The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1919-05-30

w. $500
disposal of Germany's rights in
S%hantung and possessions in the
islands north of the equator, | have
the honor, under instructions received
from his Britannia Majesty's princi-
pal Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs, to communicate to you the
following message from his Britannia
Majesty's Government:
His Britannia Majesty's Govern
ment accedes with pleasure to request
of the Japanese Government for an
assurance that they will support
Japan's claims in regard to the dis
posal of Germany's rights in Shan
tung and possessions in the islands
north of the equator on the occasion
OF the Peace Conference; it being
understood that the Japanese Gov
eminent will in the eventual peace
settlement treat in the same spirit
Great Britain's claims to the German
islands south of the equator.
81 avail myself of this opportunity,
NJ. lie Ministre, to renew to your Ex-
c~ellency the assurance of my highest
consideration.
"CONYNGHAM GREENE,
His British Majesty's Ambassador"
~ his ENC6llGICy, lCllIO
Motono, his Imperial Japanese
Majesty's Minister for Foreign AT
fairs"
In his reply to the above communi-
cation from the British Ambassador,
Motono, after the usual diplomatic
exchange of courtesies wrote:
THE Japanese Government is
deeply appreciative of the friendly
c,,irit Il, ,rb;p6 ,rD,,r Co,yorpyoopt hoe
given assurance and happy to note it
as fresh proof of the close ties that
unite the two allied powers. | take
pleasure in stating that the japanese
Government on its part is fully pre-
pared to support in the same spirit
the claims which may be put forward
at the Peace Conference by his Maj
esty's Britannia Government in re-
gard to the German possessions in
the islands south of the equator"
The date of this letter is Feb. 81,
1917.
Japan's Overtures to France
On Feb. 10 Motono wrote notes to
the Russian and French Ambassadors
at Toxic as follows:
"The Imperial Japanese Govern
ment has not yet formally entered
into conversation with the Entente
Powers concerning the conditions of
peace l propose to present to Ger
many, because it is guided by the
thought that such questions ought to
be decided in concert between Japan
and the said powers at the moment
when the peace negotiations begin.
Nevertheless, in view of the recent
developments in the general situation,
and in view of the particular arrange
ments concerning peace conditions,
such as arrangements relative to the
disposition of the Bosporus, Con-
s~tantinople, and the Dardanelles, be-
ing already under discussion by the
powers interested, the Imperial Jap
anese Government believes that the
moment has come for it also TO eX-
press it's desire relative to certain
conditions of peace essential to Japan
and to submit them for the considera-
ton of the Government of the French
Republic.
THE French Government is thor
oughly informed of all the efforts the
japanese Government has made in a
general manner to accomplish its task
in the present war, and particularly
to guarantee for the future the peace
VI OllCllul Asia o1lu llS ~
the Japanese Empire, for which it is
absolutely necessary to take from
Germany its bases of political, mill
tary, and economic activity in the
Far East.
Under these conditions the I'm
perial Japanese Government proposes
to demand from Germany at the time
of the peace negotiations the surren'
der of the territorial rights and spe'
cial interests Germany possessed be
, for the war in Shantung and the
: islands situated north of the equator
in the Pacific Ocean.
THE Imperial Japanese Govern
ment confidently hopes the Govern
ment of the French Republic, realiz
5 ing the legitimacy of these demands
} will give assurance that, her case be
3 ing proved, Japan may count upon its
l full support o nthis question.
l at goes without saying that re
I paration for damages caused to the
: life and property of the japanese
people by the unjustifiable attacks o.
1 the enemy, as well as other conditions
r of peace of a character common to al
= the Entente Powers, are entirely out
1 side the consideration of the presen
question:.
French Reply to Motono
Twelve days later the French Am
bassador replied to the Japanese Fol
D eign Office as follows:
The Government of the Frenci
t Republic is disposed to give tn
Japanese Government it's accord il
e regulating at the time of the peace
e negotiations questions vital TO japan
concerning Shantung and the Gel
man islands in the Pacific north o
o the equator. 1t also agrees to SUI
n port the demands of the Imperia
d Japanese Government for the surren
n der of the rights Germany possesse,
before the war in this Chinese pre-
a vince and these islands.
d M. BRAND demands, on the othe
p hand, that Japan give its support I
,, obtain from China the breaking of it