Weekly journal-miner., 1919-12-03
ISHII DECLARES NO JAP-HUN
 ENTENTE
(By Associated Press)

1 formerly Japanese ambassador to ! Washington, asserts in a magazine
 article published here that the reports
 which have been circulated in some
 other countries of an alleged secret alliance between Japan and Germany are directly traceable to the inter pellations which were made in the Japanese diet in the winter of l9l6
 These inquiries were in relation to the London compast between the Allies to make no separate peace with
 Germany. It will be recalled that this was formed in the early stages of the war
 Fiscount Ishii saHs the rumor has caused serious harm to Japan's war time diplomacy and has injured la pans interests in her post-bellum diplomacy
 He points out that in the interpella- tions prominent members of the diet contended that Japan had shouldered a grave responsibility of no-separate peace at time when the issue of the great war forbade any forecasts. The viscount, who was foreign minister when the London pact was signed, says the Japanese cabinet answered these criticisms by declaring that the government had no intention what soever of concluding a separate peace with Germany. Adherence to the pact, ministers pointed out, was in consenance with Article , of the Anglo-Japanese alliance.
 Tt was but natural" writes Wis count Ishii, that foreigners should be impressed with the notion that the Japanese nation was really opposed to the London declaration, and that Japanese had an intention to conclude separate peace with the enemy, and even perhaps, to form an alliance with Germany after the war
 "Of course, it is the height of vio- lation of international morals for a country to betray her ally or allies and shake hands with the enemy in the course of war, and yet history furnishes Us examples Of such viola tion oi international morality as in the case of Russia in the Seven Years war. It is not unreasonable that for sign people should have been i'm pressed with suspicion that the la panese nation had a dislike for the non-separate peace pact and might any time betray her allies and shake hands with Germany when an avail able opportunity presented itself. But the ministry considered the diet in terpellations more of political attack OH itself than as opposition to the l London pact Parliamentary attacks for political purposes are frequent in almost all countries. In Japan this is y.
 The current of the tide of the i worlds affairs now flows in one and ! the same direction and no country is any longer a distant neighbor in these l days of closer international relations. ! Every utterance of any individual not only in parliamentary discussions but also at public functions outside par liamentary halls and in the columns of the press, is echoed and re-echoed i abroad and very frequently it reflects ! on international interests of the country, occasionally eliminating in the birth of wild and groundless ru- mors. The famous Germano- Japan ese impeachment story is nothing but a specialization of fabricated rumors and suppositions"
 Viscount Ishii expressed sympathy with Marquis Saionji, who on his re- turn from the Paris conference, re- marked with great regret that occi- dentals are prone to compare Japan to Germany, regarding Japan as nation of war-like propensity and strong military principle like the Germans. The viscount agreed with