El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-06-02
Japan Gets Part
Province Of
Chanting, China
Peace Treaty Will Not
Give Historic Territory
To Island Empire.

Washington, D. C.. June Con
trary to general impression the peace
treaty. as summarized in the prelim-
mary statement. does not cede TO
japan the whole province OF Shan
tung. nor the bay OF Kiaochau- nor
the holy places OF Shantung, which
include the home and grave Of Con
fucius.
The geographical limits o. the por-
ton ceded are as follows:
In 1895 a German expert reported
TO the German government that a
deep water harbor could be dredged
and constructed IN the northeast cor
ner OF kiaochau bay OVertures were
made 10 the Chinese TO lease the bay
to Germany fo- a long term Of years
and were refused
Murder Missionaries.
In October, 1897. the opportunity
came TO Germany 10 claim the desired
cOalinE and repair station for its
fleet in kiaochau bay BIZ the murder
OF two missionaries in another part
OF Shantung province. Apologies ana
indemnities were demanded A Ger
man squadron entered the hav and
raised the German 1aE. In March
1898. the Eiaochau convention was
signed at Picking. which gave a 90
ing the rocky point at the entrance
OF Kiaochau bay, TO Germany, with
supplementary railway and mining
concessions in the province which pro-
vlded for a railway line from this
leased territory on the sea coast 10
Tsinan-fu, the capital Of Shantung.
with the right to develop coal mines
within 30 j OF the line. and 70 build
two branch lines.
Was No Mans Land.
The Chinese had not occupied their
immediate seacoast since the raKages
Of KoEinga. the japanese pirate. some
centuries ago. to foil whom the en-
peror commanded his subjects TO re-
tire 80 II inland and leave the deserted
no mans land 10 the buccaneers
The city OF Kiaochau. - miles from
Tsinktau. by train, is Tar across the
silted bay and six miles inland from
its muddy shore.
Thus Kiaochau CITY was not includ-
ed in the territory leased By Germany
and therefore IS not within the area
now ceded to Japan But confusion
has arisen on this point By the
OF the summary Of the
peace treaty. which states that Ger
many cedes TO japan au rights. titles
and privileges, notably as to Kiao-
chau' The entire territory about the
by that name, which still IS preserved
in diplomatic correspondence Only
the German concession was known as
Tsingtau-
Port a Little Germany.
The Germans made Tsingtau a little,
corner OF Germany in the east. Tt
was first declared a free port. the
Chinese maritime customs functiOning
there as II Hong Kong. dealing only
with cargo 10 and from the Chinese
customs collections were assigned TO
the maintenance OF the port
The railway line Of 255 miles from
Tsiugrau to Tsinan-lu the capital OF
Shantung. was completed in 1904. It
does not pass through any large or
900 Inhabitants hardly counts in TEEN
ing China) and the line traverses a
rather poor part Of the province After
the hills around Tsingtau. there are
unending levels OF bean and koaliang
fields.
Mines Not Valuable.
The coal mines OF Fangtse. three
miles from the line, and the Poshan
mines. 50 Il from the line. do not pro-
duce a superior coal and both coal
fields have been worked By the Chic
nese for centuries Borings have been
made to depths Of 5000 and 1000 feet
through many thick seams Of coal at
Poshan. but the Fungtse mines are
nearly exhausted.
The railway line was built without
EEal4 AuE 4llaL interests ana " men
angry peasants drove off engineers
and construction gangs. urging that
the great railway smbankments across
their valleys and fields would inn
pound the waters in the rainy season.
r few rounds from German machine
guns ended the discussion
IN the first weeks OF august. 1918.
the Germans made frantic efforts at
Picking temporarily to transfer Using
tau and the railway 70 some neutral
and ohliging power. but not TO China.
On August TO- Japan sent an ultima
-um to Germany. couched in the ex-
act language Germany. France and
Russia had addressed 10 Japan in
1895 in asking Japan to withdraw
from Port Arthur and the Liaotung
peninsula for the sake OF the peace
Of the east On August % war was
declared. and August % the hlockad-
Ing SQUADRON took up position off
rsingtau. Troops were landed at
lungkow west OF Chefoo went in
land. cut the railway at the point
nearest that coast and took posses
lion of the line and fits stations up
10 Tsinan-fu- and then landed and es-
Ia hlished a base Mt Lauschan hav. n
miles east from Tsingtau, just at the