The midland journal., 1914-08-21
JAPAN GETTING
INTO CONFLICT
Ultimatum to Germany to With
draw Fleet in East.
WAR IN CASE OF REFUSAL
Toxic Foreign Office Gives United
States Assurances. That Interests
OF This Country Would Be
safecuarded.

Tolio.-Japan sent an ultimatum to
Germany demanding the withdrawal OF
German warships from the Orient and
the evacuation of Kiauchau and giving
Germany until Sunday. August 20, to
comply with the demand Otherwise,
the ultimatum states, Japan will take
action.
The general expectation here is that
the ultimatum will be followed by war.
Takaaki Kato, the Japanese Foreign
Minister, simultaneously with the dis
patch of the ultimatum, conferred with
George w. Guthrie, the American AM
bassador, and made to him broad
statement calculated to assure the
United States that American interests
in the Far East would be safeguarded
and the integrity of China upheld.
Count Okuma, the Japanese
Premier, Sunday invited the peers, the
newspaper men and the leading busi-
ness men of Toxic to come to his
Office at noon, at and at 6 o'clock in
the afternoon, respectively, when he
made known to them the terms Of the
u1timatum and annoupced that he
would give out the negotiations in con-
nection with the alliance.
Ultimatum Given.
The ultimatum follows:
1--WE consider it highly important
and necessary in the present situa-
ton to take measures to remove the
causes of all disturbances of the peace
in the Far East and to safeguard the
general interests as contemplated by
the agreement of alliance between
Japan and Great Britain.
''In order to secure firm and en-
during peace in Eastern Asia. the
establishment of which is the aim OF
the said agreement, the Imperial Jap
anese Government sincerely believes 1t
to be its duty to give the advice to the
Imperial German Government to carry
out the following two propositions:
"First-To withdraw Immediately
from Japanese and Chinese waters
German men-of-war and armed vessels
of all kinds and to disarm at once
those which cannot be so withdrawn.
"Second-To deliver on a date not
later than September Is to the I'M
perial Japanese authorities without
condition or compensation the entire
leased territory of Kiachau with
view to the eventual restoration of
the same to China.
'"The Imperial Japanese Government
announces at the same time that in
the event Of it. not receiving by noon
on August %, 1914, an answer from
the Imperial German Government
signifying its unconditional accept
ance of the above advice offered by
the Imperial Japanese Government
Japan will be compelled to take such
action as she may deem necessary to
meet the situation"
Urged On BY Great Britain.
Inspired utterances express regret
at the inability to maintain neutrality.
but say that Great Britain, the ally of
Japan, is compelled to defend herself
against the aggressions of Germany.
Moreover, 1t is pointed out that Ger
many is making preparations day and
night at Kiauchau, where it is storing
provisions, while its warships are
securing the seas of Eastern Asia, to
the great detriment of commerce. and
that its converted cruisers are seizing
English merchant vessels.
Such actions, it is argued, are direct
ly calculated to disturb the peace OF
Eastern Asia, and accordingly, after
full and frank communication with
Great Britain, Japan has found her
self compelled to send an ultimatum
to Germany.