Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-07-04
ALLIANCE NOT
AIMED At j. s.
IS ASSERTION
Of JAP ENVOY.
Baron Shidehara, in a For
NAL Statement, Discusses
the Proposed AngIo-Jap-
,aneSe Agreement,
NEGOTIATIONS ARE
NOT YET UNDER WAY
Campaign Is at Work Mis-
representing the Possible
Effect of the Pact on
America, He Claims,

Washington, July 3.-Barol
Shidehara, the japanese ambassa-
dor, in a formal statement today
discussing the Anglo-Japanese all
lance, declared that "by no
stretch of the Imagination can it
honestly be stated that the alliance
was ever designed or remotely in
tended as an instrument OF hostil-
ity or even defense against the
United States
Negotiations looking to the re-
newal of the Anglo-Japanese al
lance have not yet begun" says
the statement. "In the meantime,
a campaign seems to be actively at
work misrepresenting the possible
effect of the alliance upon the
United States.
Has Twice Been Renewed.
1.-THE Anglo-Japanese alliance in
its history of nearly twenty years
has twice been renewed. In each
case. the fundamental policy un-
derlying it has remained unchang-
ed. 1t aims permanently to pre-
serve and to consolidate the gen.
eral peace of the far east. The
original agreement of 1902, in line
with that policy, was calculated to
localize any war which might be
forced upon either contracting par
ty in defense of it's defined inter-
ests or vital security. 1t was made
when China was under menace of
foreign aggression; and the United
States showing the utmost friendli-
ness toward both parties to the al
lance viewed the compact with
sympathy and approval.
Was Revised in 1905.
I'm 1905, when the alliance was
renewed and revised to meet the
changed conditions that followed
the Russo Japanese war, no
thought occurred TO the statesmen
of either country that the United
States might possibly become a
potential enemy of either, and for
that reason, and that alone, no
provision was inserted taking so
remote contingency into consid-
Grafton.
Again Revised In 1911.
"1he alliance WIS again revised
in 1911 and Article " of that
agreement contains the following
provisions:
Should either high contracting
party conclude a treaty of general
arbitration with a third power. it
is agreed that nothing in this agree
ment shall entail upon such con-
tracing party. an obligation to go
to war with the power with whom
such treaty of arbitration Is In
force
This provision. In its relation
to the United States. has often
been made the subject of conflict
ing interpretations To practical
mind, however, the circumstances
which led up to its inclusion should
at once serve to remove all doubt
regarding its significance. The
idea of revising the alliance in
1911 was conceived primarily with
the object of facilitating the nego-
tiations which were known to be
then in progress between London
and Washington for the conclusion
Of a general arbitration treaty.
Neither Japan nor Great Britain
has ever contemplated under the
alliance, any casus foederis preJu-
dicial or inimical TO the interest OF
the United States; and any plan
designed to remove the possibility
of an armed conflict between the
United States and Great Britain
was of course agreeable to Japan.
Same Policy Inspires Japan.
"It was in pursuance of this
policy that the quoted provision of
Article ~ was adopted.
'The same policy inspires Japan
as strongly today as ever before. 1t
has not. in any degree, been ef-
fected by the fact that the Anglo
American general arbitration treaty
failed to secure the approval Of the
United States senate; nor is 1t
practically necessary to carry on
the legal analysis of the question as
to whether the peace commission
treaty. signed and ratified by the
United States and Great Britain in
1914, should be construed as gen.
eral arbitration treaty within the
meaning of Article " of the Anglo
Japanese agreement.
Explains Japan's Attitude.
"For, apart from that question,
1t was already well understood at
the time of negotiating the existing
agreement that the alliance should