Scandinavian American. [volume], June 01, 1947, Page 4, Image 4

About Scandinavian American. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1945-1958

Image provided by: Washington State Library; Olympia, WA

                
4
The Development of Rival
Interests Between Russia
And Japan in The Far East
For the Scandinavian American by
By M. J. FORSELL
(Continued from Page 3)
and minerals of Manchurla. the
mines of Shantung‘. the oil of Sak
halin and the fish in the Russian
Pacific waters offer tempting
prizes. Whether or not these were
sought as stepping stones to po
litical aggrandizement. both Rus
sia and Japan recognized their
value and became rivals over their
control. In the beginning it seemed
that Russia, which didn‘t really
need these resources. was just
granting them to Japan. The!
Japan felt that she had a right to
them that Russia‘s grant was
obligatory.
In October of 1917, General Na—
kashima offered the services of his
country for the purpose of inter
vention in Russia on behalf of the
Allies. In return he asked these
terms—“the cession of Northern
Sakhalin. preferential commercial
rights in Eastern Siberia, con
cessions for mineral and lumber
resources east of Lake Baikal and
equality with the Russians con
cerning fishing rights off Eastern
Siberia. Japan also asked for the
dismantling of fortifications o:
Vladivostok and its conversion into
a free port. The United States in
particular opposed this Japanese
offer at Intervention.
It was extended again in Aug
“it 1938. under these termsk—
fishing rights to Kamchatka, per
petual lease to Eng‘ilsky Mines and
all iron in Vladivostok. Japan was.
of course, taking advantage or
both Russian and Allied pre
occupation with the VVurld War.
the Russian Revolutions and the
establishment of the Union of Sov
iet Socialist Republics.
At‘ a Russo-Japanese Conven
tion in Dairen the Japanese Gov
ernment presented seventeen de
mands to the Russian Delegation
concerning privileges in Siberia
and the Far East. Point 1 advo
cated making Vladivostok purely
a Commercial port under foreign
control. Point 2 requested exten
sion of fishing rights and broader
Coastal trade on the Russian coast.
Point 10 requested the Far East
ern Repubiic pledge the preserva
tion or‘ the principle of private
property and maintainance of no
cunnnunzst regime. Point 11 per
tained to equality between natives
arm Japanese in trade and Coastal
shipping. with the privilege of
land 0\\'Ili"l‘5hlp and frec- naviga
tion on the Amur River. Point ll
dfmanded the dismantling of for
tification in Vladivostok and on
the Kan-an fi-nntier as well as
rewanitMn M the right at special
Japanese military missions in the
area. The Far Eastern Republic
was tr» maintain no naval force in
the Pacifira Pnint 15 requested the
lease 01' Northern Sakhalin to
S‘u-wrm Rout Wisheu ."rom
BOOTH FISHERIES
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Japan for an eighty year period.
The United States complained
that these demands were evading
the principle of the Washington
Conference. On October 15, 1921,
a note had been sent to Japan de
manding the cessation of these
grasping demands. The Soviet Un
tion protested in July 1921 to
Japanese interference with the
expressed will of the people and
stated that Japan should leave the
new revolutionary government of
Mongolia alone.
Japan finally withdrew all her
trbops from Siberia by Novem
ber 1922 but again pressed more
demands. The Japanese-Russian
Convention January 20, 1925, af
forded the opportunity. Article I
provided for regular diplomatic
and consular relations. Article II
restated the validity of the Treaty
of Portsmouth, Article III safe—
guarded Japanese fishing rights
off Siberia. Conditions for a later
commercial treaty were set forth
in Article IV. Article V denounced
propaganda directed against each
other while Article VI granted
('onCessions to the Japanese "for
the exploitation of minerals, for
ests_ and other natural resources."
By later agreements Japan
agreed to evacuate troops from
North Sakhalin, which had been
sent there pending adjustment of
the Nicolaievsk Massacre of 1920.
Exploitation by Japan of fifty per
cent of the oil fields of Northern
Sakhalin and prospecting rights
were allowed.
