Evening star., 1915-02-14


stant declares that Japan has threat
ened China with military
japanese action to enforce its de-
mands. The note appears
UemanoS. sensational and besides
1t is accompanied by the statement
that 1t is believed in official circles in
Peking that the communication should
not be taken too seriously" 1t is
avowedly based upon an article pub
lished by LANG Chi Chiao. former min
lister of justice. in the Asahi Shimbun.
This journal declares that "the paper
upon which the Japanese demands
upon China are written is water mark
ed with warships and cannon" In
order to render the statement more
sensational the dispatch adds. THE out
lines of the Japanese demands ap-
peared in special edition which was
promptly suppressed
Regarding these demands the Asahi
Shlmbun is quoted as saying: Japan
asks China to solve the Manchurian
and Monaghan questions by the extern
sion OF the lease of the Port Arthur.
Dairen and South Manchurian railway
zone to ninety-nin years and by
granting to Japanese the right of resi-
dence and land ownership in Mon
golia and Manchuria and to solve the
Shantung question by referring to
Japan the concessions hitherto held by
Germany. Japan also asks for the
opening of important cities through
out the country as treaty ports, and
the opening of various rivers to for
eign navigation. She asks also rail-
way concessions"
1t Is added by the correspondent of
the journal citing the foregoing dis
patch that Chinese official of high
rank asserts that the Japanese de-
include in ha
policing and general administration of
the country and concessions confiscat-
ing or conflicting with those of other
nations, including Great Britain. Also
President Yuan Shih-Kai was arrang-
ing conference with the members of
the Japanese legation for discussion OF
the demands.
The Peking dispatch furthermore
states: 1T is reported that President
Yuan intends to meet some of the de-
mands. granting Japan such conces-
sfons as would be given to any other
country. but stubbornly resisting any
rights. The government is observing
Japan's requirement that secrecy be
maintained in conducting negotiations,
as 1t is desired to give Japan every op-
portunity of moderating her demands
without losing prestige.
Just why Japan should require that
secrecy be maintained In these negotia-
tfons is not apparent,
No Reasons for in the February
number of the Journal
LUZ oecrecy. of the America n
Asiatic Association there is an article
by Mr.. George Bronson Rea, NJ. E.. en-
titled. Neutral Thoughts on Neutrali-
zation Of Shantung." in which Japanese
negotiations are discussed. In this con-
nection I deem it interesting to quote
from Mr.. Rea's article:
Japan has promised to return Kiao-
chou to China. There is no reason at
this time to question the honorable in
tention. She has given her word, and
until it is broken public opinion should
reserve judgment in criticism. If Japan
hands kiaochou back to China, as she
has promised to do. and Tsingtau is
thrown open as an international treaty
port, Japan is entitled to ask for and
expect to receive adequate compensa-
tion from China. Other nations who
have been prohibited by the operation
of the Kiaochou convention from en-
joying equal participation in the devel-
opment of Shantung cannot complain in
if Japan receives some special COM
pensation for opening the door again.
Germanys lease of Kiaochou has
eighty-five years yet to run. Japan $
heritage of the Kwangtung lease ex-
Kiaochou to China it seems fair to
ask in return that the Kwangtung lease
be extended.
Mr.. Rea writes in substance that Jap
anese officials and merchants at Port
Arthur and Dairen have struggled to
rival German trade in northern and
western Shantung. Only eighty-five
miles of water separate the Japanese
leased territory from the northern
ports of Shangtung, and a large junk
a ct fra Tic ha ia liSb
ed between Dairen and Chefoo. The
Japanese would divert their trade from
Chefoo to some port farther west un-
der their influence. Two years ago a
Lungkow, an auxiliary port of Chefoo.
1t is situated 120 miles west of Che
foo"
The japanese of Dairen, officials and
merchants. colonized Lungkow and es-
tablished a bank there in December
position would tap any railroad con-
structed from Chefoo to Weihsien and
would cut the trade of Chefoo in half
in any event. And Mr. Rea writes:
'If Japan restores Kiaochou to China
and opens Tsingtau as an international
treaty port what compensation could
she legitimately request from China
without infringing the rights of other
nations? Germany's railways and
mines with the rights attached to
them? This could only extend to those
special rights embraced in the Kiao-
chou convention and constructed with
purely German capital and operated as
purely German concerns under char
ter from the German government. 1t
could not extend to those railways
financed by German capital for the
benefit of the Chinese government, as
these lines are the exclusive property
of the Chinese government and the
bonds. although issued by a German
financial institution. may be held by in
vestors in many countries"
And Mr.. Rea adds in conclusion: sIt
seems to us that the building of
railw from
Sufficient Lungkow to Weih-
sien and requiring
compensation. China to construct
the Hsiao Ching-ho waterway at her
own expense. would adequately COM
pensate Japan and give her an undis-
puted legitimate trade advantage in
central and western Shantung due to
the proximity of her great commercial
base at Dairen."
The story of the acquisition of Kiao-
chou merits repetition here. if only
briefly Ii Hung Chang was returning
from the coronation festival of the
czar at Moscow in 1896. and stopped in
Berlin. What occurred at the German
foreign office we do not pretend to
know. but Ii was getting old and the
outcome of it was that Germany decid-
ed to put her finger in the Chinese pie. |
The pretext was wanting, but It came
NxNyv