Moscow, Dec. 8.
M. Maxim Litvinoff, Soviet Foreign Minister, on November 25 informed the Japanese Ambassador to the Soviet Union, Mr. Shigenori Togo, that Russia does not consider it possible to negotiate with Japan for a long term settlement of the fishery convention dispute until Tokyo fulfills all her obligation to the Soviet, Tass, official Soviet news agency, revealed today.
Tass said that it was authorized to reveal this statement because "certain Japanese newspapers and agencies have made an attempt to misrepresent the position of the Soviet Union."
The Soviet Foreign Minister, Tass said, called the attention of Mr. Togo tothe fact that the Portsmouth Treaty does not obligate the Soviet Union as regards the number of fishing lots to be placed at the disposal of the Japanese and it also does not indicate the terms of lease. Thus, M. Lit-id, both are subject to "voluntary agreement," Tass asserted.
M. Litvinoff, Tass said, asserted that there were repeated violations of the Portsmouth Treaty by the Japanese, and also alleged that the Japanese had violated the terms of the purchase agreement in connection with the sale of the Chinese Fastern Railway by the Soviets to Japan.—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.