A memorandum designed to inform the British Government of the rapidly growing opposition to the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, was presented to Sir Beilby Alston by. representatives of prominent Chinese organizations of Shanghai before his departure for England.
The memorandum calls attention to the fact that the two enemies of peace in the Far East, Germany and Russia, have ceased to be factors in the affairs of Asia. There can then be only one nation against which the Alliance could be renewed. That isthe United States. But the traditional policy of the United States has been friendship for China, as indicated in the Hay "Open Door Policy." There is, therefore, no need for the Alliance.
The document further goes on to show how Japan has taken advantage of Great Britain's activities in the war to violate the objects of the Alliance. The Twenty-One Demands are cited and attention is called to the fact that Japan employed every means to assure secrecy for her plan. Secrecy against whom? Undoubtedly it was against the nation with which she was in alliance to ensure the integrity of China. But Japan took pains to force China to agree not to cede or lease to any third Power any harbour or bay or island along the coast of China.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.