THE ANGLO-JAPANESE ALLIANCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2690, 4 October 1905, Page 19

THE ANGLO- JAPANESE ALLIANCE.

THE NEW TREATY. THE DATE OF SIGNING. INDEPENDENT OF POLITICAL CHANGES. SOME PRESS OPINIONS. MANY AND VARIOUS OPINIONS. ALARM IN ST. PETERSBURG. LONDON, September 27. N The Anglo-Japanese treaty was signec on August 12. Viscount, Hayashi, on being inter ■viewed, said * the" treaty was ; Sure * guarantee 'of peace, whicl •was ' the , aim',, and ' object sough; after,., and i* did ' not 'menace anybodyHe hoped the people of both countries would realise -that it was a powerful fac tor for peace, arid, keep the spirit/ of "the " treaty for a very • long time to dome. .rThe Bine' Book concerning the AngloJapanese Alliaace has- been issued. The peraanible states that th<e Governments oj Great '^ritain and Japan being desirous oi . replacing the agreement of 1902 by fresh - stipulations, they -have agreed to the following articles having for theiv objects — * first, , the consolidation and maintenance of general peace' in the regions of Eastern Asia and> India ; second, the preservation . of the. common interests of all the Powers in China' by ensuring the independence and integrity of the Chinese Empire and the "principle of equal opportunities to the commerce and industry of all nations in* China; third," the maintenance of the territorial rights of the high contracting pariies in the first-named regions and the defence of their special interests in the said regions. Article 1 is article 5 of the old agreement, pledging each nation to frank interchange of views in time of danger, but "* it adds : " And to consider in v3oinmonv 30inmon all measures to safeguard their rights and interests." Article 2^eads: — "If, by reason of an unprovoked attack or any aggressive action, •wherever arising, on the part of any other Power or Powers, either contracting party should- be involved in a war in defence of its territorial rights and, interests es mentioned in the preamble, the other shall immediately' come to the assistance of its ally and- conduct the ivar in common, a»d viivake peace in mutual agreement, with it." Article 3- says : — " Japan, possessing paramount political military and economic interests in Korea, Great Britain recognises thi right of Japan to take such measures iav the guidance, control, protection of Korea as she may deem proper and necessary 'to safeguard and advance tfoosa interests ; provided always they are not contrary to the' principle of equal opportunities to the commerce and industry of all cations." Article 4: — "Great Britain having special interests in all that concerns the security of the Indian frontier, Japan recognises her right to take such measures in the proximity of the said frontier as ftho may find necessary to safeguard her Indian possessions." Article 5. — Ibis is article 4 of the old 'Agreement, providing that neither Power shall make a separate Agreement with another Power without consulting the other. £ Article 6 states that as regards the present war Great Britain continue her strict neutrality unless some other' Powers join Sn hostilities against Japan, when Great shall come to the assistance of her ally and us© her efforts to prevent the ■other Powers from joining in the hostilities. Article 7 states tie conditions under Tfrhiek armed assistance shall be afforded under, the circumstances above-mentioned, and the means whereby the assistance shall be made available shall be arranged by the naval authorities of the contracting parties, TFb-o from time to time shall mutually coj.-

suit fully and freely on all question® of mutual interest. Article 8 is article 6 of the old Treaty having regard to the term of the Alliance, but extends it to a decade instead of a quinquennium. The new Treaty of Alliance was signed by Lord Lansdowne, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Viscount Hayashi on the day of the lunch given at Westminster Hall to the officers of the visiting French squadron by the members of Parliament. It was ' sent the day after the Peace Treaty bej iween .Russia and Japan was signed to our Ambassadors at St. Petersburg and Paris, j because Russia and France are the two out- - side Powex's with the greatest interest in ; the question. The newspapers recognise that the British Government desired to place the Alliance with Japan above the vicissitudes of political changes in Great Britain for . a decade. The majority declare that the , Agreement fulfils their expectations more , definitely than they 'had anticipated. -, Lord - Lansdowne, in a covering note, , , says* that he believes that the contracting , parties ' may count on the goodwill and support of all the Powers in the fifrst t>vo , "''objects- of the Treaty, while then* special interests are of a kind' whereon they are . /folly entitled to insist that they must be safeguarded. These Latter, however, are not surprising-, and need cause no misgivings. The Times says that the recognition that , th& Allies, have special interests in India, and Korea, which are all closely -related parts of a single problem, is an abjuration by Great Britain of the delusion so long renounced by our better-informed Allies that the Asiatic question can bs dealt with iv watertight compartments. The XJaily News (Radical) demurs seriously to a novel and revolutionary instrument that has been arranged without ' a hint to the delegates of the people, and •which depended for its stability and resources on a new Power. Moreover, it upsets every previous theory of Imperial defence. Tlis Chronicle (L.) says it is curious • such an instrument was concluded without j ' the advice and consent of the people, but j such is our Constitution, and the consequences must be loyally accepted. A Treaty securing the status quo in Asia ! ought to facilitate a good understanding ! iin Europe, as well as in the East. Great Britain must now face the question of . military organisation,. September 28. The Pall Mall Gazette says that renewing the Treaty of Alliance with. Japan is the beginning of a new age. It suggests the possibility of a frank understanding v/ith Russia, adding that with the northwest frontier secure we need not be uncompromisingly hostile to Russia's natural desire to reach the sea in the Persian Gulf. American opinions on the Treaty arc congratulatory. The French opinions ai-e most favourable, predicting an era of appeasements. The safety of French Indo -China is considered to be strengthened. Mr Wyndham (ex-Chief Secretary for . Ireland), in the course of an address, said, regarding the Japanese Alliance, that j mutual assistance would only Be given in case of an unprovoked attack being made. , British and Japanese Ministers were careful not to disturb the peace by introducing any causes of provocation. The existenGe of the new treaty when the fact was known only to our allies did something to create the opportunity so nobly seized by President Roosevelt to bring about peace. Reuter's Berlin correspondent states that j Great Britain communicated the text of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance to the various j Governments. j The German comments on the AngloJapanese Treaty are divided. Some recom- * mend closer relations or a counter-alliance between the Kaiser and the Czar. The brpad terms of clause 4 are viewed with alarm in St. Petersburg. It is considered susceptible of the widest interpre- j tation. Great satisfaction is expressed in Japan, and there were illuminations in Tokio ; but the reference to India is not regarded with entire favour in gome quart ers*

