Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-21
BARE PACT TO
BAR AMERICA
OUT Of China
slav Paper Prints Alleged
Plan Of Force Against
U. S. and Britain.

far east" the lzVestia publishes
what Il says IL the text of the Sc
Cret treaty drawn up last year pro-
vldlng for joint action by Russia
and Japan 10 prevent any third
country from achieving political
dominance In China. The treaty.
dated July 3, 1916, runs for five
years, automatically extending It,
self untii year after one party
expresses the desire TO annul it.
II Is signed by Sergius SaganOff,
then Russian foreign minister and
Vlscount MotOnO, japanese for-
elgn minister.
The treaty stipulates that "the
agreement shall remain a deep secret
for all except the contracting parties"
It opens with the statement that It is
designed to supplement and strength
en- the secret treaties Of 1907, 1910 and
1912 Article one is given as follows.
Tie Their Interest.
THE contracting parties recognize
that the interests Of either side de-
mand the defense Of China from polit-
teal domination by any third power
Whatsoever cheTishing hostile iuten-
tons toward Russia and Japan and
therefore undertake whenever circum-
stances necessitate TO enter into the
open relations based on full conf
dence IN order cojointly TO take the
necessary steps TO prevent the advent
10 Chinl of such state of affairs"
Other a-.ic'es are published as fol-
lows,
ARTICLE lin the event that. as a
Consequence Of any measures under
taken by mutual consent by Russia
and Japan on the basis Of the pFeced-
ing article, any third power as fore
seen by article /, should declare war
against Russia or Japan. the other
contracting party shall, on the first
demand OF its ally. come to its aid
Each contracting party binds itself not
to make peace with the common en-
envy without obtaining the agreement
Of its ally.
Promises Assistance.
article Ill-The conditions or
which either party shall give armed
assistance and the means by which
such assistance shall be expressed
shall De fixed by the respective au-
jAoriues Of the contracting parties,
Article VT must especially kept
IN mind hat neither party shall con
sider itself obligated in accordance
With Article II 70 give its ally armed
Assistance unless 80 receives guaran
tees from its allies to the effect tina
they will give tt assistance to the ex
tent ueressitated by the seriousness!
OF the possible conflict"
News to Officials.
Washington. Dee 21.-Americal
officials said today they had NJ
knowledge Of the so-called secre
treaty between Russia and Japan de
scribel lu the Petrograd dispatches
hut they considered that to describe
as contemplating Joint armed demon
tuation against America and Grea
Britain ir the far east was not born
out by the text OF the published ar
ticles. .,... --
There Is % possibility that the treat
referred To is the special cOnventlo
concluded between Russia and Japai
at about the same time as the SO
called secret treaty, 1t was general
assumed here that the treaty con
tained some secret provisions but it
purpose was described as being t
safeguard the rights Of Japan an
Russia in the far east; to reconcil
all outstanding issues between ther
aud generally TO follow the lines c
TIE Auglo-Japanese alliance
Explanation Expected.
II Is improbable that the Unite
States government alone will max
any effort to secure an explanation
'ae meaning and purpose OF these 81
cfet articles. from the principles, bt
II is rather expected that one of tn
other Of them voluntarily Will com
forward with a statement in that lin
Careful reading OF the four pull
Ashed articles inclined officials to Ii
opinion that the general purpose
he convention was somewhat In III
with the existing British-Japanes
treaty touching far eastern interes
and that 1t was designed to prote
NINA from exploitation by any thii
power and was not especially direets
against America or Great Britain.