RUSSIA AND JAPAN

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23281, 17 August 1945, Page 2

RUSSIA AND JAPAN

Past Conflicts Several Border Clash es There have been numer- I ous occasions in recent years when relations between Rus- | sia and Japan have become i dangerously strained, especially since the Japanese began their conquest of Manchuria and following Japanese participation in the anti-Comintern Pact. At the end of last century Russia was possessed by the idea that her true . mission lay in Asia and • not in Europe. The trans-Siberian railway presented new facilities for penetration, and in May, 1898. a lease was secured to construct a branch through Mukden to Port Arthur, which six i youths previously had been occupied by the Russian fleet. Japan objected to the Russian occupation of the left bank of the Yalu River, and after receiving no satisfaction from the Russian Government, concluded a fiveyear alliance with England in 1902. Russia was then obliged to withdraw her troops from Manchuria and premised to do so before October, 1903. The promise was not fulfilled. On February 4, 1904. Japan decided to use force—an eventuality for which she had been preparing thoroughly for 10 years. The Russians knew nothing of Japan's readiness, and were stupefied by a. night attack launched upon the fleet squadron at Port Arthur on February 5, when torpedo-boats inflicted serious naval losses. Japan belatedly declared war five days later. A Japanese army was landed in Korea, and in the ensuing months several heavy defeats were inflicted on superior but badly-organised Russian forces, the most serious of which was at Mukden, where the Russians lost 97,000 men against Japan's 40,000. America Mediates Following this disaster, and threatened with internal disorders, the Czar accepted the mediation of the United I States in June, 1905, and a peace was I signed in August. Under the terms of the treat}' Russia had to cede the half of Sakhalin Island which she had annexed in 1875, surrender her lease of the Kwangtung peninsula and Port Arthur, evacuate Manchuria, and recognise Japan’s sphere of influence in Korea, On the grounds that the Russian Government felt it necessary to take precautions against a possible attack, the Soviet withdrew from Japan the use of 40 Russian fishing grounds in the Sea of Japan in December, 1938. This brought negotiations for a new fishing agreement to a deadlock, and for the first time since 1905 the two countries were left without a fisheries convention. It vias not until April, 1939, that a new one-year agreement could be reached.

Further yearly renewals followed until April last year. Regarded in London and Washington as indicating Japan’s desire to maintain neutrality with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics at all costs, Japan then made concessions, which made possible a five-year renewal of the fisheries agreement. Japan served a warning on Russia in August, 1934, alleging a "longchapter of unfriendly acts,” which included frequent invasion of Manchurian territory by Soviet military planes, firing by Soviet shore guards on Manchurian steamers, the Soviet's rejection of the final compromise proposal for the transfer of the North Manchuria railway and other incidents. Frontier Incidents A further strongly-worded Note was ■ handed to Russia by Japan in Feb- j ruary, 1936, again referring to frontier Incidents and demanding a final demarcation of the frontier. The following March Japan proposed a SovietManchurian frontier commission. The Soviet replied that it would welcome this if the Japanese would agree to similar commissions on the MongolManchukuo frontier, and the matter was dropped. Japan lodged further protests m June, 1937, following the occupation of two islets in the Amur River by Russia. This led to a serious incident on June 30. when a Soviet gunboat was sunk by Japanese-Manchurian forces. A provisional settlement was announced on July 2. The Soviet-Manchuria border became the scene of further incidents in July, 1938, when Soviet troops occupied a hill dominating the port of Rashin in Korea. The alleged shooting of a Japanese soldier during the occupation heightened the tension, and the situation was made more critical on July 23, when Tokyo alleged that Soviet patrol boats had fired on Manchurian civilians. Japan later agreed to negotiate for a settlement of the border disputes. The Japanese attacked the Russian positions on July 29 and restored the status quo. Further clashes occurred on July 30-31 and August 1-2. On August 2, Soviet planes bombed a Korean village. Shelling by Both Sides Desultory shelling by both sides followed, and by August 3 plans were announced for a blackout in Central and Eastern Japan in case of major hostilities. Further fighting broke out on August 6 with a Soviet bombardment of Japanese positions and largescale military operations near the Shatsaoping- and Changkufeng Hills. Soviet planes were stated by the Japanese to have bombed the TumenRashin railway and dislocated traffic Trouble in this area followed until August 11, when hostilities were suspended by both sides. Severe fighting occurred on the frontier between Outer Mongolia and Manchukuo in 1939, but was ended by an armistice on September 16, following which negotiations to define the frontier opened on December 7 Although these broke down in the following February, a settlement had been reached by June, 1940. A demarcation of this frontier for a length of 200 miles was agreed upon in August, 1941. A dispute between the two countries concerning coal and oil concessions in the northern (Russian) half of Sakhalin Island was carried on for eight months in 1939, until a settlement was reached in August of that year. Last April. when Japan appeared anxious for peace at any price with the Soviet, she agreed to cancel oil and coal concessions which she held in Russia’s portion of this island. These concessions had been granted in 1925 and were valid until 1970. A Russian stipulation following the cancellation was that Japan should not receive any more oil from these fields until the end of the “present war.” Japanese Protests A protest to. the United States against her shipment of aviation fuel to Russia through waters adjacent to Japan was lodged by the Japanese

Government in August, 1941. Japan claimed damage to her national prestige by this procedure, but no action was taken by Russia or the United States. Japan made another protest on November 6. 1941, this time to the Soviet Government, over the sinking of a Japanese ship off Korea by Russian floating mines. The Soviet Government rejected the protest. Japan again complained to Russia, on November 16 of Russian violation of the Manchurian frontier, ' which Russia denied. In April, 1941, Japan and Russia entered into a pact of neutrality. Not long after this, Germany declared war on Russia and later still Japan came into conflict with Britain and the United States, thus helping Germany in her war with Russia, but the pact continued to be observed. In April of last year, however, the Soviet refused to renew this pact, and in this way left open the way for the present action.