JAPANESE INTERESTS

Northern Advocate, 14 August 1919, Page 4

JAPANESE INTERESTS

IN CHINA AND PACIFIC.

SECRET AGREEMENTS.

WASHINGTON, August 12,

In the United States Senate, Mr Robt. Lansing (Secretary of State) reiterated his statement that Viscounc Ishii (the former Japanese Ambassador at Washington ( failed to tell him that Japan had secret treaties with the Allies for the division of Chinese territory captured from the Germans. Mr Balfour and Lord Reading also kept silent about Britain's secret treaty with Japan. He knew nothing of the secret agreements until February, 1919. He did not know whether Viscount Ishii deliberately concealed the existence of the secret treaties. Mr Lansing added that he did know three years ago that Britain and Japan had agreed to divide the Pacific Islands taken from Germany.

Regarding the agreement which he made with Viscount Ishii, Mr Lansing stated that he suggested to Viscount Ishii that it would be well for the two Governments to" re-affirm the policy of the "open door" for China, on the grounds 'that reports were being spread that Japan purposed to take advantage of the war conditions to spread her influence in China. Viscount Ishii thought that Japan's special interest in China should he recognised. Mr Lansing replied that the United States recognised that Japan's geographical position gave her peculiar interests in China, but that the danger of putting it in any agreement was that it might be misconstrued. Therefore he objected to it. H e also told Viscount Ishii that if "special interest" meant paramount interest, he could not discuss the matter further.—Reuter.

Prior to the war the various European Powers, America, and Japan* possessed vastly conflicting interests in China. Early in 1915, six months after the commencement of th c war, Japan saw her opportunity of securing paramount influence, and in carrying out her scheme presented a secret treaty to President Yuan Shih Kai\for signature. The treaty contained th e famous 21 demands assigning to Japan practically the control of China's foreign policy, finance, army, arsenals, mines and railroads. They encroached on China's sovereignty and conflicted with the interests of other Powers, particularly Britain. China, therefore, requested the postponement of the signing of the treaty until the conclusion of the war, but Japan insisted upon the immediate concession of the demands. China delayed the matter for the purpose of consulting the Powers whose interests would be affected, but Japan issued ah ultimatum threatening that the divulging of the contents of the secret treaty would mean war. The ultimatum was immediately followed by a naval demonstration by Japanese warships off the, North China coast. China was thus compelled by armed force to concede the demands at a tim e when the Allies (including Japan herself) were engaged in suppressing Prussian militarism.

Japan holds secret treaties, signed in 1917 by Britain, Prance, Italy, America and Russia, agreeing to Japan succeeding to Germany's rights in China. These agreements were entered into during a critical period of the war, and it is alleged that Japan extorted the.secret promise under threats.