[ The Standard mentions reports current :ji Liverpool of the formation of an Anglo- • Japanese Shipping Combine, with a capital , of five millioDs sterling, to take over 40 i steamers of 2000 and 3000 tons each acquired by Japan as transports. They are [ to be mostly engaged in the Far East. The i concern also acquir.es several large steamers • ranging from 10,000 to 20,000 tons. i September 29. l Count Lamsdorff has assured Mr Olei bank, a member of the House of Commons, that the Czar desired an entente ■ cordiale with closer commercial relations , with Britain. Count Okuma, on being interviewed, said the alliance would ensure the peace of the whole world and the benefit would extend to all nations. It was gratifying beyond expression that non-Christian Japan had been admitted on an equal footing with the greatest Power. He believed that Russia, instead of feeling an aversion to the alliance, would welcome such a powerful guardian of the peace, enabling her to devote herself to national improvement and development. (Received Sept. 29, at 11.48 p.m.) The majority of tE.e newspapers in Tokio and also business circles are delighted at the alliance. September 30. The Hon. W. P. Reeves, in an interview, said he was confident that New Zealanders would welcome the Anglo-Japanese Treaty, , since they entertained the greatest admiration and respect for the Japanese, while they were not labour rivals. . Mr Coghlarf (Agent-general for New ] South Wales) declined to define Aiistralian ; opinion regarding the treaty. I ( Mr James (West Australian Agent- ! general) declared that all thinking Aus- ' tralians must approve of the treaty. He thought it would not alter the local views lon the question of race colour. He was ■ inclined to think that if any particular portion of the existing law was extremely obnoxious to Japan Australia would be willing to modify it. ' Mr A. Bonar Law, Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade, speaking at Glasgow, emphasised the treaty with Japan as a momentous step, and declared that the Government was looking ahead and trying to control events which had not drifted by them. Such a, policy was dis1 tasteful to a large section of the Liberals, and he would not be surprised if it did not produce the same differences as occurred in the Boer war. October 2. The St. Petersburg correspondent of The Times reports that the Russian Government does not consider the Anglo-Japan.?se Treaty indicative of an offensive policy. The Government recognises the possibility of Russia- and Britain gradually paving the way for an understanding respecting Asiatic interests. It disavows a forward policy in Persia, except for furthering trade. PARIS, September 28.' The French press recognises the treaty as the pivot of the whole, world's policy. No Power could accept the dangerous risk of attacking it. The Powers must bow before Lord Lansdowne's masterstroke. BERLIN, Septemer 28. German official opinion does not object j to the treaty, since the integrity of China and the open door to the trade of all nations are guaranteed. Many newspapers insist that its brutally aggressive - character is levelled first against Russia, and secondly and thirdly against Germany and France. September 29. Prince yon Bulow remarked to the Japanese Minister that the Anglo-Japanese Alliance was a fresh guarantee of the tranquillity of the Far Eastern Pacific and of the competition in commerce and shipping j ST. PETERSBURG, September 28. °' ' The Novoe Vremya (organ of the Bureaucracy) considers that the AngloJapanese Treaty enslaves Asia. It is obviously and primarily directed at Russia. The special interests of the allies are so elastically defined that they may stretch from the Pacific Ocean to the Persian Gulf. October 1. The best-informed Russians agree that it is possible to come to a direct understanding with Great Britain if events show that

the Anglo-Japane&e Treaty is of a defensive, not an offensive, character. Great Britain's position is now so secure .that she is able to abandon a further forward policy. NEW YORK, September 28. The American press considers the treaty assures peace for years, and is greatly gratified that it endorses the late Secietary Hay's policy of the open door. VICTORIA, October 1. While appreciating the benefits of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, British Columbians still object to the immigration of Asiatics. A renewal of anti-Japanese legislation is certain. TOKIO, September 28. The Marquis Ito,. interviewed, said that the treaty was an impregnable bulwark of peace in the Far East, inaugurating a new period of phenomenal, commercial, and economic development, besides promoting the advancement of civilisation. --MELBOURNE, September 28. In the Senate notice of motion was given ' affirming the desirability of the Commovi- ' wealth negotiating- a treaty with Japan. In the House Mr Bruce Smith moved that the time had arrived for differentiating the Jaj>anese from other Asiatics and placing them on a similar footing to European races. The debate was adjourned. 1f • •