Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-07-26
Saturday, July 26, 1919.
The Crime Against China.

The disposition Of Chinese terri
tory made by the Paris Conference
suits nobody but Japan and cannot
be defended on any grounds except
those of conquest by Japan and
equalization by the rest of the world.
The stormy speeches in the Senate of
the United States are not those of
disgruntled partisans in this case.
but Of men who are shocked at the
injustice of the award which takes a
piece of territory from one ally and
gives 1t to another through an ordi
nary hold-up. These men do not
want to face posterity bearing the
grace responsibility Of guaranteeing
and defending such "self- determine
ton" President Wilson himself
does not approve this part of his
diplomacy and says he "exerted all
the influence he was at liberty to ex-
ercise in the circumstances to OBJ
tain a. modification of the terms
The facts are that Japan has been
decidedly clever and has the world
at disadvantage all around. She has
played long game and is able to
make out a strong case on the
grounds of actual possession of the
Shantung peninsula and also on the
legal side.
Within few weeks after the out
break of the war Japan went in as
the ally of Great Britain and in No
vember. 1914. took the territory OF
kiao- Chau to be held in trust until
the end of the war, she said. The
next year the Allies under hard
pressure turned to China for what
help she could render, only to be met
by the Japanese foreign minister
who could not view without appre-
hension the moral awakening of the
0o.000.00O Chinese which would re-
suit from their entering the war"
Unler cover Of Europe's preoccupa-
ton Japan suddenly and without
warning sprang her 81 demands on
China by which she extorted Chinas
promise to assent to any arrangement
which might be made with Germany
respecting Shantung. and also all
other vantage points which Japan
desired. AS the entrance of the
United States into the war became
imminent Japan sought further as
surances of the strength of her posi-
ton. In February, 1917, she OBJ
tanned secret written agreements
from Great Britain, France, Italy and
Russia that they would respect and
support her claims for Germany's
rights in Shantung. In November,
1917. Secretary Lansing and Viscount
1shii concluded their diplomatic bar
gaining by which the government of
the United States recognizes that
Japan has special interests in China"
Thus throughout the war Japan's
policy has been clearly and con-
sistently followed. During the peace
conference it has been just as def
nitely in the Japanese mind. Secure
IN the promises and agreements she
mad obtained she could afford to hold
up the conference for full concur
renee in her further wishes.
Here and there are found a few de.
tenders of Japan's course, but their
arguments are extraordinarily il
logical or ordinarily vapid. The New
YORK World following its role of
presidential mouthpiece, maintains
that the award is justified as the
price OF the League of Nations. DR..
Lowell of Harvard stretches even
Cn'nese patience when he asserts
tnat this gives certain industrial
concessions in regard to railroads.
etc. in the province Of shantune but
the only territory ceded is a strip Of
land thirty miles wide around the b,v
OF kiaochow and this only by a
lease Tor ninety-nine years, China
expressly retaining the sovere,sn+v
though not exercising it during the
period Of the lease"
It is urged that in conside,..,o. -.
the Lansing-Ishii agreement wa 49,.
in duty bound to approve Janan..
iand steal as having been done under
our sanction. Legally this NAV h.
80, but in reality the Chinese gov.
eminent took the only defensib,e
position when, just after the public.
ton Of the agreement, it issued Il
statement to the effect that it cou,d
not be bound by agreements concern
ing It entered into by other powers :. |
10 not for US to say where lie the in. |
terests Of Japan or China or anv
other nation. The Lansing agra.
ment was another diplomatic +r.a.
comparable to the one Japan it,
put through at the peace confer
ence.
Those who say Japan needs
Chinese tsrritory Tor her overpopu.
lation to expand upon perhaps do not
know that shantung 10 the most