Meanwhile the Japanese were preparing a so-called Russian army which was to keep the civil war constantly aflame and thus create a condition of perpetual uncertain- 1 ity as to the morrow, and to undermine every Russian authority, of whatever nature it might be, Soviet, bourgeois-democratic or monarchist.
Every one of the British and American officers who took part in the armed intervention in Siberia whom I met expressed to me similar opinions in regard to the Japanese policy towards Russia.
Only in the beginning of August, 1918, were definite steps taken in order to put the intervention on a purely military footing. In their declaration of August 5, 1918, the United States assumed officially the political responsibility for the entrance of the Japanese troops in Siberia.
"The United States and Japan," the declaration said, "are the only Powers now able to act in Siberia with sufficient. force to carry out even those modest aims that have been indicated above. The Government of the United States has therefore proposed to Japan that each of those two Governments send detachments of several thousand men to Vladivostok. These detachments should act. as a sufficient force for the purpose of occupying Vladivostok and defending the Czecho-Slovaks in their western movement. The Japanese government consented to this."
Aw Orreysive Acaixst Moscow.
The western movement of the Czecho-Slovaks was nothing else than an offensive against Moscow.
On the fallowing day the Japanese government issued an almost similar declaration to that of the United States completing it with the following words: The Government confirms its declaration of its policy of respect for the territorial integrity of Russia and its abstention from any meddling in Russia's internal. affairs. and policies. In addition, it declares that immediately upon the realization of the above mentioned aims it will evacuate all its troops from Russian territory."
Similar guarantees were given.allao by the French and British.
On August 11, the 12th Japanese'
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.