THE ANGLO-JAPANESE TREATY.
ITo THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR.) Sin,—Surely you go too far in assuming that under the Anglo-Japanese Treaty the foreign policy of Great Britain has been " placed at the mercy of Japan." Great Britain is not bound to come to the assistance of Japan unless some real aggression or some real disturbance has rendered in- dispensable any defensive measures whereby Japan may become involved in war. Should (for the sake of argument) Japan take any unreasonable or reckless course in the pre- tended protection of her interests, Great Britain would be perfectly free to say, when called upon to render, aid, that the measures taken by Japan were not "indispensable" within the meaning of Article I. And if in good time Japan "com- municates," as in duty bound under Article V., with Great Britain on the nature of the emergency, Great Britain will have the opportunity of saying in good time (should that be her opinion) that the emergency does not constitute a cases foederis; while should Japan neglect or avoid the duty of communicating under Article V., Great Britain's justification for saying so will be all the stronger.—I am, Sir, &c., [Very possibly Mr. Stuart - Wortley reads the Treaty correctly in theory; but if once Japan got involved with twp Powers we should, in fact, be forced, owing to the Alliance, to come to her assistance. We could not while she was being beaten begin an inquiry into her conduct. It was because of this difficulty that Lord Wellesley, when he made his model Treaty of Alliance—i.e., that with the Nizam- stipulated that the foreign relations of Hyderabad should be placed under British control. There is an old commercial saying : " He who has a partner has a master." It is equally true of allies.—ED. Spectator.]
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