The Progressivists have spoken their mind in the House of Representatives about the Manchurian and Corean questions, Mr. Oishi being their spokesman. He spoke for about two hours. Ho opened his speech with the remark that he should not be construed being inspired by any _particular sense of hostility toward the Ministry, and that what he was going to state should rather be taken im tie sense of a caution to the Government. #l1s object was to awaken its attention to certain questions of great importance.
The first clause of the question previously put by Mr. Oishi to the Goverum: nt related to the Manchurian question, and was to the effect that Russia's continued occupation of "Manchuria was a fagrant contradiction of the assurances che bad given to the world, that the evacuation would be carried out when order should be restored in China, when the Central Government was re-established min Po sar and when the Court had returned to ts hereditary seat. China was unable to cause the evacuation unless she was backed by some strong Powers, and) ayan which bad at first made a strong protest to Russia on this question of uecupati, should not acquiesce in the matz2r heii let stand as it did. Had the Government taken any fresh step towards Russia and China in regard to this questing?
The pledge given to the world by Rnssia, remarked the speaker, was sufficient to preclude all pretext of continued occupation, and there was absolutely no necessity for Russia and China to conclude any treaty conditional on the withdrawal, especially when it was remembcr: d pat Russian diplomatic history contained many cases of violation of paper treaties Russia had concluded with other countries, while the cases of Ser observance of her _—engageme had been conspicuous by their ce. parative absence. Of course, Russia's terest lay in prolonging as long as pos: ble the date of the evacuation and strengthening her footing in that regia: But this was inconsistent with Japan's interests, commercial and political. Dino being powerless to cause Russia to evacua ate, Japan must be true to her original resolution and should endeavour to accomplish it, even if she had to resort to the dost step.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.