THE ANGLO-JAPANESE ALLIANCE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1897, 4 November 1913, Page 7

THE ANGLO-JAPANESE ALLIANCE.

A COMMENT ON TEE HAYASHI " REVELATIONS." [By llobert Young, Editoh of the "Japan Chuonicle. "] TT I vI 1 f li'' l^"!' ni v ( ' o " cos ' of ths 'ate Count on! nf 't ■ ri\" g » wlth tho diplomacy out of which tho Anglo-Japaneso Alliance was developed, are of great hi-ven-nnnnli ?- CCaUSe th °' V OX P Iodo « ,k/ , P J ?r I s tfl tho "naworvtlpHnftfli^ 0 f ß r almos ' fc superhuman W l- ° J , apalioso foreign policy. s J?. h f'° b ee u asked to believe tii.it white Japan was professing to live on good terns with Russia, and mak-nl.tfTi'-i' 0 " 5 , Settle tho ™«<>US points of difference that aroso in Korea, a " the whilo building ships and amassing armameoits that by one overwhelming stroke at the supremo mowent she could overcome tho Muscovite and roign supremo in East, Asia. Count ilt', 3 . -ttemmiscenccs" have exploded this belief. He shows that Ja p. anese statesmen aro like tho statesmen tf.om 11l ? rcmintr , 10s . differing among themselves on vital questions, and tho component factions manoeuvring with all their strength and ability to get a particular policy accepted and en-

Ito's Policy. To those who have studied the inner worKmgs of Japanese politics tho primary interest of these so-called revelations of the means by which the AngloJapanese Alliance was manufactured is tno light thrown on tho struggle between tho civil and militarist parties an Japan. Prmce Ito, despite tho fact that ho held offico at tho time tho militarists got tho upper hand and Japan an/' li° Vf ar mth Chi,la ' waß throughout his life a great pacific influence, and. carried on. a never-ceasing conflict with \amagata, tho head of tho militarist faction. He believed that Japan could only advance by developing her resourcoa along peaceful lines and, fuoidnif! international complications, basis mB defence on a reasonable It may oven bo surmised that Ito «??»£ +7 ry mUOl i cha ,K»«ed by tho ati) taken up by tho three Powers -Russia, franco, and GernianvW„,- • cnd ,°. f . tho Japan-China a™' '? n. dvls «>g. the retrocession of tiio Lmotung peninh L," 1 increiso in tho indemnity paid by China to Japan, tor Ito saw clearly enough that if Japan hold mainland possessions tho now territory would not - only involve enormous expense, but would require tho maintenance of a huge army, and also oxpuso Japan to tho suspicion and hostility of more than one European , , er- , ho exerted the whole of Ins influence, which at that jinio was almost unrivalled, in pressing acceptance of tho Powers' "advieo" on , 0 ' a ?°. Emperor, and inducing his fel-iow-JUinisters to acquiesco in it. How narrowly Japan escaped at that time being plunged into war with Russiaand possibly with France (Germany, it is believed, had made it a condition that her intervention should not proceed beyond tho diplomatic stage) wo shall probably never know, unless Ito'» heirs and executors.publish his reminiscences to dear him of the cliargcs which are implied m Count Ilnyashi's narrative. But tho fact is that tho militajibt party m Japan never forgave Ito lor accepting, the "advice" of tho tlireo lowers, instead of plunging Japan into another war at a moment when she was exhausted by tho struggle, victorious though it had been, against China Consequently, while Ito continued to do Ins best to reconcile tho differences bctwpon Japan and Russia in East Asia, in the belief that tho policies and aspirations of the two Powers wero capable ot a modus vivendi, tlie militarist taction persisted in its view that tho rivalry could only ho decided by tho arbitrament of war. As tho militarist taction mado headway, Ito's influences in the country and in the national councils began to decline. A war had bec-n lought besides bringing much prestige to Japan, had actually'profited the national finances. In theso oircumstanocs, it is perhaps not- surprising that, despite tho great things Ito ha,d done for his country, the nation looked askance at his pacific inclinations, and readily fell in with the project of tho militarists for expansion of armaments combined with_ a virilo foreign policy that win a foothold on tho Asiatio continent.

Tho Militarist Faction, In tho light of the6o facts the diplomatic struggle which Count Hayashi sot forth in his "Reminiscences" beoomes clear enough. Ito had 110 obicotion to an alliance witli England. Wimt he feared was that the militarist faction would bo encouraged by such an alliance, negotiated at a moment when friction between Japan and Russia was acute, into adopting an Uncompromising policy which would inevitably result in war. His view appears to have been that Japan should first seek to arrange all outstanding questions witli Russia relating to Korea and Manchuria, and then, tho {utterances between the two Poweirs being amicably composed, tho proposed alliance with England could be negotiated without appearing as a threat against Russia. He. had no difficulty m obtaining permission from the Emporjor to visit St. Petersburg with tlia bono of effecting a lasting settlement? _But this did not suit the plans of Prince Katsura, who had then bccomo 1 rentier, or of his daring Foroign Minister, the late Baron Komnrs, or of the militarist faction which Katsura represented. AVhile unable to prevent Ito from proceeding to St. Petersburg, tlioy endeavoured to minimise or oven compromise his mission, and meainvhilo throw themselves energetically into tho task of securing through Havashi an alliance or understanding with England before any convention could bo made with Russia tlmt might prevent tlio recovery of Liaotimg 0 r tho annexation of Korea. They were successful. Ito found on arrival in Europe that his opponents had been so busy in the use of tho telegraph while ho was on tho way that ,tho treaty with England was almost an accomplished fact, and his mission to St. Petersburg to make an amicable prior settlement rendered virtually useless. Tho ilapanoso Minister in London was able to assure Lord Lansdowno, no doubt with truth, that Afarquis Ito's visit to Russia had "no special significance." It would bo interesting to learn tho views of the British statesmen responsible for tlio treaty witli Japan now that tho late Count Hayaslii's account of tlio negotiations has been made public._ They must, now perceive that, instead of being engaged i in drafting an epoch-making treaty in ' which tho interests of the high contracting parties were tho chief concern, I tlie.y were simply pnwns in a struggle between Japanese statesmen representing rival policies,