New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-17
TREATIES IN THE ORIENT.

The Treaty Of Portsmouth is not the only one
made this year bearing upon affairs in the Far
! East As we have already heard. II new con-
vention has been made between Great Britain
and japan TO take the place of that Whlch mas
/ been in existence for several years, the making
/ of which marked an epoch in the history or the
! relations between the white and yellow races,
! and the influence of which has been so benen-
cent. especially during the late war. The exact
| terms of it are not yet revealed, if. indeed,
they are all ever to be- but enough is pretty GER
! tainIy known to warrant confidence that it is
! en- even more effective instrument than the one
/ which it supersedes. The old treaty aimed at
! maintaining the status quo in Japan and emma,
! and provided that one OF its makers was TO aid
| the other in war only in case Of an attack by
| more than one power. Now we are told that
! the new one aims at the maintenance of the
status quo in all Asia east of the ffty-frst
meridian and binds each of the two powers not
to begin war without the consent of the other,
| and also to help the other in case of attack by
even a single power. Let us see what that
means
| The ffty-f1rst meridian passes through Bushire
and Teheran. Thus it leaves all of Turkey in
Asia and practically all of Arabia except Oman
open to exploitation without offence to Great
Britain and Japan. Germany may push her
Mesopotamian railroad, and Russia may COM
league cares. But east of that meridian lies
nearly all of Persia, upon which Russia has long
been suspected of designs; there, too are the
shores of the Persian Gulf and of the Gulf of
Oman upon which Lord Lansdowne has de-
clared Russia shall not have the naval station
for which she has been intriguing. This treaty
is a warning to Russia to keep hands off under
pain of trouble with both Great Britain and
Japan East of that line, of course, are also all
So
all the regions either directly indirectly tinged
with British red The treaty means that in pro-
tecting them from invasion Great Britain would
not stand alone Also there are TO the east of
that line all Of China including Eastern Turkes-
tan, Siam, the French and Dutch and German
colonial empires and our own possessions in the
Philippines. The status quo provisions of this
treaty are an assurance that, so far as these
| two powers can maintain it, there shall prevail
peace and security in all those regions.
That is a great thing Nothing could be more
suspicious Of good to that quarter OF the globe
than just such guarantee of opportunity for
peaceful development. But that is not all Our
acutely observant contributor "Ex-Attache"
elsewhere in this mornings paper reminds lis
mat The treaty has restraining effect unon its
makers as well as upon others and may serve
as benefcent check upon any foo ambitions
enterprises or Japan There is no doubt that
lear OF japanese aggression has arisen in some
guar We 90 not believe there is ground for
It, There is apparent to us no reason wbr
Japan should make herself menace n any
friendly power, and there are apparent inpnm-
cradle reasons why she should for her own vol.
fare cultivate the good will of the rest ~ +so
world But apprehensions of the yellow peril
SO far as they exist. may we'll be dspelled nv
tne iaet that by this new treaty Japan IS 50
closely linked to that power which &c no+ 80
the most formidable-at sea-of all in a. - oIlS
but which is also for the most practical as nj,
as for sentimental reasons the most incInad
toward the preservation of peace.
1t may be that there will be other orlents1
treaties. We should not be in the least snr
prised if in the near future one should be made