed that the talks should be held in New York. After apparently agreeing, Russia said they should either be held in Tokyo or Moscow. Japan then insisted on New York as the venue, and the new plan to hold the talks in London was prompted by the Russian reply to Japan’s insistence.

The talks are to be aimed at ending the present technical state of war between Japan and Russia and at restoring normal relations between the two countries.

In Tokyo the Japanese Prime Minister, Mr Ichior Hatoyama, said today that his Government wished to establish diplomatic relations with Communist nations —but this did not mean that it was opening Japan to communism.

He made the statement in a policy speech at the opening of the Diet. Mr Hatoyama reiterated that his Government’s policy was to co-operate with the Western nations, in particular the United States.

However, he said, although his government was opposed to communism, “we cannot ignore the fact that powerful Communist nations do exist.”

He said it was possible for Japan to restore normal diplomatic relations with Communist nations or establish economic ties “if each side respects the other’s sovereignty and does not try to impose its way of thinking on the other.”