The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-14
He Informs the House that the Treaty
with Japan Covers All of
Manchuria.
BRITAIN FOR OPEN DOORS"
HER POLICY THE SAME AS THAT OF
THE UNITED STATES.
Lord LansdOwne's Announcement in
the House of LOrds-Views of
Prominent Persons.

LONDON, Feb. 13-The parliamentary
secretary of foreign affairs, Lord Gran
borne, replying, in the House Of Commons,
to-day, to Henry Norman, Liberal, who
asked whether the Anglo-Japanese treaty
of alliance was communicated to the
United States government before its text
was published, and, if SO, whether the gov
eminent of the United States expressed
any opinion thereon, said the substance of
the agreement was communicated to the
United States government before publica-
ton. The United States did not express
any opinion on the subject. Lord Gran
borne added the information that Man
churia was no more excluded from the
scope Of the agreement than any other
province of the Chinese empire. The sub
stance Of the agreement, Lord Cranborne
said, also communicated to Germany.
Mr.. Norman subsequently moved an ad-
journment in order to discuss the treaty.
He said he objected TO the Anglo-Japan
treaty on the ground that 1t was evidently
anti-Russian threat, and that tied Great
Britain to the wheels of Japans policy In
such way that she might be forced to go
to war against her own interests.
Lord Cranborne explained that the con-
tracing parties were only bound to under
take mutual defense of their interests when
the danger was due to the aggression of
others, and the power called upon to help
the other must Judge whether the condi-
tons of the treaty had been observed.
Continuing, Lord Cranborne said Russia
had recognized Japans special position in
Korea by the agreement of 1883, and almost
every power had Endorsed the principle OF
the 'open door and the territorial integ-
rity of China. The new treaty. therefore,
was merely along lines already accepted
by almost every power. Great Britains
commercial position in China was of the
greatest Importance, and who could say
what its Importance would become IN the
future with China's infinite capacity for
expansion? Great Britain's commercial po-
sitiOn, though great, was not unchallenged.
Spheres of influence did not suit her She
wanted the whole of China open to indus
trial enterprise. The government was
bound to take every care in safeguarding
its commercial rights in the Orient ia
pans special interest was governed by her
geographical position. Her army and
Great Britain's navy were acting in con-
cert, and were peculiarly able to maintain
the foregoing policy.
Lord Cranborne said in conclusion that he
would supplement his earlier statement
regarding the United States by saying:
Throughout all the dOings in China the
relations between Great Britain and the
United States were marked by. the greatest
cordiality. At almost every crisis and i'm
| the case of every small difficulty which had
arisen during the negotiations at Peklng
the United States and British representa-
| tives had always acted together. There is
no doubt that in this agreement we shall
command the full approval of the govern
ment of the United States" This state
ment was received with cheers.
The Liberal leader, Sir Henry Campbell
Zimmerman. thought that the Identical in
terests Of Great Britain, the United States
and Japan could have been sufficiently
secured by an interchange of notes instead
of by an explicit understanding of this
kind.
The government leader A. ]. Balfour,
said there seemed to be an impression that
something hostile to peace was behind the
agreement. That was not so. The treaty
was not based secret information of
impending dangers, but on the broad facts
of British interests. The treaty made
strongly for peace because even the most
adventurous nation would shrink from at
lacking Japan with the knowledge that
Great Britain would also have to be en-
countered. The treaty was not unfriendly
to other nations. 1t would. Mr.. Balfour
tinental schools of thought which i'm
periled the worlds peace. An interchange
of notes would have RESUMED in ambiguity.
The foreign secretary, Lord LansdOwne,
in the House of Lords, to-day made a
somewhat similar reply on the subject of
the new dual alliance to the one made in
the House of Commons by Lord Cranborne.
Lord Lansdowne added that nothing in
the agreement did violence to the accepted
policy Of the other powers So far as the
treaty concerned the integrity of China.
Manchuria must be taken as forming part
of the Chinese empire. The object of the
alliance three-fOld, the maintenance
of the status quo, the policy of the open
door and the maintenance of peace in the
far East were at all comparable with those
of Great Britain and Japan. While it was
true that the alliances OF Great Britain
with other powers had been regarded here
tofore with considerable suspicion, he
frankly declared that the government was
not going TO be deferred by these consid-
erations, or admit that because an agree
ment involved a departure from the policy
thar fOro Il
verse criticism. They saw on all sides a
tendency of the great powers to form
groups and ever-increasing naval and mill
tary ornaments involving eVer-lncreaslnP
burdens on the people In these days wars
broke out with a suddennesS which was not
the case in former years. So the country
has adopted without reservation the doc
trine that all alliances must be endowed
with extraordinary self-sufhciency. Britain
must not be swayed by old-fashioned
superstition in regard to isolation, but
must consider whether the objects of the
alliance commenda BILE; whether the
price is too great. If these questions are
satisfactorily answered then the aIliancf 1
was a good thing. There was much great
er danger in leaving great questions of in
derstanding than in enbodying them ex-
plicitly in an agreement, the purpose OF
which can be understood Great Britain
desired to protect Japan against what she
conceived to be the gravest peril that
might menace her. namely, a coalition of
the powers against her. The agreement
would compel Great Britain TO come to
the rescue Of a friendly country whose OBJ
Iteration by a coalition of the powers
Great Britain could not under any circum-
stances tolerate. The treaty was not con-
nected with the governments decision re-
garding Wei-Hai-Wei The maintenance of
the independence Of Japan and the protec-
ton of Korea were of the utmost impor-
lance TO Great Britain well as Japan.
Lord Rosebery expressed general ap-
prevail of the treaty. He said that the eff
feet Of the treaty would be felt in great
part of Europe and in the rest OF the civil
lied world