Part of the great attractiveness
of Sakhalin Island is due to the
oil which is found there. Japan
imports 86 per cent of her oil; the
rest comes partly from Formosa.
After 1925 she legally exploited
the oil resources in Northern Sak
halin. This j o i n t exploitation
agreement was to be valid for ten
years after which time an exten
sion would be necessary. Japan
needed the extension and even
planned to get direct ownership
by purchase or forceful occupation.
Russia didn't need the Sakhalin
nil for herself. only in making the
Far East self-sufficient. The ex
ploitation agreement was renewed
in 1936 for a five-year period. If
friendly relations prevailed. Rus
sia had no objection to the re
newal nf such a treaty.
Another important resource of
the Far East was the present-e of
fish in the Russian Territorial
waters. Japan wanted fishing
rights so she could sell the salmon.
trout, sardines, tuna and cod in
the foreign markets. Japanese
rights to fish in these northern
waters extended from treaties in
1.875, 1907, and 1928. But later
Rusma tried to make up for her
earlier losses. Naturally Japan at
tempted to keep her rights. which
she considered obligations and
Russia considered grants. So sus
picion and ill-feeling were bred.
Disturbances of illegal fishing and
detention of ships became com
mon.
As with the oil concessions Rus
sian attitude depended on the re
lations with Japan at the moment.
So when the Japanese-German
Anti—Commintern Pact was made,
Russia broke of! fishery coopera-
JEAN HALL
Hm Pine Street
Thought for U.N.’s Second Birthday
~KOME 'WRSN'T bum m away EITHEK“
tion. The high tension and sus
picion led to ideas of converting
fishing boats to gunboats, fishing
grounds to strategically valuable
sites. The uneasiness was greatly
increased with the Japanese seiz
ure of Manchuria.
Control over railway. promotion
of their growth or outright own
ership were valuable assets for a
commercial activity on the Far
Eastern Asiatic continent. Russian
and Japanese rivalry for Man
churian railroads developed after
1925. After 1931 Russia. proposed
giving up the Chinese Eastern
Railway to remove a source of
conflict but Japan continued con
struction. She built the Mishan-
Hulin extension, the Chiamussu-
Hinshanhen. Peian - Heiho and
Ningnien - Mergen lines. This
brought the Japanese Kwantung
army close to the Trans-Siberian
Railroad at five different points.
This situation prevailed too in
Outer Mongolia and even in the
interior of Inner Mongolia.
Russia had the branch roads
Komsonzolosk to Dekastori line op
posite Sakhalin and the line to
Sovietskaya Bay opposite Kara
futo. which contributed to her
eastern defense. Yet Russia began
to strengthen her transportation
by constructing double tracks for
the Traaniberian Railroad and
constructing the Baikal Trunk
line in 1934 with plans for exten
sion. These improvements stronge
ly enough were better suited to a.
defensive rather than an offensive‘
war for Russia. should one come!
According to 0. Tanin and E.‘
Yohun this was not a display oft
pure economic rivalry. but a stra-§
tegic rcarmament in disguise, an;
index of military preparations!
And yet the greater the rivalry.|
Whether economic or otherwise.l
the greater the suspicion and ten-!
sion. It seemed that Russia usual- |
ly yielded in cases of border in-l
cidents. As tension mounted there!
grew a definite need for settleg
ment, negotiation and improved]
relations. i
So a Japanese-Soviet Convention
met in Peiping in 1933 where
Japan would agree to a non-ago
gression pact with the Soviet Un
ion ii‘ that power would agree to
stopping revolutionary activities in
the Far East, particularly in Man
churia and Japan. to withdrawing
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THE SCANDINAVIAN AMERICAN
all restrictions on Japanese enter
prise, meaning fisheries and oil
concessions. The agreement fur
ther stipulated that new ones
should be allowed——1umbcr and
mining concessions. The Japanese-
Soviet trade should develop and
become balanced and the Chinese
Eastern Railway be surrendered to
Japan.
