So Naive?

To represent His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Japan at Moscow went Tokichi Tanaka, ex-counselor of the Japanese Embassy at Washington, ex-Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, ex-Director of the Intelligence Bureau at Tokyo, as Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary.

To represent the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics (Russia) at Tokyo went one Victor L. Kopp, also as Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Envoy Extraordinary.

Coming on top of Japanese recognition of Russia, such a despatching of ambassadors was far from being surprising and possibly no more would have been heard of it had not Ambassador Kopp stopped off at Harbin, in Manchuria. There he permitted himself a few words before the local Soviet Committee and was thus reported (perhaps by antiCommunists) :

"Upon my arrival in Tokyo . . . I am determined to give my support to all labor disputes and other events which may develop. In discharging my duties as Ambassador of the Soviet Government, I will put into execution the resolution of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee that Japan is regarded merely as a medium for Russia to make a rapprochement with America.

"I consider the Russo-Japanese Treaty to be a scrap of paper of no significance whatever. When the international revolution is brought about Japan has a possibility of being the vanguard State. As to the education of Communists in Japan, I will propagate the Soviet doctrines and principles among the Japanese Young Men's Associations in order to build the foundation for the future organization of an influential Communist Party in Japan."