New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-11
America and Japan
Agree About
China

japan and the United States IN
II regard to China on November 2
met with a mixed reception in the Ameri-
can press. The recognition Of the open
door" policy in China by both parties was
universally upheld. On the other hand,
there was criticism Of the clause in which
America recognizes Japans special In
terests in the Oriental republic. 1.-The New
York Herald" finds no fault with the
agreement. Il says:
"Anv step taken by the two governments 10
remove Misunderstanding between the Oh'tcu
States and Japan that does not SURRENDER
American rights or abandon the policy oil iair
dealing toward China will have the approval
Of the great majority Of Americans Az thls
time. when all three nations are joined 10
gether in opposition to a common enemy II IS
OF highest Importance that they should tuily
understand one another and should WORK TO-
,,etber hand in hand. Il is TO be regretted
therefore, that announcement OF the exchange
of Diplomatic notes between Secretary Lam
sing and Viscount Ishi should have been
made NJ Peking before the text Of the new
Increment was in the possession Of the Chi
nese people. BY Chinese chAuvinists. always
susnicious Of every move on the part OF Japan
the existence of an agreement bearing upon
China, 10 which only the United States and
Japan are parties, may be seized upon as In
dication of abandonment of China by the
United States"
1.-THE Brooklyn Eagle" does not consider
the agreement treaty. 1t writes:
"If Americans have distrusted the purposes
o. Japan in her relations with CHINA they
-, Ill Nha N
me world has done But our own relations
with Japan have been so disturbed by anti
Japanese legislation in Pacific Coast states
that it is well to have the situation in the
Orient. clarified, lest the two conditions work
inc together should breed deep unfriendll-
ness
"That is the broad ground on which the new
agreement Of our State Department with
japan is to be justified II is not treaty
II does not bind the nation as treaty rau-
fed bv the Senate would But it binds the
existing Administration and indeed we think
Il contains no terms that any administration
in the future would thik Of repudiating"
"The New York Times" analyses the
agreement thoroughly and arrives at some
what disturbing conclusions. 1t warns:
"a misplacing Of emphasis might make the
agreement q cause Tot OlHSItHCe aHu u'SNN'N
instead of that bond of harmony, OF friend
ship and of mutual interest which we cordl-
ally hope it may become.
"'The government of the United States rec
ognizes that Japan has special interests IN
China particularly in the part TO which her
posssessions are contiguous'-so runs the
first structural and important clause of the
agreement Then, Immediately following, we
find these two selfdenying ordinances,
equally of the very structure and binding
obligation Of the covenant:
The territorial sovereignty Of China,
nevertheless, remains unimpaired, and the
government of the United STAGES has every
confidence in the repeated assurances Of the
Imperial japanese government that while geo
graphical position gives Japan such special
interests they have no desire to discriminate
, against the trade of other nations or to dis
regard the commercial rights heretofore
granted by China in treaties with other
powers.
"'The governments of the United States
and japan deny that they have any purpose to
infringe in any way the independence or ter
ritorial integrity of China, and they declare,
Furthermore, that they always adhere to the
principle of the so-caled "open door" or equal
opportunity for commerce and industry in
China
"The two provisions must be read together
that in which we recognize Japans special
interest in China, and that in which both gov
ernments pledge themselves to respect the ter
ritorial integrity and independence o. China