THE ALLEGED SECRET TREATY.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 August 1919, Page 4

THE ALLEGED SECRET TREATY.

Recent messages, more or less of a vague nature, have referred to the alleged secret treaty between Germany and Japan. A translation of the treaty (claimed to have emanated from a reliable source) reached the Melbourne “ Age ” recently, and is as follows: —

1. Both contracting parties bind themselves, as soon as the world political situation permits, to help the third party, Russia, to obtain, under their direction, the settlement of her internal affairs and t.he position of a world Power.

2. One of the high contracting parties, Japan, binds herself to allow the other high contracting party, Germany, the enjoyment of the prerogatives growing out of her treaties with the third party, Russia, as far as they concern Central Asia and Persia, and assist in the conclusion of a most favoured nation treaty, with mutual (reciprocal) guarantees between the third Power and the two contracting Powers.

3. One of the high contracting parties, Japan, binds herself to allow the other contracting party, Germany, the enjoyment of the rights of most favoured nation given to her by the treaties in Southern China, and of certain privileges growing out of this treaty as yet to be defined in a special treaty, and in this connection botli contracting parties bind themselves not to allow the passing of further concessions in regions yet to be definitely defined into the hands of foreign Powers—America and England,

4. One of the high contracting parties, Japan, binds herself indirectly to protect the interests of the other high contracting party, Germany, in the coming Peace Conference, in a manner agreeable to that party, in order that she might suffer as little as possible from the ouerous terms of peace in respect to territorial .and financial losses.

5. One of the two high contracting parties binds herself on the basis of a treaty to be concluded with the third Power after her restoration to secure for the other contracting party, Germany, the conclusion of a treaty of mutual (reciprocal) guarantees, military, political, and economic, and to lend her services to the other party? Germany, in this direction. 6. In return for this the other high contracting party, Germany, hinds herself to conclude a secret military convention on land and sea with the aim of an alliance of mutual (reciprocal) guarantees and mutual protection against the aggressive intentions of America and England ; the details to be worked out immediately after the conclusion of peace by specially empowered delegates of both high contracting parties. 7. The secret treaty resulting herefrom will define the basic lines of foreign |iolicy of the three high contracting parties, and may in its full extent and in all its individual paragraphs be worked out immediately after the re-establishing of the third high contracting party, Russia. 8. The present treaty is concluded for a period of five years, counting from the moment of the restoration of the third party, with the exception of paragraph 4, which goes into effect immediately upon receipt of certificates of ratification. In case none of the high contracting parties announces six months before the end of the five years’ period the intention of discontinuing the action of die treaty, it automatically remains in force for a further five years’ period until one or another .of the contracting parties signifies its intention of discontinuing it.

9. The present treaty should be ratified as soou as possible, and certificates of ratification should bo prepared in duplicate in French and German, the German text being the authentic one for Germany, and the French text for Japan.