The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-09-07
JAPAN WITH
THE ALLIES
To Throw Her Power into
the Scale Against
Germany
ISHII AND LANSING
BEGIN CONFERENCES
Washington Believes Result
Will Be Increased Aid
from Toxic

Washington, Sept. Formal confer.
ences between Secretary of State Lans.
ing and Niscount Ishii, head of the Jap
anese war mission, looking to the per
lection of plans for greater o-operation
between the United States and Japan in
the prosecution of the war, were begun
at the state department yesterday. Here
tofore the activities of the mission since
its arrival in this country two weeks
ago have been confined to participation
in various social functions in its honor
As result Of the conferences which
began yesterday, il is confidently pre-
dicted in well informed quarters Jap
ans part in the war will become in.
creasingly important. 1t is conceded to
be entirely possible that the power of
the United States and Japan may prove
the determining factor in the war.
| II was significant of the spirit in which
the administration is perfecting its plans
| for cooperation with its various allies
that marked irritation was manifested
| in high quarters yesterday over an eff
| fort to elicit further comment on the
waning prospects for peace.
what! Talk of peace angrily ex-
claimed a member of the cabinet, when
our principal business should be to go
ahead with the war;"
The state department let l. be known
Just before Viscount Ishii called yester-
day that Mr.. Lansing was without any
advance information as to what the Jap
anese special ambassador would suggest
as an outline of discussion between the
two countries. For the present the at
titude of the administration is to see
what Viscount lshii has to propose be- |
fore undertaking to make any peace pro- |
posals of its own. There is nothing |
at present to contradict the assurances
heretofore given by the japanese states
man in his public statements and his ad
dresses to the two branches of Congress
that Japan is seeking nothing save the
means OF closer cooperation in the pros
ecution of the war.
Reports which preceded the mission to
Washington in press dispatches from
Toxic to the effect that matters of pc.
litieal Importance pending between the
two countries would be discussed have
not as yet received confirmation since
the arrival of the visitors.
Already japanese destroyers are OPP
Grating in the Mediterranean in the cam
pan against German submarines. Jap
an, il is intimated by members of the
stands ready to increase this
form of cooperation.
Japanese troops have been modified in
large numbers in Manchuria and in the
Japanese islands themselves. for Use
where needed. One suggestion that has
been considered is a greater use of these
troops at the fighting fronts-on the
Russian front, should Russia desire, or
perhaps in western Europe.
Though these matters are of the wild
est possible Importance to all the allies,
since they concern the part which Japan
nay yet play. there are matters of di-
-ect co operation between Japan and the
United States which, it has been sug-
rested, must be arranged before any
broader scheme can be worked out.
Boiled down. the two outstanding
that stand forth at the be-
inning of the conference are: !.
That the United States wants the =
Use of japanese merchant ships in trans !,
'orting supplies across to Pacific Rus
la.
Japan wants steel plate with which "
o pursue her enormous program of mer- \
liant shipbuilding. ri
As the propositions stand there ap-
ears to be every chance of a barter q
satisfactory to both sides. y
Wherever the United States has :
urned in her desire to give the great !
st possible measure of assistance to =
err allies, she has found the scarcity '
( shipping to be the greatest obstacle
he shrinkage of merchant shipping due al
, the activity of the German subma d.
mes, the growing disposition of neutral
ountries to tie up their ships against s
ne risk of submarines, or their desire -
, use their ships as means of barter =,
u for food, plus the added fact that y
illions of tons of German shipping
valuable in peace times for the worlds lii
,mmerce are idle in German ports, have in
ade the question of ship replacement al
! important. 81