The sun., 1919-08-12

less than "a hours.
OF the British agreement was from Ishii?
Lansing-From Sir Cecil Spring Rice,
IN october, 1916. That covered merely
tho Pacific Islands.
Borah-The agreement that was
talking about had not been made at that
time?
Lansing--No.
Borah-The secret treaty with ref
erence to Shantung and the German
possessions in China had not been made
in October, 1857
Lansing--No.
Borah-when did you FIRST learn OF
thai agreement
lansing first learned Of that in the
early part of February. 1919. The state
nient was made on September s, 1917,
and he told me that in 1915--that was
after Kiaochau and the German islands
had been taken-he was in London and
that he stated to Sir Edward Grey that
Japan intended to return Kiaochau to
China, but that the Islands would have
to be retained and no Japanese Govern
mont could stand without obtaining
them; that it was practically agreed
that the line of division between the
territory acquired by conquest in the
Pacific Ocean should be the Equator so
far as Great Britain and Japan were
concerned.
Borah-Is that the only statement
Viscount Ishii made which would indicate
to you any understanding between Japan
and Great Britain with reference to the
German possessions in China?
Lansing-That did not indicate any.
Borah-Did he make any other state
N To af an hat Tn mn N
bad any agreement with Great Britain
in regard to the German possessions?
Lansing-None at all. After that
statement that II was the intention of
Japan to return Kiaochau to China, the
subject was never again mentioned dur
ing the conversation.
Borah-You do know now. Mr. Secre-
tary, that at the time visount Ishii
made that statement to you Japan had
a secret agreement with Great Britain
and these other Powers?
lansing do.
Borah-And that he either affirma-
lively or by his silence concealed it from
the Secretary of State of this country?
Lansing-That is the truth. / do not
know whether 1t was an Intentional con-
cealment or not. He did not tell me
about 1t.
Quotes Balfour In Commons.
Borah then read into the record an
excerpt from the debates in the House OF
Commons of March 4, 1918, as follows:
''Mr. King asked the Secretary for
Foreign Affairs whether there have been
communicated to President Wilson copies
of all treaties, whether secret or public
and memoranda of all other agreements
or undertakings to which this country
has become party since August 4, 1914
and If not whether copies of all such
documents will be handed to the Ameri-
can Ambassador in London?"
Balfour-The honorable member may
rest assured that President Wilson Is
kept fully informed by the Allies.
Borah-You would understand from
that that these secret agreements had
been made known to the President
Lansing-I should like very much tc
int -pret the language of Mr.. Balfour.
- Borah--It does not need much inter-
pretation, does It? When did this Gov.
/ ernment make known to China the exis
| tence OF these secret agreements?
Lansing--I do not know as the Gov
ernment ever made them known to Chins
| because China hard delegates at Paris
| and 1 assume she was more or less cog
nizant of the agreements at the time tha
We were.
Notwithstanding the statement
Of Ishii and the statement of Balfour. 1
Is a matter of fact that the Secretary o
| State OF the United States had no knowl
| edge of these treaties until after thu
| signing Of the armistice, Is II not?
Lansing-That is true.
Senator Brandegee (Conn.) next ques
toned the Secretary.
| Brandegee-You said the other day
| Mr.. Secretary. II j recall correctly, tina
YOU would have made the so-calle'
| iansing-Ishii agreement just the same /
you had known that these secret treatie
| were in existence?
Lansing-Yes.
| Brandegee = Involving the turnin
over Of shantung or the rights In Shan
| tung to Japan?
Brandegee-Hast the so-called Lansing
Ishii agreement any binding force oil
this country?
Laneing-No.
Brapdegee-It is simply a declaration
of your policy or the policy of this Gov
ernment as long as the President an
the State Department want to continu
that policy, supposef
Lansing-Exaetly. in the same wa,
that the Root-Takahira agreement Is
Brandegee-Will you state again tn
date of the Lansing-Ishii agreement?
acknowledgements z. 1917.
Denies Publication in RusHia.
Senator Moses IN. H.) questioned Nj
Lansing closely in regard to the numeI
GUS secret treaties of the Imperial Rus
sian Government made public by tn
Boishevik leaders after the fall Of Ke
rensky. Mr.. Lansing said that none G
the treaties then exposed were the one
governing the agreements with JapaI
He had Investigated thoroughly. he sait
and nothing OF the sort had been dis
covered by Ambassador Francis or hi
aids. The treaties were not publishe
in Russia.
Senator Johnson In the last phase
the discussion OF secret pacts shove
that neither Arthur James Balfour Q