The Russian case is as follows 1. AN the fishery conventions are based on the Treaty of Portsmouth. This treaty has been broken both in the spirit and in the letter by Japan: firstly by her seizure of Manchuria; and secondly by her fortifying the Soya Strait (between Hokkaido and Saghalin). By this latter measure Russian fishing fleets have been denied direct access to the outer Pacific. Having broken the treaty in this way the Japanese cannot base any claims of their own on it any more.
2. The money derived from the auctions is an entirely minor point. The right of holding an auction is a matter of principle.
3. According to International Law the Russian government has a perfect right to make what rules it likes for the fishing grounds in its own territorial waters. For the Japanese to claim for themselves in these waters pecial inherent rights which must not be touched, amounts to a denial of Russian sovereignty there.
4. With the rapid increase of the population in Eastern Siberia, fish has become an important staple food, the Russian government is doing in its power to increase the catch has been drawing up careful reations for improving and conservthe fishing, which regulations are pletely ignored by the J erman. The Russian gov is therefore all the more det to exercise full control ove: whole of its fishing grounds.
So the dispute stands. One auction has already taken place; a second is to be held early in April. The Japanese position would not appear to be a very strong one: they are faced with the alternative of a major war or of protective measures which are scarcely likely to prove effective. It is not at all so easy to protect with warships and planes a fishing fleet hat is scattered all over the sea, ecially when only twelve miles off the enemy's shore. The sinking or capture of even a few fishing vessels would put an end to all profitable and peaceful fishing, even if ti Japanese warships succeeded in destroying some of the attacking Rus-n submarines or fast motor-boats.
Presuming that the Japanese do not want to have a second major war on their hands, it therefore appears highly likely that—despite the thunders in the Diet and the Press— the Japanese fishing interests will quietly attend the second auction and bid for the lots offered them, uncut further demur.
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Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.