New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-21
Forces British Embassy to
Make Statement on
Action i'm Toxic.
NO JOINT ACTION
WITH RUSSIAN ALLY
United States Urged China to
Refuse Demands Affecting
Treaty Rights.
From The Tribune Bureaul

From The Tribune Burcau.I
Washington, March 20.-The policy
OF suppression adopted by Secretary
Bryan and enforced on subordinate
officials of the State Department may
prove n boomerang TO him, according
to mutterings cmanating from high of
iicials in Washington. Since the first
publication OF reports from Toxic that
the Russian and British governments
had uttered protest against the con-
ditions imposed on China by Japan and
that the American Minister at Peking
was making representations TO the
government Of the Chinese Republic
that Japan's demands, il granted. would
violate treaty understandings with the
United States. Mr.. Bryan has obligated
every State Department official from
the counsellor down to the profoundest
secrecy.
The questions at issue between the
United States and China directly and
between the United States and Japan
collaterally are matters Of public in
terest which would be subseved By
entire frankness, in the opinion of the
officials who are out of accord with
Mr. Bryan's policy Of secretiveness.
To-day it became necessary for the
British Embassy 20 utter a disclaimer
Of the reports from Picking that the
action Of Great Britain and Russia in
protesting to Japan had been joint
action. The embassy statement was
as follows:
"The British Embassy learns that
there is no truth in a report emanatlng
from Picking that the British and Rus
sian Ambassadors at Toxic have made
Joint representations to Japan on the
subject Of China; or that the British
and United States governments are IN
consultation with similar object.
II was pointed out that an eXplana-
zion of this character would have been
entirely unnecessary If the state De
partment had made public its knowl-
edge relative TO the action OF the pow
crs. The British Embassy explanation
shows that the action of Russia ana
Great Britain was independent, not
Joint, as had been reported from TOXIC.
The American government is said not
20 have made any representations as
vet to the Toxic government, but to
have restricted it's activities 10 urging
on China the necessity for refusing her
consent 10 such Of Japan's demands as
tended 10 invade the treaty rights OF
the United States.
Toxic. March 20. 2:3O p. m. Press
dispatches from America, in which IT Is
reported that the United States has is
sued a warning TO Japan IN connection
with the Chinese negotiations, are &C
cepted here as an eXaggeration OF tho
fact that the United States recently
made inquiry concerning several points
in the japanese demands as communi-
Gated to the powers. w lie the Foreign
Office declines to discuss the question:
japanese statesmen express the behet
that their country's assurances VIII
satisfy the United States.
The agreement reached between
Baron Takahira. when he was Minister
ia the United States. and Elihu Root,
at tnat tune secretary VI ,'H.' 90
America the right to consult Japan at
any time concerning the status quo IN
the Pacific or the independence Of
China. When China entered the war
and besieged Tsing-Tao, the United
States amicably called attention to the
Takahira-Root agreement, which pro-
v;des for maintaining the independence
ard integrity Of China and equality Of
commercial opportunity in that coun-
try. ,c
The inquiry Of the United States, &C
cordng TO information obtained IN
japanese quarters, concerned minor
points of the Japanese demands. and
Japan. in reply. gave full explana-
ton. which the United States approved.