Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1907-05-17

Japan on the one hand and Rus
STA and France on the other. |
Upon the foundation of these
alliances have been erected
agreements between the parties
represented in the first named
combination, and both of the par
ties represented in the second
combination. These subsidiary
agreements, it may be assumed,
cover all points affecting the ex-
ternal interests of each power
as to which differences have
arisen in the past. That is true
at all events, of the Anglo French
understanding, and, according
to the statement of the French
foreign minister, the Franco
Japanese treaty soon to be signed
provides for the maintenance of
the status quo in the far East so
far as the parties to it are con-
cerned, thus removing ssany un-'
easiness egarding the security Of
the French possessions in that
region. Minister Pichon asserts
his belief that the new Russo
Japanese treaty will embody
similar features, so that four
nations will soon have practically
entered into similar undertake
ing not to interfere with each
others interests in the far East.
Such an undertaking, if carried
out in good faith, ought to re-
move the possibility Of war in
the far East to a remote period
in the future, unless, indeed, the
awakening of China should
arouse her military spirit suf-
ficiently to make war upon her
neighbors, though it may be
easily seen that the combination
against her is overwhelming
and invincible. Against her in
the event of war only, for unless
the nations concerned in the new
Oriental alignment have com
pletely repudiated their profess
sions, it must have as one of it's
objects the preservation of her
independence ard sterritoriaI
integrity. Indeed, the Franco
japanese treaty is said to con-
tain a clause to that effect.
The only other powers outside
of the quadripartite Oriental
agreement having substantial
interests in the far East are the
United States and Germany. Our
traditional unwillingness to en-
ter upon entangling alliances
prevents us from becoming par
ty to European understandings,
but in the present case the cable
conveys an intimation that this
government has been kept fully
informed of the negotiations
between France and Japan, and
has offered no objections to them.
If there be any truth in this in
tination, it implies that we have
tacit]y consented to the Oriental
status which it is the object of
the agreement to maintain. If
$50, by parity of reasoning the
other powers, notably Japan,
have tacitly consented not to in
terfere with American interests
in the same region. Thus we are
warranted in assuming that the
Philippines are as safefrom Japa-
nese aggression as if they were
protected by an actual agree
ment equivalent to that which
France and Japan are negotiating
This assumption conforms SUBJ
stantially with the statement of
M. Kurino, the Japanese Minis
ter to France, who declares the
new agreement an evidence of
the moderations of Japanese pol
; icy, and expresses the hope'sst that
it will put an end to speculations
concerning the yellow peril. -
s We cannot doubt that the same
considerations apply to German
possessions in the Orient, for