And so it is seen how two grow
ing powers developed interests in
the same area, how each one tried
to gain a slight advantage. usually
at the expense of a third power,
how negotiation. settlements. pro
tocols and conventions failed to
really solve difficulties. Even war
in the Orient and in Europe, or
revolution in Russia failed to elim
inate rivalry. Can it be that na
tions of the world are too selfish,
always looking for something for
themselves? Both Russia and
Japan maintained they were only
aiding the people in general; Rus
sia was helping the downtrodden
Mongols while Japan was creating
an Asia. for the Asiatics.
In any case perhaps through
study of what has happened in the
past. we can hope to guide our
actions in the future toward bet
ter living in 8. world community.
Hungary Offers Silver
Goblet to King Gustaf As
Thanks for Relief Aid
STOCKHOLM-~»On May 30 King
Gustaf received from Hungary a
magnificent silver goblet, or vase.
on behalf of those Hungarians who
were saved from mam persecutions
by Swedish relief agency officials
or diplomatic representatives.
The piece, which is the work of
Hungary's foremost Silversmith.
Bela Seregi, was presented to the
King by Vilmos Bohm. Hungarian
Minister to Sweden. It shows
scenes from war-torn Budapest and
on one side the figure of King Gus
taf. surrounded by grateful chil
dren. The vase will be included in
the monarch‘s large collection of
old Swedish and foreign silver.
PACIFIC PRODUCTS GORP.
Mfg. of “Rozcl” the Household Cleaner
hand Rozel Glass (‘leaner
Distributed By
Jolly Paint and Glass Service. Inc.
(.‘runbaum Furniture Company
Also Manufacturers of “BARDAHI.” Oil
1516 West 5lst HEmlock 5543
Seattle
500 Italians To
Work In Sweden
STOCKHOLM. »— In mix, to
remedy to some extent the i . 11s
shortage of labor in SVVCdt‘i, the
Swedish government has (‘0: lrui.
ed an agreement with Ittli‘ i'm.
the employment of 500 Humid
Italian workers. The first mini)
arrived at the beginning of lime,
The Italians Will be employ 1 ("11
the same conditions as Sn'evlish
workers and will be insured
against unemployment. amai-ms
and sickness. They will am he
allowed to send home their an.
ings. and measures have hem» ':ik
en to provide for them the :Wmd
specialties of their home 0. "Vil‘y,
An employment agency has
been set up in Turin. wlw :1
Swedish doctor and Swedish 2- irh
nica] experts will examine the
qualifications of the applinmw.
The medical examination wil be
so thorough that no quainirt‘anc
should be necessary in S“'1‘-l«'l'.
Of the 500 workers, 450 [we
already been preliminarily appur
tioned between {our big S'iK't‘ilLSh
industries, the Kockums Shlpyiliil
at Malmo, the SWedish Ball-hun
ing Company at Gothenburg. Thi‘
ASEA Company at Vasteres ind
the Storfors Iron Works The
companies will place interpertms
at the disposal of the Italians,
and it is also the intention to :ll'-
range courses in Swedish for the
foreign workers.
The allotment is handled by the
Swedish Labor Commission in en]-
laboration with other authorities
and the employers‘ and worlccrs‘
organizations, and there has hem
a real “fight“ among the emplrw
ers to acquire this supplementary
manpower. The present import of
labor covers only a small part of
the requirements, which for the
Swedish machine and steel indus«
try alone is caICulated at 30.000
workers, provided that raw ma—
terials and fuel can be supplied
in sufficient quantities. The pos—
sibility of obtaining labor. both
industrial and agricultural worl<~
ers. from other countries besides
Italy is also being examined.
Sixty British and Scottish gym
nasts. mostly women. haVe lawn
invited for a tWO-week study visit
to Sweden by the Swedish Gym
nastic Central Institute. In addi
tion to lectures and demonstra
tions, the group will visit thv
Bosbn Athletic Inst.tute and thP
Lillsved Gymnastxc College, both
near Stockholm.
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Seattle