Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-26
THE FRANCO JAPANESE TREATY.

| Germany has no territory In the far
America, Kiao-Chiau Is not a colony
properly speaking: It IL territory ceded on
| lease oy China Consequently o treaty with
Germany which would guarantee the pres
ervation or mutual possessions similar to
those named with France and Russia
would have no reason for existence"
| Asked whether the Japanese government
/ might be disposed to negotiate a treaty
with the United States. NJ.
Feeiing Tor Kurino answered:
America. I'm Japan. notwithstanding
the incidents which have re-
Gently taken place at San Francisco, there
Is still genuine sympathy for the American
People, as IT was America who was the first
70 treat the Japanese people on an equal
France. Japan creates relations by which it's
trade and industry will benefit as they will
nenceforth attract the interest of the Paris
market. II In concluding a treaty with
II IL quite probable the government at To-
kio would not-hesitate to enter Into negotia-
tons with Washington"
Inc German press and public manifest
announcement Of the Franco-Japanese
agreement. which Is taken to mean a fin-
lshing blow at the triple alliance and the
organlsation OF q powerful combination
?
fort affirms that the agreement is a new
mesh In the net which is being thrown
around Germany-first the Franco-Rus-
SIAN alliance; then the Anglo-Japanese, the
In prospective the Anglo-Russian and
Husso-Japanese arrangements
is 1t not ring entirely closed" asks
that journal. which encircles Germany.
1t may be asked II Germany.
oermany which Is greatly interested
Encircledpby reason of the possession
Of iao-Chiau. was informed
OF the negotiations, or IT, as in the debut Of
the Moroccan question. It is proposed to
ignore herr We do not think that this last
proceeding will be adopted: the Moroccan
example will not lose its effect easily. Our
situation at Kiao-Chiau will become uneasy
and perhaps we would have done well to
abandon our situation in China in exchange
for good sum Of money. In France nat
urally there IL not only JOY over the guar
antee Of their possessions in the far east.
they are proud of the new success Of
French policy and friendships formed"
The Vossiche Zeitung of May viewed the
prospects OF Franco-Japanese entente
with considerable nifsgivings, and threw out
the suggestion that not only Germany, but
America, and above all Russia, were. to use
Prince Won Buelow's picturesque phrase,
penned IN" In the opinion Of the Berlin
JouTHdl TIC ftuSSlHn government WOuld De
positively blind II 1t did not foresee the con-
sequences which might result from a rap
prochement between Russia's ally and her
most dangerous enemy" Nevertheless. the
ground for alarm on the part of Germany,
upon the principle that It was better to be
prepared for everything than to be pre-
pared for nothing. It attempted to discount
between America and Japan. n annears'
however, that both England and Russia
were kept informed Of the negotiations vith
Japan. and both approved them warmly.
4 4
The Russ. indeed. says: ''Henceforth the
relations between Japan. England. France
and Russia will be simple
Russian clear and profitable to al
View. four powers" The Russ
after pointing out that the
Agreement serves az q reinsurance policy
OF peace In ASIA" declares that 1t VIII for
ever lay the specter of the yellow peril. /"
and while enabling Russia to issue unham-
pered from the difficulties Of her internal sit
uation win unite the hands Of Russia.
France and England in Europe. thus en-
abling them to assure peace against German
intrigues and aGgressiveness.
Japanese agreement Is In general line
with Brtfsh policy and new ring In the
chain which serves to encircle Germany.
king Edward carries out In i1isA foreign
policy plans which have been conceived long
ago. Notwithstanding denials he follows
the plan Of isolating Germany. Not content
with applying the method in Europe he ex-
tends 1t to Asia to isolate US there also by
groupmeht of other powers. Nothing
makes this policy more apparent than the
visit Of Prince FuShimi to London when
France and Japan undertook the pourpar-
lers which will at. least embarrass the pol
icy Of Germany in the far east"
There are Incidents in diplomatic life at
times which provoke smile and which
show at least the very mar
"Mikado" row line which separates the
Incident. serious from the comic. The
London Times Of May 8 con-
tains valedictory on the occasion of the
suppression by the lord chamberlain of the
comic opera "The Aiikado." lest it be taken
as hurtful to the feelings Of their japanese
ally. The Times says: The Mikado' was
| written years before the real Japan was
known to the outside world, and 1t has be-
come dear to us ALL We trust that means
will be found to preserve it for US in some
shape"
The Japanese are Just now accused of
| vandalism in taking from the Korean capi-
tai the ancestral sacred shrine of P'nng
| 1t to Japan. Viscount Tanaka, minister
of the imperial household of Japan, on a
| special diplomatic mission to Korea, is the
accused.
A cable from Nagasah of>May % reports
as follows: Fancy so impossible an
achievement as the surreptitious removal
of the Washington obelisk from the capital
Yet an event Of like marvel has just thrown
the already rebellious Koreans into a state
Of evaporation and filed with astonish-
ment every foreign resident Of the far east
A prominent Japanese nobleman has re-
Gently succeeded in abstracting from the
Korean capital at Seoul one of the most
ancient and sacred of the nations ancestral
shrines, the beautiful white marble pagoda
of P'ung duk.'
The achievement is not SO impossible
There was well known English diplomat
whose name is connected with the stolen
marbles Of Elgin." Likewise an American
diplomat who caused Cleopatra's obelisk to
be thrown from its pedestal in Alexandria,
Egypt, and transported to New York. Not
for the glory OF the obelisk. but for the
$1O0, 900 contributed by Vanderbilt under q
Misrepresentation Of the facts. The Japa-
nese diplomat Is only following precedents.
CHI. CEAILLE LONG.