JAPAN’S RULE IN SIBERIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 April 1922, Page 7

JAPAN’S RULE IN SIBERIA.

APPALLING CHARGES. PROTEST TO WASHINGTON CONFERENCE. New York, Jan. 16. The delegates of the Far Eastern Republic have presented to Secretary Hughes a protest from the Chita Government against the aggression and brutality of the Japanese in Siberia. In the name of their National Assembly they testify to Japanese intervention by force, deceit and atrocity. The protest, dated December 9 last, says: Japanese troops continue to pour into Vladivoetock. Japan controls the entire Russian Pacific coast. They are building fortifications, digging trenches, and erecting barbed wire on Russian territory. Russian rivers are mined by the Japanese. The mouth of the Amur River is closed to Russian ships and made the base for attacks upon us. To extend their occupation the Japanese seized Sakhalin, and exercise civil and military authority there.

| They dispose of fishing, forestry and 1 mining resources. Russians are prohibited from entering Sakhalin without Japanese permieeion. Russians are arrested on suspicion of relation with the legal Russian Government. An accompanying pamphlet gives the history of Japan’s proceedings since the Allied Governments began armed intervention in Siberia during 1918 for the rescue of Czecho-Slovak troops, solemnly declaring no hostile intentions, but respect of the Russian people’s sovereignty, and speedy withdrawal. Britain, America, France, Italy and Japan subecribed to this declaration. When the other Allies withdrew the Japanese troops remained under various pretences. The description of the actions of the Japanese troops on the territory of the Russian Far East (says the pamphlet) is one of the darkest pictures in the history of the population of that country. Under the pretext of combaing Bolshevism the Japanese murdered en masse men, women and children, burned down entire villages, destroyed Government buildings, and caused losses to the State and the civilian population of many million gold roubles. The lives and property of Russian citizens had no value to the Japanese. Horrible details, with time and place, follow, and the pamphlet forms an atrocious record of pitiless aggression, slaughter and wrong. The Siberian Far Eastern Republic ie not formally recognised by any Power except Soviet Russia. Their position regarding the Conference is therefore difficult. But the publication of their secret documents regarding Japan and France ten days ago is attracting much attention, and America’s part in the original intervention, to say nothing of Britain’s part, appears to compel action.