Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-01-01
JAPAN DECLARES
NOT PLEDGED TO
RESTORE LANDS
Foreign Minister Kato Says
No Agreement With U. S.
on Marshall Islands
SAYS NIPPON NOT BOUND
TO GIVE UP KlA0CHAU
Questioned BY the Members of
Parliament, Indicates Ter
ritory May Be Held

u
of Jaluit, Marshall islands, and is
bound by no pledge to restore Using
tau to China. is the official statement
OF the Japanese government
1t was made in The Japanese Parlia.
ment on DECEMBER 9, by Baron Kato,
minister of foreign affairs.
T Newspapers of<Tokio. arriving by the
Mongolia, give full accounts of the
foreign. minister's address, the first
accurate statement of Japanese inten-
tons with regard to occupied German
territory that has reached Honolulu.
The Japan Advertiser Of December 10,
says: ~ .''>' .,
- The lower house the Diet yes
terday afternoon continued it's 'ques-
tioning of the Cabinet After several
reports were Jmade Mr.. Kishichi Ko-
kHbo raised the following questions
concerning foreign affairs.
First. the press report as to asking
for an Imperial decree praising the
diplomacy of the cabinet was not cor
rected by the government Then, was
there any truth in the report?
4 Second, within the past six months
nothing has been done as to the Cali
fornia land question.
Third, the foreign office order No.
! concerning press censorship has
been issued because the government
does not know the history of the Jap
anese press, Years ago, when Count
Okuma drafted treaty allowing for
eign judges to sit in the Japanese
court, the Jill and the Hochi publish
ed 1t and prevented it from becoming
effective. What is the opinion of the
foreign minister? :.-..... .~~ 80
The Chinese Issue.
Aslfor the Chinese issue, il the for.
eign minister would not speak of it in
open session, secret session might be
held to hear from him. a., .... 49,. l.. -.
Baron Kato rose to answer and said
that as to the first question the press
report is false. AS to the American
issue, the present cabinet has changed
the policy from the last cabinet and is
conducting negotiations, but the facts
can not be madeepHblic as yet. There
is likelihood thai the California leg.
islature will .ehHei laws disadvantag-
eous to our eoufftry men, and the cab
met is taking various steps As for
the foreign office order, the govern
ment has no intention to abridge the
liberty of the press. Among the news
papers and magazines there are some
whose innocent carelessness has en-
barrassed the diplomats. That was
nh la,s Dan o,,I
ing the China policy, China is an In
dependent nation. 1t is not proper to
say that we will guide that nation. We
shall see that rcordial relations are
maintained by exchange of views with
each other. .-.
Mr.. Kokubo, not satisfied with the
diplomatic reply OF Baron Kato obliged
Premier Count 0kuma to step on the
platform to explain. The premier stat.
ed that all the imperial decres of what
ever sort must he countersigned by
the cabinet ministers and published In
the Official Gazette. But he has not
signed anything like a decree praisfng
the diplomacy of the cabinet, nor has
he seen it published in the Gazette. Be-
sides. the matter belongs to the Imper-
ial Household and the cabinet is not
permitted to make an explanation.
There were several questions raised
as to national defense plans, to which
the war minister answered that the
army increase was inevitable. i
Masuda's Six Questions :....E.
Then Mr.. CENT Matsuda of the Sci
yukai asked six questions on foreign
affairs, as follows: 49, :... .... =
L. It was reported that at the time
of the opening of the German Japanese
war, Japan's military activities have
been limited BY an agreement with
England. What are the facts as to
that?
2. It was reported that Japan has
given a guarantee to England that she
will return Giaochau to China. What
are the facts as to that? j.. .... $50. i
8. 1t was reported that Japan, after
the occupation of the Jaluit islands,
has given the United States an assur-
ance that the occupation was only.
temporary. What are the facts as to
that? ".--.. -. 4
There has been an agreement
made between England, France and
Russia as to peace terms. Japan has
not participated in the Agreement.
Does Baron Kato believe that Japan
will participate in the peace conference
by virtue of the EAnglo-Japanese ALI
ance? $50 =
6. Publish by all means a record
of the diplomatic negotiations up to
date to remove the suspicion of the
people. .~a,.eG +. II
To these questions Baron Kato re-
piled that as to the questions 1, and
8, no guarantee has been made, and
the report Is altogether false. AS to 4,
although Japan has not participated in
the agreement as to peace terms, yet
by virtue Of the Anglo-Japanese alli-
ance Japan will have no trouble in
making her claims heard AS yet, how