New-York tribune., 1919-02-03
China Fights
For Life, In
Peace arley
Far Eastern Question Is
Second Most Important
Now Before Conference
NeaD York Tribune
E'af~osoo1M Es,,~o1,,


Copyright, 1919, New York Tribune Inc)
PARIS, Feb. 1.-As was expected by
various authorities on Far Eastern
matters, the Chinese delegation is
making one of the spectacular strug-
giles of the peace conference and at
tracing wide attention in Paris, be-
cause it is generally acknowledged that
the Far Eastern problem is probably
the second most important with which
the peace conferees have to deal.
The question of the sea power of
Great Britain is Unlikely to be a stun
bling block for the conference, nor
will the Franco German frontier, or
the question of indemnities, or even
the Adriatic problem, over which the
Italians are greatly wrought up at
present.
The immediate and admittedly most
important problem before the confer
ence is that of Russia, now q vast and
defenceless reservoir Of man power and
natural resources which can in the
future make Germany, despite defeat,
the most formidable factor on the con-
tinent of Europe.
The second of the two great prob
lens, although it is more remote, both
geographically and from the point of
view of time, is that of the Far East,
and this latter problem promises 20
be one difficult for the conference to
solve, because the two foremost con-
testants are represented at the peace
table.
Situation Is Complicated
The situation is complicated by sew
eral conflicting interests and sympa
thies, including those of Great Britain
and her Pacific colonies, whose inter
ests are not identical.
The Japanese are allied with Great
Britain for the purpose, as the pre-
amble of the alliance provides, of de-
Tending the integrity and indepen-
dence Of China.
The attitude of the British colonies
in the Pacific, on the other hand, is
one Of suspicion of the growing power
of Japan. which, as. the negotiations
here now prove, has materially in
creased since the beginning of the war
1t was said in Japan in 1914 that
the outbreak of the war, ranging Eu
rope in two hostile camps, was "the
opportunity of ten thousand years"
for Japan. Declaring her intention to
fulfil the terms of the treaty with
Great Britain, Japan, in August, 1914,
demanded the withdrawal of German
forces from Kiao-chau harbor and the
territory in Shantung province which
Germany had compelled China to lease
N IN
tung being one of the wealthiest and
most important provinces of China,
Immediately adjacent to Chilli prov
ince, in which Pekin is situated,
meant much in the matter of commerce
to Germany, while to Japan it meant
not only infinitely greater trade op-
but also enhanced her
political prestige, as we'll as augmented
her naval supremacy along the coast
of China.
Resented by China
The Chinese government Immediately
displayed intense resentment and for
mally protested to Toxic, which an
swered only by landing troops in
Shantung and waging a brief and sue
cessful campaign for the capture of
the German stronghold. The Chinese
continued their protests, but they were
unavailing. Indeed, on the contrary,
they provoked Japan to launch in 1915
what was known as the "twenty-one
demands" for the purpose, according
to the Japanese explanation, of regu-
lating the situation between Toxic and
Pekin and settling many problems at
issue between those two capitals "for
the benefit of peace and security in the
Far East"
Headed by the same officials who are
now the Chinese peace conference rep
resentatives, the Pekin Foreign Office
waged determined diplomatic conflict
over period of four months, extend
ing from mid January through May,
1915. China being unable to oppose
the Japanese military had finally to
submit to the Japanese ultimatum,
backed by the forces which had landed
in Shantung Province and Mauchuria.
The Japanese demands were opposed
primarily by the Chinese Foreign
Minister, Lui Cheng Hsiang and DR..
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