its strong foothold while the Soviet Union has tried to throw off the 
obnoxious arrangement which grants the use of its fishery resources t*o 
another nation. 
In 1932 the Hirota-Karakhan agreement allotted more grounds to 
the Russians and “stabilized” some 280 lots under Japanese control until 
1936 without having to go through the auction process. 3/ In 1936 when 
the 1928 treaty expired negotiations to review the entire problem were 
to have been undertaken. A new treaty, however, was not concluded and 
in 1936 and again in 1937 a modus vivendi was reached extending the 1928 
treaty and the 1932 agreement. 
* % 
During 1938 a tense situation developed over the northern fisheries 
when the fishing vessels of each nation were interfered with in the 
waters of the other. When the Soviets announced that "the fishery agree¬ 
ment would not be automatically renewed, that cannery lots which expired 
in 1938 could not be renewed for another year, but that lots exempted 
in 1932 would again be placed on auction, with the exception of those 
lots to be held by the Soviets for strategic reasons,” the Japanese 
threatened to send cruisers to protect their fishermen in Kamchatka 
waters. 4/ 
A new agreement was finally reached in April 1939. The “stabilized” 
lots" were again offered for auction, but it was agreed that Japan could 
3/Although the exchange rate problem was discussed, no new settle¬ 
ment was reached on this point. 
4/ Leonard, L. Larry, International Regulation of Fisheries , 
Washington, 1944. 
-187- 
40-03t P216 bu 
