The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-04-09
POSITION Al
JAPAN
REFUSES TO TAKE MANc,,.
RIAN DIFFERENCES "
TO HAGUE.
Position Stated in Pointed NJ.
Given Out by Foreign Om,.
Claims Diplomatic Effort
Settlement Has BY No No..
Been Exhausted.

Toxic, April 3.-The Japanese =,
eminent has declared ip the most n eu.'
tive terms that it is unable to ao n'
to the suggestions Of China that nso,
ing questions with regard to ManoSN'
ria be referred to The Hague for s.s
tration. It maintains that this ~
gestion shows q lack of courtesy y,
it attributes the Chinese change ~
titunde in this matter to "malipn ~
fuences. !"
Answering request for an exms.
sion of the views Of the governme,,
concerning China's proposal that 4.
Manchruian questions be referred y
The Hague, the foreign Office has d,
en- out the following carefully woras,
statement:
Japan's Position
''Several questions between Jam,
and China of more or less importan0
with reference to Manchuria. rema,
unadjusted. Some are complicated, but
all readily could be made to yield n
the diplomatic process of give and
take.
'Japan, fully approaching the sd.
vantage of removing all cause of mis-.
understanding from her relations with
her neighbors, made proposals to China
looking to the final settlement of ont.
standing differences. These proposals
we're framed in a spirtit of consider.
ton and Cancellation, and were in DO
sense the ultimatum. Japan expected
that the terms offered would serve as
basis of negotiation or as points Of
departure for reciprocal concessions
and accommodations.
''China at first apparently accepted
Japan's friendly overtures in the spirit
in which they we're rendered, but ma.
lign influences ultimately were allowed
to prevail, and without discussing the
question or making any counter pro.
posals, China categorically rejected
Japan's offer, and suggested recourse
to The Hague.
Lack of Courtesy
''In adopting this extraordinary
course, China is guilty not only Of
slight courtesy to Japan, but has dis
regarded one Of the expressed prov.
sions of. The Hague convention, and
has completely reversed the usual
course of procedure. Article Al Of The
Hague convention declares that the
court is maintained for the object Of
facilitating recourse to arbitration Of
international differences impossible to
settle by diplomacy.
''In the present case the resources Of
diplomacy have not only not been e1
hausted, but they have not even been
appealed to. The questions in dispute
have not been made the subject Of full
detailed discussion between the two
goerrnments, and no attempt has been
made to compose the differences Or as.
certain how far they are irreconcilable
Questions Not Ripe
"The questions are not ripe for such
references; diplomatic effort would
first have to be exhausted and the ez-
act points at issue ascertained and spe
CITED.
"The controversy covers wide range
of interests and calls for a correspond
ingly wide range of accommodation
The powers Immediately concerned
have plenty of authority to pool all
issues necessary and are alone compe'
tent to settle the questions in salts
factory manner, and no solution nov
satisfactory to all concerned will STAND
the test of time and the stress Of CON-
peting interests.
1T is therefore extremely unfoitu'
nate that China has allowed herself 70
be persuaded to make the wholly Id.
practicable su00estiOn of arbitration