The Unmovable Malik

While the Philippines hoped to reach a settlement with the elusive Japanese (see above), Japan, in turn, was being teased along by Russia's Jacob Malik. In London, Ambassador Malik (who speaks Japanese) presented Chief Japanese Negotiator Shunichi Matsumoto with a peace treaty draft which hardly differed from the terms Japan rejected four years ago.

Russia wanted to be paid well for its 24 days' action against Japan in World War II. Japan must make no military alliances, e.g., with the U.S., directed against any of her former enemies, e.g., the U.S.S.R. Neither party would permit alien navies in the Sea of Japan. Since most of the Japanese navy is at the bottom of the ocean, this would make the waters between Japan and Korea a Russian lake.

Malik offered to help Japan get into the U.N., but he made no promise to return to Japan Southern Sakhalin or any of the Kuril Islands, or the 10,000 Japanese P.W.s and "war criminals" still held by the Russians. Of course, Malik might yet unbend with a few concessions, on the theory that he who gives slowly appears to give more. But the Japanese negotiators were plainly surprised and disappointed after all the fine Russian talk of wanting to "normalize" relations. Last week the Japanese formally rejected Malik's treaty draft, and hoped he had something better up his sleeve.

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