San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-30
Japan's Especial Interests"
no Longer Recognized
by U. S.
BOTH PARTIES AGREE
New Understanding Based
on Provisions Of Nine
power Pact.

Washington. ID. C.. March S0.-
The celebrated Lansing-Ishii agree
ment, BY which the United States, in
1917, recognized Japan's special in
terests" in China, has been cancelled
by mutual agreement of the Wash
ington and Toxic governments.
Diplomatic negotiations between the
two governments have resulted in a
new understanding. based primarily on
the provisions of the Ifinc-power pact,
written Mt the Washington ornaments
conference. and regarded as applying
more effectually "the principles OF
the open door. or equality OF oppor-
tunity in China"
In disposing OF the T.ansing-lshii
agreement and substituting for it the
principles Of document subscribed TO
by the nine powers. the United States,
japan, China. Great Britain, France.
Italy. Portugal. the Netherlands and
Belgium, the American and japanese
governments accept n parity Of inter-
est in China. aud at the same time,
do away with an agreement that was
Il source Of controversy from the
very day IL was announced.
Negotiated at Toxic.
The negotiations for abandonment
of the agreement were successfully
carried on in Toxic as one Of the last
official acts of Charles j. Warren.
of Detroit, the retiring ambassador
to Japan. Diplomatists regard the
achievement ms the cap stone to a
long series of negotiations conducted
by the retiring ambassador, which
have placed the diplomatic affairs of
the United States, with regard to the
Far East. in more favorable situa-
ton than they have occupied since
questions between the United States
and Japan began coming into contro-
verSy.
The Lansing-Ishii agreement was
signed by Secretary Lansing and
Ambassador Ishii on November ,.
1917, in the form of an executive
understanding. and. as such, it be-
came Immediately effective without
the formality of ratification.
Negotiated with the utmost secrecy
on the part of both governments, it
created one Of the outstanding diplo-
matte sensations of the war days.
when news Of it first reached the
outside world in press reports from
Pekin on November :.
Pckin Not Warned.
The Chinese government had not
received beforehand the slightest in
timation that the agreement had been
proposed by Japan to Washington.
Its first information was received
from the japanese ambassador in
Pckin. when he delivered translated
copies of the agreement at the Pekin
foreign Office. Its first action was
TO inquire ut the American legation
whether the reported agreement was
authentic. At that time no legation
official had been informed of what
had been done in Washington.
The State Department, however,
soon confirmed the report and pro-
tests were filed by direction of the
Pekin government in Washington
and Toxic.
Differences quickly developed be-
tween the Jananese and American
TRANSACTIONS. with particular reference
10 the phrase "snecial interests" The
Japanese contended that the United
States mad recognized Japan's para
mountcy in China. Secretary Lansing
disagreed with that Interpretation and
the differences remained unsettled
throughout the life of the agreement
The controversial phrase was contain
ed in the following paragraph of the
agreement
"The governments Of the United
States and Japan recognize that ter
ritorial propinquity creates special re-
lations between countries and. con-
sequently. the government of the
United States recognizes that Japan
has snecial interests in China. par
ticularlv in the part to which her
possessions arc contiruous"