The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-03-28

The portion of the agreement in which the people of Japan are most interested is that which acknowledges Japan's possession of Special inter- ests'' in China, especially in that part to which her territory is contiguous. Of course much interest attaches to the right interpretation of this caluse. To what part of China does it refer, and what are the special interests in volved? In my opinion it is intended to refer to South Manchuria and East ern Inner Mongolia. Whether it should be interpreted to include Shan tung and F'ukien is problematical. So far as the wording of the agreement goes these provinces might also be included in Japan's special interests. As to the Special interests them selves interpretations differ. Accord ing to MT. Nahkahashi Tokugoro, for merly president of the Oska Shosen Kaisha, as quoted in the Asahi, Ja- pans special interests include those of an economic nature, but in my opinion this is precluded by the con- cIuding portion of the agreement, which affirms the "open door" and "equaI opportunity for all nations | try in China, so that Japan can have no special commercial or industrial interests in any part of China. l am inclined to hold that Japan's special interests in China, as conceded by the new agreement with America, in- clude only such political pre-eminence as is consistent with China's sovereign independence and territorial integrity. wit as well as in the Anglo-Japanese al- liance Special interests" are also named, but only such interests as are common to both countries to the con vention; but in the agreement with America the special interests refer only to those of Japan, and therefore have a significance greater than IS implied in the term Special interests as used in the Russo-Japan conven- tiou and the Anglo-Japanese alliance Dr. Sakuzo Yoshino, of the Tokyo I'm perial University, writing in the Gen. tral Review, holds that the term special interests being necessarily ' vague in meaning, there must have been a secret understanding between Japan and America regarding its i'm port With this view I cannot agree Il w be all to Japan"s good; but the par ties to the agreement probably did no 20 so far as to define the scope O Japan's special interests in China, oi even to lay any great stress on thel reality.
 Statecraft is something that seem to thrive on vagueness, and alWay leaves room for further definition. Ja Ro1 Cfnf been good friends and general un derstanding is as good as very def1 mite one. No secret agreements ar necessary. When the dispute aros over the immigration question som persons supposed that the two coun tries were on the verge of a clash but the problem was one of small i'm portance, and they soon adjusted il Recently Americas desire to expan her economic interests in China gay rise to suspicious in Japan, leading t danger of misunderstanding. Bu Americans also misunderstood Japan attitude toward China. This was the more remarkable in view of tn fact that Japan had frequently an . nounced to the world her determine tionf to respect the "open door" polio in China as well as the integrity C China. The same principle was al firmed in the Anglo-Japaneset ali ance and in the Franco-Japanese cor vention. Yet in spite of these repeat ed affirmations in regard to Japan policy in China, suspicious continue gain ground in the United States. An the situation was rendered more acut by the machinations of Germany her efforts to estrange Japan an America. And so Japan came to CT certain growing suspicious as to An erican policy in China.
 An anomaly of the situation WE that while Japan was making decla1 ations as to her policy of respectir the Sovereignty and integrity of Chin there was no admission of Japan special interests in that country ari ing out of the special relations of u two countries. As Japan began
 realize that want of recognition
 these special interests might lead
 international trouble in future, sl desired to have such formal recogn tion. Japan's relations with Chi are not to be regarded in the san light as those between America al China. Americas interests in ChiI are purely economic, but those of J
 nan are far more vital and importa China's fate affects the very existen
 of Japan as a sovereign state. A though Japan freely and heartily d sires the independence and territori integrity of China, and is ready g ways to respect the "open door, al equal opportunity for all nations
 China, she nevertheless desires to ha
 America and the world acknowled
 her special relations with China al the very special interests arisil therefrom Surely America could n take exception to this attitude.
 Yet up to now America had n recognized these special interests
 Japan in China, but, on the contral was rather disposed to disrega them. The Japanese indeed had COT to doubt whether America did not I gard her interests in China as on
 level with those of Japan, though t
 latter is contiguous to China wh
 America is 500 miles away. Cons
 quently the question looked like