The Washington herald., 1920-12-30
Lord Northcliffe in Pre-
pared Statement Shows
Fallacies in Argument.
SAYS u. S. HAS NO
SUSPICION GROUNDS
Great Britain Ready to
Conclude Like Treaty
With This Nation.
tcopyrisht. lsso, b. unilsd nsvs.)

uellcacy lot ciafity ann empnasis,
Lord Northcliffe. the noted English
publisher. whose foreign and do
mestic influence needs no adver-
tisement, denies in a prepared state
ment the Angio-Japanese alliance
would require Great Britain TO as
sist japan in any war against the
United States.
Some of my American friends"
Northcliffe says by way Of ac-
knowledging the suspicious which
evoked his article, seem anxious
or suspicious about the supposed
obligations of Great Britain to Join
Japan in a war against the United
States under the terms OF the An
glo-Japanese alliance. These sus-
picions seem to me to be as un-
founded as those which were the
subject of my recent exchange Of
messages with my friends, Secre-
tary of the Navy Daniels.
Though / am not a great histor-
ian do remember some things. One
of them is that the Anglo-Japanese
alliance was formed at a time when
what was called the triple alliance
of the Far East. consisting of Ger
many. Russia and France. was in
full blast after having compelled
japan to tear up the Shimonoseki
treaty with China. concluded after
the Chino-Japanese war of 1895.
Beginning Of Trouble.
That triple alliance was really
the beginning of most of the trou-
| BILE in the Far East but neither IL
nor the Anglo-Japanese alliance,
n E..a~ a
rected against the United States.
In fact. the United States then was
not very actively Interested in Far
when war broke out between
Russia and Japan early In 1so4,
France. who was allied with Rus
sia, and England. who was allied
with Japan, contracted out OF the
war. Their agreemept not 90 nght
each other In the ss-JSpanese
quarrel was one OF the things that
led to the Anglo French entente of
April, 1904, which. in Its turn. help
ed to save the world from German
domination.
There was a second agreement
between Great Gritain and Japan in
August. 1905, which dealt with the
Far East and India, but again It
was not directed, even by any pos
sible implication. against the
United States.
when this alliance was reviced
in July. 1911, and extended for a
term of ten years A clause was
inserted. stipulatinS that nothing in
the agreement should entail upon
either contracting party an obliga-
tion to go to war against any power
xrft xuhnFfn IF o..hT-
tration had been concluded and was
in force. This was the first refer
ence to the United States in the
Anglo-Japanese alliance and 1t was
friendly reference.
President Taft had concluded
with Great Britain a treaty of gen.
eral arbitration month earlier and
Britain felt that as this treaty
might be out of harmony with the
Alliance, the latter should be modi-
fed and SO brought into harmony
with the Anglo-American arbitra-
tion treaty. 1t Is an important
point that this revision and re-
newal of the Anglo-Japanese treaty
were carried out only after the full
est consultation in London with the
responsible ministers of the Do
minions, who gave their unreserved
support
Senate Refused to Ratify.
Had the Anglo-American treaty
of arbitration ever been ratified
Great Britain thus would have been
ruled out of the possibility Of siding
with Japan in any conflict between
Japan and the United States. What
happened, in reality, was that not
Great Britain. but the United States
Senate refused to ratify the treaty
OF arbitration in March, 1912.
Consequently, IL there Is any sus-
picion among Americans as to the
obligations of Great Britain, those
suspicious cannot with justice be
directed against Great Britain, who
is as rtady as she has always been
to conclude. and ratify a treaty OF
general arbitration with the United
States.
But in default of an arbitration
treaty there As the peace commits
sion treaty signed at Washington
on September lis, 1914, though this
is not a general arbitration treaty
within the meaning of article 4 Of
the Anslo-Japanese alliance. Brit
ain notified japan at the moment
of its signature that 1t would be
SO regarded by Great Britain for
the purpose Of the Anglo-Japanese
alliance" e.
Some Of the Information being
given in these lines has been held
highly secret hitherto. Northtliffe
devoted his entire day to obtaining
the data for his statement. SO inn
portant did he deem an accurate
statement as to the history Of the
alliance.
There is no possibility an I have
shown by the reservation 20 the
Anglo-Japanese alliance Just cited
of an Anglo-Japanese combination
against the United States. How, IN
these circumstances. England can
be suspected Of readiness to be some
a party to such a combination
passes my comprehension.
"As have said elsewhere, II the
japanese are building ships against
the United States they are lacking
IN a sense Of proportion. II tn.
United States Is building battle
ships against q hypothetical Anglo
Jpanese combination. IL ID forget.
ting its own reject history, and a
overlooking the politicalE realities
fthe British Empire, which make
II impossible to united Great Britt
ain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand
and South Africa on behalf Of or
with the Japanese," --ss+