erence between them and the Chita Government has been taking place
at Dairen, and from time to time announcements have appeared to the
effect that an agreement has been reached or was about to be reached.
But on April 16th (1922) the Japanese broke up the Conference. _The
Times_ of April 27th contains both the Japanese and the Russian official
accounts of this break up. The Japanese statement is given in _The
Times_ as follows:--

The Japanese Embassy communicates the text of a statement given
out on April 20th by the Japanese Foreign Office on the Dairen
Conference.

It begins by recalling that in response to the repeatedly
expressed desire of the Chita Government, the Japanese Government
decided to enter into negotiations. The first meeting took place
on August 26th last year.

The Japanese demands included the non-enforcement of communistic
principles in the Republic against Japanese, the prohibition of
Bolshevist propaganda, the abolition of menacing military
establishments, the adoption of the principle of the open door in
Siberia, and the removal of industrial restrictions on
foreigners. Desiring speedily to conclude an agreement, so that
the withdrawal of troops might be carried out as soon as
possible, Japan met the wishes of Chita as far as practicable.
Though, from the outset, Chita pressed for a speedy settlement of
the Nicolaievsk affair, Japan eventually agreed to take up the
Nicolaievsk affair immediately after the conclusion of the basis
agreement. She further assured Chita that in settling the affair
Japan had no intention of violating the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of Russia, and that the troops would be
speedily withdrawn from Saghalin after the settlement of the
affair, and that Chita'a wishes in regard to the transfer of
property now in the custody of the Japanese authorities would be
met.

The 11th Division of the troops in Siberia was originally to be
relieved during April, but if the Dairen Conference had
progressed satisfactorily, the troops, instead of being relieved,
would have been sent home. Japan therefore intimated to Chita
that should the basis agreement be concluded within a reasonable
period these troops would be immediately withdrawn, and proposed
the signature of the agreement by the middle of April, so that