Evening journal., 1914-08-17
JAPAN'S FLEET IS
READY FOR battle
Demands That Germans
Withdraw Ships and Give
Up China Colony
PRESIDENT CONFERS
ABOUT THE FAR EAST
By INC Unlted Press.

BY The United Press.
TOXIC, Aug. 1.-THE government is
preparing for war. The fleet is manned
ready for action. The army has been
ready and several corps are ready to go
on board the transports which are fully
provisioned and have steam up. There
is no doubt here that the ultimatum de-
livcred to Germany viii be denied and
that immediate hostilities must follow.
The ultimatum, which has been trans
mitted to Berlin by a number of routes,
demands the withdrawal of German war
ships from the Orient, or if not with
drawn, that they will be interned for the
war, and the evacuation of kiauchau. IT
gives Germany until Sunday, August 23,
to begin such withdrawal and until Sep
tcmber Is to actually comply with the
demand.
After the ultimatum was sent, George
w. Guthrie, the American ambassador,
was summoned to the palace, by the Jap
anese foreign minister Takaaki l<ato and
the situation was presented TO him. He
was told the action of the japanese gov
ernment was in the interest of peace IN
the Orient. The japanese position, Guth-
rie was informed, is that the presence
of German warships in Far Eastern wa
ters and the maintenance there of Ger
man base. is detrimental to peace in the
Orient. inasmuch as trading vessels arc
already in danger of capture by the
Germans.
4 Guthrie was requested to emphasize
/ to his home government that Japan
had no territorial designs herself. The
/ German colonies she desires turned
/ back to China. The foreign minister
gave the most profuse assurances OF
/ Japan's friendship to the United
/ States and declared that under no cir
cumstances will anything be permit
| ted that would in any way offend the
| government Of the United States.
By The United Press.
WASHINGTON. Aug. 17.-President
Wilson expressed himself today as
satisfied with the good faith of the
Japanese in their efforts to restore to
| China.the German stronghold Of Siau-
chau, and to preserve the integrity OF
] China Further than this he would
not go, declaring it to be one of the du-
ties of neutrality to express no opin-
ion regarding the Japanese ultima
tum.
a lengthy cable report was re-
ceived today by Secretary Bryan from
/ Ambassador Guthrie at Toxic, re-
garding the Japanese ultimatum
The State Department refused tc
make any part public, but it was
learned that Guthrie assured this
government of Japan's intention
to merely maintain the integrity oI
China and peace in the Orient.
Chancellor Edler, Of the German
Embassy, stated today that he haI
received no word, either from hi
foreign office or the State Depart
ment early today regarding tn,
Japanese note.
A conference later today betweeI
Bryan and Elder was planned.
Bryan today sent a message 10 Am.
bassador Gerard at Berlin advising
him of the report received from Am
bassador Guthrie In this way, the
Berlin Foreign Office will receive di-
rect advice of Japan's position-from
Gerard-if the German ambassador
at Toxic is unable to communicate
with Berlin because of interrupted
cables.
1t was also anticipated that this
government would participate in
conversations" between Germany
and Japan, as a neutral friendly pow
er, before the expiration of the Ger
man ultimatum next Sunday. II was
expected that Ambassador Chinda
would see Bryan today.
The President refused TO go further
today than to express his belief that