Tokio, May 29.
Whether Japan will open official negotiations with Russia, looking towards the resumption of relations which terminated abruptly soon after the outbreak of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia, now hinges on domestic politics, rather than on, Russia's attitude. The Premier, Admiral Kato, is believed to be inclined. towards the opening of official negotiations, but the Foreign Minister, Count Uchida, has been imploring -his chief to postpone such action for some time longer. There have been several meetings of the Cabinet recently to decide this all-important matter for Japan and Russia, but hitherto none of the gatherings terminated with a definite decision being, reached. The Japanese press shows considerable impatience at the hesitation..displayed by the Foreign Office which is.due, in great measure, to domestic political maneuvrings rather than to dissatisfaction with the concessions made by Russia. Meanwhile the question. of Northern Saghalien no longer presents very formidable obstacles towards its solution. Russia is not very keen about retaining it, while Japan, it is said, would be willing to purchase this territory at a reasonable figure, writing the cost off against the money, estimated at around Yen 300,000,000, Russia owes Japan for] munitions and materials supplied the Tsarist Government in the earlier years of the war. Russia, however, holds that Japan should withdraw her troops from that locality before any negotiations looking to its sale or cession are opened, and Japan regards this as: a reasonable request.
A high' type of' sportsmanship and a valuable contribution to international friendship—these are! the outstanding features of -the Sixth Far Eastern Olympic Games that have just closed in Osaka. The Japanese were rather badly mauled by the Filipinos at Shanghai last year and vere thirsting for revenge. They got it,' but it was a keen fight, while the; elements were in favour of the, Nipponese. This does not in any} way detract from" the splendid achievements of the Japanese, who smashed mamy previous Far} Eastern Olympic records, but, in justice to the Filipinos, it must be' stated that soon after the Games' commenced a cold snap hit the land, and the boys from the tropical islands could not have done as well as they might if the' clerk of the weather had behaved better. Nevertheless, the Filipinos came a very close second to the Japanese, and Catalan, known the King of Far Eastern Sprinte:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.