Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-09-13
APAKESE DENY
ROOT.TAKAH|R'.,,. :.
PACT VIOLATED
Toxic Foreign Minister Says
Nothing in Demands on
China That Conflict
With Agreement.
NO BLOW AT SOVEREIGNTY
Guthrie Told to Inform Nippon
American Government Is
Greatly Disturbed.
STATEMENT cABLED HERE

Washington, Sept. l2.---Ambassator
Guthrie, at Toxic, cabled the State
department today that the Japanese
foreign minister had informed him
there was nothing in Japan's demands
upon China in connection with the
Cheng Chiatun incident that infringed
the sovereignty OF China or impaired
the Root-Takahira agreement.
In making public the report the de-
partment revealed the fact that the
ambassador had been instructed to
advise the foreign office that the re-
port of the demands published in this
country had greatly disturbed the
American government, which trust
ed that it was not true"
The State departments announce.
ment follows:
THE department on September in
structed the American ambassador at
Toxic to call the attention of the Jap
anese foreign office to the report pub
lished in American newspapers of GER
tain demands made upon China by
Japan in consequence OF a disturbance
Of the peace at Cheng- Chiatun, involv-
ing Chinese and Japanese troops. The
ambassador was instructed to ask for
a statement of the facts and to inform
the foreign office that the repoft Of
the demands made had greatly dis
3turbed the American government,
which trusted that 1t was not true.
To-day, September II, message
has been received from the embassy
at Toxic saying that the Japanese
minister OF foreign affairs had replied
to his inquiries that some OF the items
reported as included in Japan's de-
mands were approximately true, but
that others were coloref by mixture
,,f untruth and exaggeration. He
stated that there was nothing in the
de uands Infringing the sovereignty OF
China and nothing impairing the
Root-Takahira agreement.
i'Tle clash at Cheng- -Chiatun hav-
ing been between military forces
was OF serious character, and there
fore in order to prevent recurrence
of such trouble Japan was requesting,
in addition to- proper apologies and
monetary compensation, that Japan
ese officers should be reappointed as
instructors in the cadet school (prob-
ably at Mukden) and suggesting that
the Chinese government should ask
the appointment Of Japanese advisers
to be stationed with the Chinese
garrisons in South Manchuria and
eastern Mongolia and that as an
extension OF its extra territor-
ial rights, the Japanese govern
msnt should be permitted to station
Japanese policemen in towns where
there are large Japanese settlements.
"The American minister at Peking
reports more briefly very nearly to
the same effect; that is to say that the
Japanese government has demanded
the stationing Of Japanese police in
towns where Japanese reside and the
of Japanese advisers to
the Chinese police and the appoint
ment of Japanese military instructors
in addition to the usual indemnities
and apologies
Ambassador Guthrie's report OF the
demands substantially is the same as
that which caused the State depart
ment's inquiry, although the Japanese
and Chinese interpretations of the de-
mahds are widely different. Further
than the formal statement, depart
ment officials declined to comment,
although it was indicated that more
would be sought before
the attitude OF the American govern
ment was determined.
By the Root-Takahira agreement,
Japan and the United States again
pledged the integrity of China and
agreed to advise each other officially
as to any steps which might change
the status quo. The Japanese position
is that the present demands do not
threaten the status quo and conse-
quently it was not necessary that the
United States be advised in advance.