New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-18

IN view OF the discussion OF the
scope of the Lansing-Ishii agreement
and it's effects on the Open Door pol
icy it is interesting to recall the fol-
lowing colloquy, which took place in
August, 1919, in the Senate Commit
tee on Foreign Relations:
Senator Brandegee-Has the So
called Lansing-Ishii agreement any
binding force?
Secretary Lansing-No.
Senator Brandegee-It is simply
declaration of your policy, or the pol
icy of this government, as long as the
want to continue that policy, I sup
pose.
Secretary Lansing-Exactly; in the
same way that the Root Takahira
agreement is"
In the Lansing-Ishii agreement
America recognized that territorial
propinquity creates special relations
between countries, and consequently
the government of the United States
recognizes that Japan has special in
terests in China, particularly in the
part to which her possessions are
contiguous" Even though adherence
to the general principle of the Open
Door was also maintained, adherence
to the special principle Of special in
terests was made quite plain. In
such cases it is commonly accepted
that the statement of the exception
takes priority over the statement Of
the general principle.
In his testimony before the Senate
committee Secretary Lansing sum-
married. the conversations that took
place before the agreement was
reached He and Viscount Ishii dis
cussed the phrase Especial interests
which the Japanese government had
been very insistent upon, "and told
him. said the Secretary, chat if it
meant paramount interest / could
not consider it further"
This naturally interested the SEN
ators, who pressed for more particu-
lars. The Secretary then interpreted
the phrase to mean no different spe-
cial interest from that which we
have toward Canada or Mexico.
When asked what indication Wis.,
count Ishii gave that he placed the
same construction on the phrase as
Mr.. Lansing did the latter replied
that the viscount merely continued
the discussion, using the words 'spe-
cial interest" frequently. He added,
rather larnely, that Ishii ''knew that
If he did net take my meaning /
could not continue my discussion"
When further cross-questioned he
admitted that the japanese insisted
also on the inclusion of the word Gin
fluence,' so that the phrase would
read that Japan has Especial inter
ests and influence" But the Secre-
tary would not admit the use Of the
word Influence since it clearly i'm
piled political power.
On being asked whether he did not
know that the Lansing-Ishii agree
ment, as finally drafted, was taken
in Japan and China, both by the
press and semi-oficially, as "a tacit
Endorsement of Japan's program in
China" he replied: 81 know it was
in Japan"
In fact, the Japanese seem to have
placed an Interpretation upon the
agreement quite different from Mr..
Lansing's. If the statement of John
G. Ferguson, an American adviser to
the President of China, can be &C.
cepted as testimony as to the effect
of the agreement upon China here is
further confirmation of this fact.
Speaking before the Senate Commit
tee on Foreign Relations on August
20, 1919, Mr.. Ferguson declared that
the Chinese government was much
embarrassed by the conflict of the in
terpretations which were given to it
by the two legations, the American
Legation and the Japanese Legation,
the American Legation emphasizing
that the purport of the Lansing-Ishii
agreement was to confirm the prin-
ciple Of the Open Door and equal
opportunity, and the japanese gov
eminent emphasizing the fact that
the purport of the agreement was to
recognize Japan's special interests in
China" In fact, Mr.. ferguson ex-
planned that the japanese version Of
the agreement specifically implied
that Japan had not only special in
terests but also special influence,
which term is generally interpreted
to imply political powers.
The question at issue, however, is
not so much the meaning Of GER
tain phrase as the weakening Of a |