The Washington times., 1911-03-16
JAPAN'S PART IN RECENT
DISTURBANCES.

London Standard explains the maneu-
vers on the Mexican border as intend
ed to overawe the antiAmerican ele-,
ment in the Latin republic who have
been cultivatng too friendly relations
with Japan. While the authority upon
which this correspondent bases his
statement is not disclosed it is said
to be high, and the British foreign Of
fee is said to have attached to it a
great deal of Importance.
1t is from out of-the-way corners
of the earth that we sometimes get the
most accurate information, and the
Standards view of the situation is
supplemented by a sensational state
ment which recently appeared as a
telegram from London TO French
newspaper, LItalie, published in Rome.
The Importance of this statement is
strengthened rather than weakened by
the fact that the newspaper in ques-
tion was published on February 2S-
long before the present mobilization be-
gan. According to this announcement,
when our relations with Japan were
threatened, three years ago, that coun-
try decided to send over here a politi-
cal envoy charged with a secret mis-
sion. This emissary is said to have
negotiated in Mexico and in Nicaragua
for naval bases, with a degree of sue
cess which is left uncertain. When
he attempted to pursue his negotia-
tions in Costa Rica, according to the
story, his mission was discovered by
the United States. "One beautiful
evening"" says the dispatch, the ia
panese ENJOYS house was discovered
to be on fire. Solicitous American
citizens were the first to "help him
save his documents. These documents
were then transmitted to Washington"
An easy-going public will probably
take the view that the whole story
hath an ancient and fish-lke smell"
and yet we hear the frequent observa-
ton that where there is so much smoke
there must be some fire.
Sensational speculations are some
what fancifuI when it is assumed
that the treaty between Great
Britain and Japan would place the for
mer in an embarrassing dilemma in the
event that hostilities broke out be-
tween this country and the Nipponese
empire. The fact is that nothing in
the treaty would bind Great Britain
to cast in her fortunes with Japan as
against the United States. The agree
ment between the United Kingdom
and Japan, signed at London August
II, 1905. covers just three clearly de-
fined points, as follows:
l. The consolidation and maintenance
of the general peace in the regions of
eastern Asia and india;
.. The preservation of the common in
terests of all powers in China by insur-
ing the Independence and integrity of
the Chinese empire and the principle OF
equal opportunities for the commerce
and industry of all nations in China;
3. The maintenance of the territorial
rights Of the high contracting parties in
the regions Of eastern Asia and India,
and the defense Of their special inter-
ests in the said regions.
In transmitting copy of the treaty
to the friendly governments of Russia
and France at the time it was signed,
Lord Lansdowne, as if anticipating just
such misapprehensions as have arisen
since, said:
I call your special attention to the
wording of Article ii, which lays down
distinctly that it is only in the case of
an unprOvoked attack made on one of
the contracting parties by another
power or powers and when that party Is
defending its territorial rights and spe
cial interests from aggressive action
that the other party is bound to come
to its assistance.
The treaty does not even squint at a
general defensive and offensive alli-
ance between the two powers as
against the world, except for the speci-
fic purposes set forth, and in the event
of any trouble between this country
and Japan, which was not competed
with the rights in the far East of the
two signatory powers, Great Britain
would be free to follow her own incli7.
nations in extending "hands across the
sea"-all the ink shed to the con-
trary Notwithstanding.