Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 September 1916 — JAPAN ASSURES U. S. [ARTICLE]

JAPAN ASSURES U. S.

TOKYO AND PETROGRAD TO KEEP “OPEN DOOR" IN CHINA. Declare New Treaty Does Not Amend Agreements Made in 1907 and 1310. Washington, Sept. 15— Both Japan and Russia have given the Jlnited States assurances the treaties of 1007 and 1910, in which both pledged themselves to respect the integrity of China and maintain the open-door policy, are not repealed or affected by the new Russo-Japanese treaty. The assurances were given to Ambassadors Guthrie at Tokyo and Francis at Petrograd. The state department received Mr. Guthrie's note. It resulted from inquiries made by him at Tokyo "by direction of the state department regarding the effect of the new treaty. The statement issued by the state department says the Japanese government has now most courteously added to a former oral assurance the following note to the ambassador, dated September 13:

“The imperial government desire to assure the American government that the new convention is in no sense designed to repeal or to modify the provisions of article 2 of the convention concluded between Japan and Russia on July 31, 1907, nor have the imperial government entertained for a moment any intention to depart from the policy to which thuy have avowedly committed themselves respecting the maintenance of the independence and territorial integrity of China, as well as the principle of equal opportunity for the trade of all nations in that country.” The result of similar Inquiries at Petrograd is commented upon by the state department as follows: “The minister for foreign affairs of the imperial Russian government in like manner assured the American ambassador in response to his inquiry that his government had not withdrawn from the conventions of 1907 and i9lO, but will maintain unimpaired the provisions of those agreements, notwithstanding the fact that no mention of them was made in the convention of 1916.” State department officials expressed complete satisfaction with both.