Show JAPAN MAKES STATEMENT HER POSITION N THE controversy IS DEFINED THE territorial INTEGRITY OF KOREA indispensable TO SAFETY OF THE MIKADO 4 i K H MM M H H st petersburg feb 9 I 1 an official dispatch re coved here says that jap Is agnesc torpedo boats have attacked the russian squadron in the outer roads at port arthur and r that three of the russian y 2 ships were damaged i I I I M H H I tokio feb i the following Is the text of the statement issued by the japanese government setting forth position section one ll 11 being indispensable to the welfare and safety of japan to maintain the independent and territorial integrity of ajea and to safeguard her paramount interests therein the japanese fand i it impossible to view with indifference any action endangering the position 0 korea whereas russia notwithstanding her treaty with china and her repeated assurances su rances to the powers not only continues her occupation of manchuria but has taken aggressive measures in i Korean territory should manchuria bo annexed to the independence of korea would naturally be am the japanese government therefore being desirous of securing permanent peace for castera asia by means of direct negotiations ald russia with the view of arriving at a friendly adjustment of their mutual interests in both manchuria and korea where their interests meet communicated towards the end of auy last such acs ire tf the government and invited its adherence to this the russian government expressed a willing assent accordingly on the pt august the japanese government proposed to russia through its depre at st petersburg the basis of an agreement which was substantially a follows first a mutual engagement to re eject the iunce and territorial of the chinese and korean empires second a mutual engagement to maintain the principles of an equal op port unity tor the commercial industry ot all nations with the natives of those countries third a reciprocal recognition of japans interests in korea and that ciesla has special interests in railway enterprises in manchuria and a mutual of tha respective rights of japan and russia therein it was the intention of the japan i ase government originally bat a conference take place between their representatives at st petersburg and the russian authorities so as to facilitate progress as much as possible in reaching a solution of the situation but the russian government absolutely ro fused to do BO on the that the czar planned a trip abroad and for other reasons it wag unavoidably decided to conduct the nog oDilona at boklo it was not until tho third ot october that the russian government presented counter proposals and in them she declined to engage in re to the territorial integrity of china aal the maintenance of tho principle of equal for th commerce and in astry ot all naucia naU iia ift china and requested that japan declare manchuria and its littoral as being entirely out tide of her sphere and interest she further put several restrictions upon japans freedom ot action in korea for instance while recognizing japans right to dispatch when naces ary for atie protection of her inter asta in korea russia to al low her to use any portion of korean territory tor pui Tosea in fact russia went BO far as to propose to establish a neutral zone in korean territory north of iho thirty ninth parallel the japanese government utterly failed to B why russia who professed no intention of absorbing lanc buria should be dis inclined to in ert in the convent on a clause in corn harmony with her own repeated ly declared principle respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity ot china furthermore mis refusal of ahe russian government impressed the japanese government all the more with tho necessity of the insertion of a clause to the effect that japan has commercial interests inman charta and retains no small honea of their further and that politically japan has oven greater in boresta to resta there by reason of icca relations to korea so that he coull not poa bibly recognize manchuria as being entirely outside her of eat these reasons japan to absolutely reject the russian pro ronal tin ares government ex albo above views and at be same time introduced other necessary amendments in the russian counter proposal they further proposed with regard to a neutral zone that if ono atas to be created it should be established on both sides ot the boundary line between manchuria aal aurea with equal width say eltty kilometers after repeated discussions at boklo the japanese government finally presented the russian government their definitive amendment on the ot october the government then frequently urged the Rles lan government for a reply which was again delayed and only delivered on the alth ot december in that reply russia suppressed clauses relating to manchuria so as to make the proposed convention apply entirely to korea and maintained its demand in regard to the employment non of korean territory for purposes as well as a neutral zone but the exclusion of manchuria from the proposed convention was contrary U the original object ot the negotiations which were to remove causes of conflict between the iwo chui coui tries by a friendly arrangement of their interests both in manchuria and korea the japanese government asked the russian to reconsider the question and agabo proposed the removal of the regarding the use ot korean territory and the entire supervision of neutral zone on the ground hat if russia was reposed to tho establishment of one in Alan churia it should not establish one lu korea the last reply of hussli was received at boklo on the ati day of january in this reply it Is rue russia proposed to agree to incefy the following chausa in the prop P agreement recognition by japan of manchuria and its littoral as outside ie sphere and interest whlor russia within the limits province would not impede japan or any other powers in ahe enjoyment of rights and privileges acquired by thaia under treaties with choua exclusive lit the establishment of settlements but this was proposed to b agreed upon only upon conditions maintaining ahe clauses regarding a neutral zone in korean territory and the non em of korean territory foe strate purpose the of which are impossible tor japins accepting cep ting as had already ben lilly explained to them it should be observed hat no mention waa nade at all 0 the integrity of china in manchuria and it aust be self evident to everybody that the engagement ga now proposed ry russia would be unpractical in long as it was by a stipulation regarding the territorial integrity of china in manchuria since treaty rights are only co g with sovereignty eventually absorption of manchuria by hussla nouh arnul at once those rights and privileges acquired by the poors n by virtue of treacle tre atle with china feb 8 the of marine positively denied the report that are belac mst ie for ending troop sto the far fist berlin feb athe cologne gazette defines ys lii east asia in an article which Is am follows wo roust direct our attention co seeing that further complications to not arise from this quarrel and that tho regions in china adjacent are not drawn into tho we can bent this purpose by a policy which will leave no doubt of our fullet |