Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1911-04-13
JAP TREATY MADE
Mexico Had Given COaIiNg Station
In Lower California.
American Envoy Discovers Document,
Photographs It, and Hurries to
Washington With Copy.

Mexico City, April 1O.-President
Taft gave President Diaz of Mexico
six days to abrogate a treaty he is
said to have made with Japan.
The hidden treaty was discovered by
Ambassador Henry Lane Wilson, who
photographed it, returned the original,
and proceeded post haste to Washing
ton to inform the State department.
The treaty is said to have contained
clauses that gave Japan coaling sta
tion privileges and other big conces-
sions on the coast Of Mexico, including
the right to use Magdalena Bay for.
target practice.
Taft's order mobilizing troops at
the border followed promptly.
These are startling disclosures made
here by an apparently authentic source
today and which, as recited In nara
tive form, are given as the cause of
the hurry order that rushed 70, 600
troops to the border. The relations
reported to have existed between Mex
leo and Japan are said to have prevail
ed prior to March l.
Ambassador Wilson, of the United
States, so the story goes, had occa-
sion many months ago to feel that
strong antipathy of Mexicans of all
classes was shown toward the United
States. In the celebration in honor of
the foundation of the republic, when
many Japanese of high rank came as
special ambassadors from their country
to the Mexican capital, the ambassa-
dor noticed that there had been priv
ate audiences between Diaz and few
of his more influential ministers and
the Japanese delegates.
To Ambassador Wilson it was re-
ported that for 18 months every ship
of the Togo Kisen Kaisha, whose port
is San Francisco, were carrying from
20 to $50 japanese, passage paid, be-
sides cargoes of agricultural machin-
cry, household goods and general
stores. At San Francisco these Jap
anese were transshipped to steamers
of the Pacific Mail line plying be-
tween San Francisco and Mexican
ports.
In February Ambassador Wilson
was busy cultivating every source of
information in the higher circles of
the Mexican government. Very near
the end of the month, from certain
source in the government, Mr.. Wilson,
it is said, obtained for few hours
the original of secret treaty between
japan and Mexico. He kept it long
enough to have photographs made OF
it. Then it was returned to its place
in the innermost archives of the Mex
can state department.
The document, the report here in
dicates, was in the shape OF several
clauses which were to be part of a
formal agreement on the part of the
Mexican governent to allow the Jap
anese commercial line of steamships
to have it's own coaling station at
point on the Pacific coast and to grant
certain other colonization rights in
states along the Western coast.
The secret clauses of the treaty,
those said to have been photographed
by Mr.. Wilson, the report continues,
gave Japan lease of coaling sta
tion and maneuver privileges in Mag
dalena bay, with the alternative of
coaling station at one other of few
scattered ports down the Mexican
coast.
Clauses also set forth Japan and
Mexico's mutual interests in the Pa
cific, and while not stipulating an
offensive and defensive alliance, gave
in diplomatic way Japan's keen in
terest in the protection of Mexico
against aggression. The treaty had
been ratified, not by the Mexican SEN
ate, but by Diaz and his cabinet.
The day after he obtained the pho
tograph of this treaty, Mr.. Wilson
left for Washington.