[401]. The position which one of the elder statesmen out of office, Marquis Itō, occupied in this diplomatic evolution, has been a subject of much speculation. He was not only on his tour in America and Europe when the Agreement was concluded, but also had made efforts at St. Petersburg to come to an entente with Russia. From this, it has even been charged that he was opposed to an Agreement with Great Britain. It now appears, however, that he had discussed the latter question with Premier Katsura before he sailed for Europe, and that he proceeded to St. Petersburg with a full authorization from the Government to exchange views with Count Lamsdorff regarding Korea. In the mean time, the Cabinet continued its negotiations with Great Britain. Each must have kept the other well informed of the progress of the respective negotiations, with this important difference, however, that Marquis Itō apparently entertained the view, which the Cabinet respected without accepting, that a British alliance would be, not less desirable, but more difficult of realization, than a Russian agreement concerning Korea. Unexpectedly to the Marquis, his effort did not materialize as well as he had hoped, while, on the other hand, it seemed as if his significant presence in Russia had hastened the hands of the jealous British Foreign Office, which now put its seal upon the terms as agreed upon with rather unexpected readiness.
[402]. The writer is indebted to the Kokumin Shimbun for many important suggestions regarding the negotiations between the two Powers which resulted in the conclusion of the Agreement. Tokushu Jōyaku, pp. 407–411, gives a brief explanatory view of the conditions under which the Agreement was concluded.
[403]. The British Parliamentary Papers, Treaty Series, No. 3, 1902: Agreement between the United Kingdom and Japan relative to China and Korea, signed at London, January 30, 1902.
[404]. The British Parliamentary Papers: Japan, No. 1 (1902), Dispatch to His Majesty’s Minister at Tokio, forwarding Agreement between Great Britain and Japan, of January 30, 1902.
[405]. Observe the clearness of this statement. This idea is only implied in the Anglo-Japanese Agreement. It is remarkable that an explicit statement of this nature should come, as it did, from the Powers from which it would have been less expected than from their rivals.
[406]. China, No. 2 (1904), No. 50. The so-called triple alliance of Europe was renewed in May, with a declaration that it, together with the Russo-French alliance, maintained peace. The latter, as is shown here, had extended itself from Europe to the Far East, owing largely to the conclusion of the Anglo-Japanese Agreement. The growing solidarity of the world’s international politics may in some degree be discerned here.
[407]. The Evening Post, March 20, 1902; Tokushu Jōyaku, pp. 415–416.
[408]. The Kokumin, March 23, 1902.
[409]. See, for instance, Ministère des Affaires Étrangères, Documents Diplomatiques: Chine, 1894–8, No. 19 (p. 12); No. 36 (p. 29); No. 37 (p. 30); No. 61 (pp. 45–46); No. 65 (p. 49).
[410]. During the peace negotiations at Peking after the Boxer war, Russia and France coöperated as closely as did Great Britain, Japan, and the United States.