Harbin, May 6
The agreement which was signed at the end of last month at Vladivostok regarding the disposal of both Russian and Japanese troops in the Primorsk and Ussuri district is very much condemned in Russian democratic circles, It must be considered merely as a military agreement, being signed by General Oi, commander-in-chief of the Japanese forces in Siberia, on the one part, and General Boldereff, the commander of the Russian Provincial Government troops on the other, and as such in the eyes of the writer the Japanese terms are by no means severe.
One can read between the lines that the Japanese intend staying for the time being at any rate in Siberia but wish to avoid all armed clashes with the Russians.
A special inter-allied railway commission is now engaged in explaining to the railway workers the attitude of the Japanese and getting them to go back to work. According to latest telegrams from that port a great many men have gone back and ordinary railway traffic is to be resumed immediately. The presence of so many Japanese along the railway is. of course, the reverse of being relished by the workmen, but what can the latter do? If they do not work they will starve, and others as well, for it is necessary to have transport to bring foodstuffs into towns.
A Derren Gaxe-
In a similar manner the Japanese at Vladivostok itself told the provisional government that they are not going to interfere with their work of governing the Russian people, and to maintain law and order Russian militia are funetioning.
It would thus appear that the Japanese are now aiming to win the good graces of the Russian people. But it is generally suspected that they are really playing a far deeper game. As Mr. Matsudaira has openly avowed to the representative of the Russian Information Bureau that Japan is acting in accordance with the allies in her present activity in the Russian Far East, it is essential that due publicity be given to this activity so that democracy through the whole world shall know what is really taking place. We cannot for a moment believe that the Allies are part and parcel of the new Japanese adventure. notwithstanding that Mr. Matsudaira has convinced the Russian press that! this is so and thus made the whole of Russian democracy very angry with the Allied powers.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.