OCR Text |
Show The Story of a Japan Treaty. Washington, September 27. The Post tomorrow to-morrow will print an interview with Hon. John Bingham, ex-United States Minister to Japan, in which Mr. Bingham is quoted as saying: "I tried to arrange a treaty of commerce com-merce between the United States and Japan seven years ago. The treaty was drawn up and it was the . only decent commercial treaty that has ever been offered to Japan, but before it was signed the European Powers Pow-ers heard of it and Germany and England sent .their agents and gunboats to Japan. The agents called upon the Foreign Minister there, and pointing down .: to the harbor, remarked: "Do you see those gunboats lying - there. " Well, by all the Powers these represent, we forbid you to conclude any treaty with the United States of America until treaties have first been arranged with our governments.' Thereafter, the Foreign Minister of Japan oalled upon me with a draft of the treaty I had proposed, but with another clause added providing that this treaty shall not take effect until similar treaties - have been entered into with the European Powers. I asked what the meaning of that was, and the Minister, pointing to the ironclads in the harbor, said he was afraid to offend the European Powers. Seven years have elapsed, and not one of the European powers who then interfered has proposed any suoh treaty as America and Japan were then asked to wait for. -1 steadfastly refused to join the Powers in their outrageous outra-geous treatment of Japan. I believed it would not be in accord with the policy of Washington's 'Friendship with all nations, entangling, alliance with none.' I told to the President the other dav the story I now tell you, only not so fully. He approved my conduct all through, and is going to continue the policy of George Washington." |