CO129-451 - Public Offices - 1918 — Page 285

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may be said that the American explanatory statement has fulfilled its purpose, and largely removed any suspicions that may have attached to the American action in the matter.

A copy of this despatch has been forwarded to Tokyo.

I have, &c.

J. N. JORDAN.

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with China. This understanding is formally set forth in the notes exchanged and now transmitted. The statements in the notes require no explanation. They not only contain a re-affirmation of the Open Door policy, but introduce a non-interference with the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China which, generally principle of applied, is essential to perpetual international peace, as has been so clearly declared by President Wilson."

Attempts are being made to make the Chinese officials believe that the United States of America have actually recognised Japan's special interests unconditionally, and the American document tends to clear up the atmosphere.

Enclosure 1 in No. 1.

Extract from the "Peking Daily News" of November 10, 1917.

FOLLOWING is the full text of China's note presented to the Japanese Minister person by a member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday evening, and to the American Minister early yesterday morning --

in

"The Government of the United States and the Government of Japan have recently, in order to silence mischievous reports, effected an exchange of notes at Washington concerning their desires and intentions with regard to China. A copy of the said notes has been communicated to the Chinese Government by the Japanese Minister at Peking, and the Chinese Government, in order to avoid misunderstanding, hastens to make the following declaration so as to make known the view of the Government :-

The principle adopted by the Chinese Government towards the friendly untions has always been one of justice and equality, and consequently the rights enjoyed by the friendly nations derived from the treaties have been consistently respected, and so even with the special relations between countries created by the fact of territorial contiguity, but only in so far as they have already been provided for in bar existing treaties. Hereafter the Chinese Government will still adhere to the principle hitherto adopted, and hereby it is again declared that the Chinese Government will not allow itself to be bound by any agreement entered into by other nations."

Enclosure 2 in No. 1.

Extract from the "Peking Daily News" of November 13, 1917.

LANSING-ISHI NOTES.

WE publish below the substance of a communication from the American Legation in Peking to the Wai-chiao Pu transmitting the notes exchanged by Secretary of State Lansing and Viscount Ishii, Japan's Special Envoy to the United States, on the 2nd November at Washington, which was courteously sent to us by the American Legation for publication yesterday :-

"The visit of the Imperial Japanese Mission to the United States afforded an opportunity for free and friendly discussion of interests of the United States and Japan in the Orient by openly proclaiming that the policy of Japan as regards China is not one of aggression and by declaring that there is no intention to take advantage commercially or indirectly of the special relations to China created by geographical position. The representatives of Japan have cleared the diplomatic atmosphere of the suspicion which had been carefully spread by German propaganda.

The Governments of the United States and Japan again declare their adherence to the 'Open Door' policy, and re-commit themselves, as far as these two Governments are concerned, to the maintenance of equal opportunity for the full enjoyment by the subjects or citizens of any country in the commerce and industry of China. Japanese commercial and industrial enterprises in China manifestly have, on secount of the geographical relation of the two countries, a certain advantage over similar enterprises on the part of the citizens or subjects of any other country.

"The Governments of the United States and Japan have taken advantage of a favourable opportunity to make an exchange of expressions with respect to their relations