New-York tribune., 1921-01-28
Senate Ignored
In Drafting of
Japanese Pact
Lodge Declares That Morris
Never Consulted Foreign
Relations Committee. and
Great Secrecy Prevails
Colby Hasn't Read Papers
Expect 'Centlemen's Agree
ment' Affects Oil Supply,
US. Relations for 100 Yrs.
By Carter Field

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27-A situa.
tion involving not only American rela-
tions with Japan for hundreds of years
to come but the worl oil supply and
kindred questions, making it altogeth-
er one of the most complicated and
serious problems ever presented to this
government, is involved in the so-called
gentlemeh's agreement just reached
between Ambassador Morris, repre-
senting the United States, and Ambas.
sador Shidehara, representing Japan.
There were two developments in the
situation to-day. Senator Henry Ca
bot Lodge, chairman Of the Foreign
Relations Committee, denied fatty that
the Foreign Relations Committee had
been consulted or advised with at all in
the working out of this agreement. He
issued this statement following a con-
ference with Senator James D. Phelan
of California. Although Democrat
and supposedly in sympathy with the
Administration, Senator Phelan was
amazed at printed accounts that Sena-
tors of the Foreign Relations Commit
tee had been consulted by Ambassador
Morris during the negotiations. AS 8
result he went to Mr. Lodge about it,
discovering that neither Mr.. Lodge nor
most of the members of the committee
knew anything about it.
The second development was that
Senator Phelan callel on Secretary Of
State Colby to ask for information as
to the reported agreement, the sub
stance of which was printed in The
Tribune yesterday morning. He dis
covered that Mr.. Colby had not had
time to read the agreement since his
return to this country from South
America, and as a result could not tell
him anything about it,
British Acquire Oil Resources
"While do not know anything about
the actual propositions contained in
the agreement alleged to have been
reached" said Senator Phelan, ~ am
interested in the statement in The New
York Tribune that one of the points is
that California sh ould broaden her law
which now restricts the Japanese from
owning land in California so as to make
it apply to all aliens This might
furnish solution Of the Japanese
problem for the present at least, but
very interesting phase of it to me is
that 1t would have an important bear
ing on our oil situation.
AT present foreign interests, par
ticularly the British, are acquiring oil
interests at an alarming rate. It is
obvious to those who have studied the
situation that those who own oil own
the key to the merchant marine situa-
tion. An oil burner can be operated
so much more economically than coal
burner that there is no real competi-
tion whatever The coal burner has no
chance.
"The British are grabbing up our oil
resources in California to an alarming
degree, and a law preventing owner
ship of land by any aliens, and placing
such restrictions around it as to make
the law practically as we'll as tech
nically effective, as the laws just
adopted by California do with regard
to the Japanese, would meet the situa-
ton. Japan would have no complaint
for the present and at the same time
we would save our oil resources from
the British and other foreigners"
would that be permanent solution
Of the japanese problem in California,