JAPAN: Warm Atmosphere

In the Soviet Embassy mansion on London's Kensington Palace Gardens, known locally as "Millionaires' Row," Russia and Japan last week began their first high-level talks since the war. Russian Ambassador Yakov Malik, usually scowly, invited photographers into the Embassy's sacrosanct conference room and smilingly offered a cigarette to the Japanese Ambassador, Shunichi Matsumoto. The Japanese diplomat, who does not smoke, accepted the cigarette and beamed. "Very congenial," said Matsumoto afterwards. "The atmosphere is very warm."

Although no formal agenda for the talks has been set, the subject matter is plain for all to see. Russia wants Japan to declare...

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