Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-08-12
LANSING ISHH
AGREEMENT is
GIVEN AIRING
Secretary Before Senate
Committee Clears Up
Japan Muddle.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


America, not Japan, suggested the
Lansing-Ishii agreement. Japan
gets no political rights or privileges
in China out of the phrase special
interest" which is used in that
agreement. And as a consequence
there is no connection between the
decisions of the American peace
delegation to sanction the so-called
Shantung settlement and the pre-
viously made Lansing-Ishii agree
ment.
This is the s%m and substance of
Secretary Lansing's Interpretation
and explanation before the senate
foreign relations committee of the
reasons which actuated the United
i States government in recent nego-
tiations with Japan. But also there
was brought out some very inter
esting information concerning the
viewpoint expressed by the United
States to Japan in the oral Conver-
sations between Viscount Ishii and
| Secretary Lansing. First and fore
most was the suggestion made by
! Viscount Ishii that Japan wanted
I sort of Monroe doctrine in the far
east. To this Secretary Lansing re
veals what has hitherto been un-
| known that the United States said
to Japan there was no parallel be-
, tween the Monroe doctrine and the
Lansing proposals. Mr.. Lans-
ing described the latter as simply
declaration of policy by two nations
the United States and Japan-to-
ward the rights of a third power,
/ China, whereas the Monroe doctrine
was a national doctrine announced
| by America to prevent outside pow
: ers from interfering in the self
development of the nations to the
! south of US.
Clears Up Confusion.
The story told by Secretary
Lansing or his conversations with
( Viscount Ishfi have an important
| bearing on the-present discussion of
the peace treaty because several
/ senators have sought to make it
kappear that because the United
/ States recognized a special inter
| est" of Japan in China when the
/ Lansing-Ishii agreement was sign
/ ed, therefore America was logically
/ bound to accept Japan's. views on
/ the Shantung question. Much of
/ the inference has grown out of the
| succession of dates. For instance,
the famous japanese demands on
| China resulted in an agreement
made in May, 1915. The Lansing
Ishii agreement was made in No
I vember, 1917 But Mr.. Lansing has
thrown an important light on the
negotiations which followed the ar
1F s1T
/ Japanese mission headed by Wis
count Ishii.
Defines Especial Interest"
Secretary Lansing pointed out
that owing to the suspicion and ru-
NOR and propaganda which was at
work, the impression had gone out
| that Japan would seek to take ad-
vantage of China while the United
States and other powers were at
war. Therefore, he believed def
mite statement by Japan of non
interference in China would be
helpful to the cause of the United
States and the allies. The ques-
ton of special interest" was rails
ed by Viscount Ishii. Mr.. Lansing
told the Japanese plenipOtentiary
that Japan had a special interest in
China on account of her geOgraphi-
cal proximity to China, but pointed
out that the danger of making a
statement of special interest" was
that it might be misconstrued and
misunderstood. Mr.. Lansing recog-
nized that Japan would insist, how
ever, upon some such statement.
He was incidentally anxious, he
says. to secure something that
would be tantamount to a reaffirma-
ton of the open door policy pro-
claimed by Secretary John Hay in
anNexchange of notes with the six !
powers, including japan.
Leave No Room for Doubt.
So he pointed out that if Japan |
meant paramount interest" when /
she used the word special interest"
the United States could not discuss /
it On the other hand. if special |
interest" meant geographical con-
tiguity, then the United States !
would consider the phrase to mean |
that And subsequently the Lans- /
ing-Ishif agreement was published |
laying special stress on geOgraphi- |
cal proximity and stating that on I
that account the United States rec
ognized Japan's special interest in
China.
Senator Brandegee interrupted /
Mr.. Lansing to inquire if a stenog-
rapher was present when the con-
versations occurred and the secre-
tary said that as usual in oral
diplomacy no record was made at
the time, but that Immediately aft
er each conversation he dictated to
a stenographer just what had oc-
Cured.
Ishii Silent.
What did Viscount Ishii say
when you defined special interest
as being geographical? asked Mr..
Brandegee.
"He maintained silence" answer
ed the secretary
IT was at this staoe of the hear