The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-08-14
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
BUREAU
FREDERIC J. HAzKIN. Director.
WAshingGsA. y. @
THE sHANTUNG AGREEMENT.

AOIbEEIl1tAN1s
| Washington. d. c., Aug. 4.-When
one of the Chinese ENJOYS in Paris
heard of the Shantung agreement, he
burst into tears. and said with deep
emotion: Il was educated in America
and feel that am half American.
cannot understand the diplomacy of
America. 1 can never again tell my
government to put faith or reliance in
America"
This incident does more than long
arguments to show how vitality the
Shantung agreement affects American
interests in the Orient. II. as its sup
porters say, the agreement is only
temporary one, and full sovereignty
over Shantung Is to be restored to
| China by the league of nations, then
convincing assurances of this must
speedily be given. For the Chinese
consider that they have been betrayed.
American prestige in the Orient is
going down like the mercury in a
blizzard. And American commercial,
religious and educational interests in
China take the same view of the case
as the Chinese. They do not believe
that Japan intends to let loose of
Shantung unless she is forced to do SC.
Few Americans understand exactly
what is involved in the. Shantung
agreement. Shantung is a great prov
ince of China. containing, rich mines
and having a population of nearly
forty million people. Kiaochou is the
province, and of the district surround
ing the bay. Germany, without any
really good reason other than her de-
sire for a foothold in the Orient,
FORCED China to give her concession
OF two hundred square miles on
Kiaochou bay. Here she built the
town and port of Tsingtau. This
town, port and concession Japan took
away from Germany during the war,
and she now demands the right to
hold them.
China entered the war largely at the
behest of the United States, in which
| power China then had great faith. 1t
is presumed that this government
tnen guaranteed Chinese territorial in
tegrity. Furthermore, our other
treaties with China bind US to support
her territorial Integrity in return for
the open door" policy. allowing all
nations to trade in China on equal
terms.
The Chinese feeling is that we have
| been clearly derelict in our agree
ment in allowing Japan to hold Shan
tung, especially in view of the we'll
known fact that Japan is ambitious
for territorial expansion, and for po-
litical and commercial domination in
the Orient.
A still more sinister light is cast
upon the AFFAIR Dy the existence OF the
Lansing-Ishii agreement, in which in
strument we recognize that Japan has
a special interest" in China. Our
state department has made II clear
that 1t does not interpret this agree
ment as giving Japan the right to in
wade the territorial integrity or ma
tional sovereignty of China. Japan
has made it clear that she interprets
the instrument, in a much broader
sense. And our approval of the Shan
NNHwN Ia
with the way Japan Is administering
her Shantung holdings, make It appear
as tho we were leaning toward the
Japanese Interpretation of this agree
ment. In a word. it looks to the Chi
nese. and to the American interests
Pin China, as tho we were deliberately
letting Japan take a big bite out of
the Chinese pie, for which her mouth
waters. And that means that we must
either let her eat the whole pie or
make her leave it alone altogether.
: There are two arguments to justify
our course. In the first place Presi-
dent Wilson says that the Shantung
concession Is temporary, that Japan
has agreed to restore it to China. and
that the League of Nations will see
that Japan does so.
This does not satisfy the Chinese at
all. In the first place. after the Shan
) tung agreement was made by the
council of four the Chinese ENJOYS
asked for a copy of the minutes of
the meeting so that they might verify
the oral promise which the japanese
envoy was supposed to have made to
President Wilson, promising the re-
turn of Shantung to China. After a
month of trying the Chinese were un-
able to get the record OF this promise
, Furthermore, it was intimated from
Japanese and from British official
sources in Paris that no such promise
was made.
The president is said to have ad-
mitted that the Shantung agreement
was unjust to China, but to have as
sured the Chinese ENJOYS that they
would get Justice from the league of
nations. To this one Of the Chinese
ENJOYS replied with some cogency %
that the league of nations as yet has
no existence (2) that nobody knows
what its exact powers or status will
be CD that its ruling power will be
: the same nations that made the Shan
: tung agreement, and that they can
scarcely be expected to renounce their
; own agreement and a. that it is
only weak nations which are asked
to depend upon the league of nations
, for justice. the strong ones safeguard
) ing their interests by numerous agree
! ord that anyone has satisfactorily an
/ swered this Chinese argument.
II has also been stated. in defense
of the Shantung agreement, that 1t
does not invade Chinese sovereignty,
but merely gives to japan a port con-
kcession, similar to those enjoyed by
I other nations in China. This Is de-
MED by representatives of the Chinese
government. and of American inter
ests in China. who state that japan
has in fact complete economic and
/ political control of the whole province
: of Shantung. 1t is said that experts
attached to the American commission
in Paris made a study OF the situation
E and reported substantially the same
thing. They found that Japan held
\ not only the port and city of Tsingtao
with all its port and terminal facili-
ties. but that Japan also controlled the
= entire length of the Tsingtau-Tsinan
e railway. which penetrates the heart Of