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卷十 三、日与德开战之近因


  (六月十五日)

  纽约《晚邮报》(六月十四日)载一东京访员来函,追述其去年八月二十八日通信(登九月十七日报)中所报日本与德国开战之近因,其言曰:

  Writing on Aug. 28… I stated that suspense was more or less relieved when a note came from the British Government on Aug. 4(?) asking what Japan could do in the way of safe-guarding British shipping in the Far East. An Imperial council was called, and the reply at once went back to London that Japan could not guarantee the safety of British shipping so long as the presence of Germany at Tsingtau existed to menace it. Japan would undertake the responsibility on condition that she be allowed to remove the German occupation of that part of China. In this suggestion the British authorities acquiesced, on condition that the place be subsequently retured to China and the integrity of that republic be in no way threatened.

  〔中译〕

  在八月二十八日信中……吾曾指出,从八月四日(?)英国政府所透露之消息来看,此疑惑或多或少有所释然。此消息说,美国政府问日本可以用什么方法,来保证英国在远东之海洋运输的安全。日本随即召开一个帝国会议,立刻答复伦敦方面:只要德国仍占据青岛,给海洋运输安全造成威胁,日本就无法保证英国海洋运输之安全。倘若允诺日本取代德国占据青岛,日本将担负起上述之责任。于此建议,英国当局有条件予以默认。此条件即是:此后日本应将青岛归还给中国,该共和国之领土完整,决不容遭到威胁、侵犯。

  此人自言所记系得诸可靠之口。其中所记如“八月四日”之日期及英人要求以青岛归我云云,或不尽确,然大致似可信也。

  吾前读日外相加藤之宣言(九月五日),即知攻胶之举发自日本,其辞显然,不可掩也(参看卷八第一六则)。

  〔附记〕英驻日大使谒日政府,乃在英宣战之前一日(八月三日)。是夜即有内阁会议;议决后(不知何等决案),加藤即往见英使,告以日政府决不辞协助之责。八月七日,英使复告日政府,谓“如允相助,不宜更缓”。是夜大隈召元老及内阁会于其家。是会至晨二时始散,政策遂决(不知何等决议)。右据日人K. K. Kawakami〔K. K. 河上〕之言,见一九一四年十一月《大西洋月刊》(Atlantic Monthly)。


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