Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-08-17
RISSO-J ALLIANCE.

tfrOm the Montreal Heralu.)
\ scrap of paper has passed between
Russia and Japan. and it has been seen
and approved by Great Britain. 1t is an
agreement between the two nations in
regard to the Far East. 1t is tantamount
to formal alliance for the maintenance
of peace and the safeguarding of special
Russian and Japanese rights and inter-
ests in the Far East. Great Britain VOL
comes it as not only strengthening the
Anglo-Japanese alliance. but as conSoH-
dating the general relations between all
the allies in a sphere important to each.
The agreement is in French. the Ian
guage of diplomacy. The following is
translation Of tt:
THE imperial government Of Japan and
the imperial government of Russia, re-
solved to unite their efforts for the main
tenance of lasting peace in the Far East.
have agreed upon the following:
article !. Japan will not he a party 10
any political Arrangement or combination
directed against Russia.
Russia will not he a party to any po-
litical arrangement or combination direct
ed against japan.
Article 2. Should the territorial rights
or the special interests In the Far East
Of one Of the contracting parties recOg
nized by the other contracting party he
threatened, Japan and Russia will take
counsel of each other as to the measures
to be taken in view OF the support or the
help to he given in order to safeguard
and defend those rights and interests
This treaty, so short and couChed in
such simple language, Is the sequel to the
Russo-Japanese arrangements concluded
in July, 1907 and in July. 1910. BY the for
mer arrangement Russia and Japan en-
/ gagged themselves to respect the territorial
/ integrity of each other, and all tho rights
enjoyed by the one and the other in viz
tue of conventions and contracts con-
Cluded by them with China, in so far rs
those rights were not Incompatible with
! the principle Of equality of opportunity.
| Both empires recognized the territorial
| integrity of China and engaged themselves
to maintain tho status quo and the prin-
ciple Of equality of opportunity by all the
pacific means in their power
/ The arrangement of 1910 was based up
on the "desire of Russia and Japan to
develop the effects of the 1907 convention
in view of the consolidation of peace in
the Far East" It stipulated mutual CO.
operation in the improvement of Russian
and japanese railways in Manchuria and
engaged the contracting parties to respect
| the status quo in Manchuria fixed by
all the treaties and conventions concluded
up to that moment 1t further contem-
| plated consultation between and Joint ac-
tion by the contracting parties In case
any event should menace tho status quo
| in Manchuria-
| That the RusSo-Japanese convention is
not designed as a union for SELLING and
dividing territory is demonstrated by the
statement Just made in Canada by the
Japanese ambassador to the court Of st
James. who is now passing through the
, Dominion on his way home. One Of the
Mig achievements of the war was the way
in which Japan wrested Kiau Chow from
Germany. The Teutons had made the
place, as they thought impresnable, but
the gallant japanese navy and army car
ried it and removed the last vestige Of
German power from the Far East. 'Th'
japanese statesman was asked II kia,
Chow would he given back to German,
after the war He replied that IL would
he given back to China. to whom II he
longed, The new treaty is one of thu
guarantees of the worlds peace heini
prepared for after the worlds war ha
been settled. The arch disturhers of th'
peace are not being considered in IN,
arrangements.