The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-07
the Lansins-Ishii agreement was made
about November Q, 1917
Lansing: Yes.


hhnbink: Yes.
Inquiries About Agreements.
Borah: At the time that agreement
was entered into what knowledge II any
ala the State Department have with ref
erence to the secret agreements between
GREAT Britain and Japan, France and
Japan. Russia and japan and Italy and
Japan?
Lansing: should have to look the
matter up before / could give you a
definite answer In regard to that.
borah: Then you likely would be able
70 state after investigating the matter
Just what information was in the State
Department at that time?
Lansing: Yes.
Borah: presume you had full infor-
nation with reference to what was
known as the twenty-one demands at
that time, had you not3
Lansing: Yes.
Borah: If.t Is permissible to so state,
did the discussion turn upon those
twenty-one demands7 Did II enter into
the discussion at all with reference to
your agreement which you ntsrcd into
Lansing: Never.
Borah: In view OF those twenty-one
demands. what construction did you
place upon the question of JaraI's spc
cial interest In China?
Lansing: Only the special interest
that comes from being contiguous to
another country whose peace and pros
perity were involved.
Borah: No different special interest
from that which we have in Canada?
Lansing: No.
Borah: Or In Mexico?
Lansing: Exactly.
Borah: 1t was at no time understood
by the State Department that the Lam
sing -Ishii agreement was In any sense
an Endorsement of the programme which
Japan had apparently initiated at that
time under her twenty-one demands.
Opposed to II Demands.
Lansing: Absolutely not We were
| opposed to the twenty-one demands.
Borah: And presume you could also
state that II was In no sense an in
| 6orsement of anything which has since
| developed under the secret sgrsements7
Lansing: oh. no. nothing.
Borah: II you had known OF those
| secret agreements would you likely have
entered into that agreement with Japan
Lensing: think so.
P0merene Undressing Mr.. Borah) :
Senator. in order to make the record en-
tirely clear, you mean the secret agree
| ments between japan, Great Britain.
France and Italyf
Borah: Yes. 1 mentioned that Just a
| moment ago.
Pomerene: I had overlooked that.
| Harding: The Senator also mentioned
| Russia.
| Borah: Whatever may be the con-
| struction of the Lansing -Ishii agreement
in Japan or China. 1t should not from
| the standpoint of the State Department
| be construed In America as indorsing
anything in the nature OF the programme
| which Japan has under the secret agree
ments?
Lansing: You are quite correct about
| that. 1 think I can say. although l
/ would like to refresh my memory and
| would be subject to correction later, that
| ono of the very reasons why that Lam
| sing-Ishii agreement was entered into
| was on account of the twenty-one de-
i mands and the attitude that Japan was
| taking toward China in order to secure
| from Japan a redeclaration of the open
door policy, which she did in that agree
1 ment.
Borah: 1t would seem. then, that II
the secret agreements had been known
| at the State Department at that time the
State Department would likely have
| written that Lansing-Ishii agreement in
different terms, would 1t not?
Lansing: Well, I do not know. No,
DO not see why we should.
Borah 1t Is a fact that at that time
Japan.had a secret agreement with those
| other countries by which II was under
stood and agreed that certain territorial
| interests and certain rights in China
should be given to her at the close Of the
| war Now, are you not familiar with
the fact that as soon as the Lansing
Ishii agreement was made 1t was con-
strued in Japan and China, both by the
press and semi-officially, to be a tacit
China?
Lansing: In regard to those secret
agl eements7
Borah: Yes, and the twenty-one de.
mands.
Lansing: I know It was in Japan.
never knew that 1t was In China.
Borah: Did not China issue a protest
or something in the nature of a profess
against the Lansing Ishii agreement. anC
was not that brought to the attention o.
the State Department?
Secretary Haxy in Answers.
Mr. Lansing was very hazy in his an
swers on these points. He continually