IV THE LANSING-ISHII AGREEMENT A I. THE DIPLOMATIC PROCEDURE LATE development of the American agreement of November 2, 1917, based on notes exchanged between Secretary of State Lansing and Ambassador Ishii, the head of the Japanese War Mission which visited the United States. The obvious purpose of this mission, as was announced by the Japanese Government, was to follow the example of the English, French, and Italian War Missions to America in furthering the better understanding between America and Japan, and the closer cooperation in the war against the "Common Enemy." But a closer investigation of the accomplishments of this mission in America reveals something deeper than these obvious reasons. The Japanese War Mission, like all 'See addresses of Ambassador Kikujiro Ishii at various places in America, New York Times, Current History, VI: 429-430, September, 1917; ibid., VII: 50-52, October, 1917. 1 other Japanese undertakings, had an ulterior motive. There are three outstanding issues between the United States and Japan that must be settled sooner or later. They are the " open door" question in China, the question of immigration, and the question of Japanese citizenship in America. The first of these hinders commercial development and political expansion of Japan, and the other two are an open insult to the honour and integrity of Japan,-at least, the Japanese think so. The purpose of this mission was to reach a satisfactory agreement concerning the first of these three issues,-blindly satisfactory to America and selfishly gratifying to Japan. A brief review of what the mission has accomplished unmistakably points to this conclusion. In Japan could not have selected a better man to head this mission than Viscount Ishii, whose knowledge of international etiquette, and whose rhetorical perfection in the English language are equal to that of the best in the West. his speech before the United States Senate, the Japanese ambassador inspired thunderous applause by declaring, "We of Japan took up arms against Germany because a solemn treaty was not to us a scrap of paper. We did not enter See "Japanese Mission," Review of Reviews, 56: 361, October, 1917. into this war because we had any selfish interest to promote or any ill-conceived ambition to gratify." These statements are ironically amusing when we remember what Japan has done in Korea despite all her solemn treaty obligations to the Hermit Kingdom;' and more recently in China, ignoring not only her treaty obligations with China and other treaty powers, but breaking faith with her ally-England." When Japan declared war upon Germany, August 15, 1914, Count Okuma, then Premier of Japan, telegraphed to an American magazine assuring "the people of America and of the world that Japan has no ulterior motive, no desire to secure more territory, no thought of depriving China or other peoples of anything which they now possess." The sincerity of this statement was tested when, in less than! a year, Japan made the well-known Twentyone Demands upon China. Japanese statesmen stated more than once that Japan was to take Tsingtau with the intention of returning it to Congressional Record, vol. 55, No. 124, p. 7040, August 30, 1917. For Japan's perfidy with Korea, consult F. A. McKenzie, The Tragedy of Korea," chapter on "Treaty-Making and Treaty-Breaking." For Japan's aggressions on China despite her treaty obligations to the contrary, consult Millard, "Our Eastern Question," chapters on "Japan's Aggressions on China." Cablegram sent to the Independent (New York), August 24, 1914, published in the Independent, August 31, 1914, vol. 79, p. 291. See Part III, M. China.' All the treaties, promises, and declarations made by the Japanese statesmen concerning their policy on the Asiatic mainland have so far been mere scraps of paper. Yet this ambassador extraordinary from Japan blandly told the most august body of American lawmakers that Japan respected treaty obligations and had entered the war unselfishly. At the public dinner given in honour of the Japanese Mission by Mayor Mitchel, in New York City, September 29, 1917, Viscount Ishii outlined the Japanese policy in China as follows: "Circumstances for which we were in no sense responsible gave us certain rights in Chinese territory, but at no time in the past and at no time in the future do we or will we seek to take territory from China or to despoil China of her rights. We wish to be and always continue to be the sincere friend and helper of our neighbour, for we are more interested than any one else, except China, in good government there. Only we must at all times for self-protection prevent other nations from doing what we have no right to do. We not only will not seek to assail the integrity or the sovereignty of China, but will eventually be prepared to de This promise has never been fulfilled. See Millard, "Our Eastern Question," chapter on "Japan's Seizure of Kiaochow," and Part III, S; also, World's Work, 35: 125-126, December, 1917; Independent, 79: 293, August 31, 1914. |