NORTH PACIFIC ISLANDS

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 59, 7 September 1945, Page 7

NORTH PACIFIC ISLANDS

U.S.A. APPROVES OF SOVIET

ANNEXATION

WASHINGTON, September 4. The Secretary of State, Mr. Byrnes, at a Press conference before departing for London for the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, said that the United States had tacitly agreed that the Soviet Union should take possession of all of Sakhalin Island and the Kurile chain, the territories which lie in the triangle between north Japan, Soviet Kamchatka, and the Soviet Maritime Province. He said that the matter was first broached to the United States at Yalta as an informal plan, but no agreement was reached or even attempted. However, the United States had no particular objection to Russia's action. He added that he wanted it to be clearly understood that the United States made no commitment regarding the Kuriles. He planned to confer with Mr. Molotov, the Soviet Foreign Minister, during the London meeting. The United States and Russia would reach agreement without difficulty. Mr. Byrnes will also discuss in London a hitherto undisclosed refusal by Russia to consider the United States proposal that the Powers should confer regarding the formation of a new Rumanian Government. He disclosed that there was disagreement in the State Department regarding the disposition of the pre-war Italian colonies, but that he and President Truman had decided what should be done. He refused to disclose the decision.

pines, where an American and Filipino force capitulated in 1942. A message from Wake Island states that Rear-Admiral Shigematsu Sakaibara, who surrendered Wake Island, saluted the American flag as it was raised. He said that his garrison of 1200 had supplies for 12 days. It had cost Japan 3000 dead to hold Wake Island. Two thousand had died of malnutrition and similar causes, and 1000 had been killed in air-raids.