The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-16
JAPAN TO ABIDE
BY HER PLEDGES
And Respect Territorial In
tegrity of Shantung Under
Certain Conditions.
INSIDE lNF0RM NATION
Promises of Japanese Peace
Commission Were Omitted
From Peace Treaty.

NDl D. DAM CAMf 3El1llJ
Washington, July 16.-U. N. ST.
oiaration to the world that she will
abide strictly by the pledges made
by her representatives at the peace
conference that she would respect
the territorial integrity of Shantung
il permitted to retain certain eco
nomic rights. within. the. C. nese
province which she wrested from
Germany during the war.
This was ascertalned today not
only from democratic senators who
have been in close touch with the
White House. since President Will
sons recent return from Paris, but
from republican senator's who claimed
to possess trustworthy inside sources
of information regarding the Shan
tung settlement.
The democratic senator's expressed
the hope that Japan would not delay
in making her attitude toward the
Shantung question so clear as to
leave no doubt as to her intentions
regarding the Chinese province. BY
doing SO, Japan would do much to
clarity the situation, they added, and
thereby greatly assist President Will
sons supporters in eliminating some
of the bitter opposition which has de-
veloped in that body to the ratifica-
ton of the peace treaty with the
Shantung settlement. as one of its
provisions.
1t was pointed out that the pledges
of the Japanese peace commissioners
with respect to Shantung were ex-
pressly omitted from.the peace treaty
at their request lest the incorpora-
tion of them in the document be con-
strued as a reflection on the word
and honor of the Japanese. Senators
arrayed against the United States
giving approval to the Shantung set
tlement have repeatedly declared that
all the assurances the American
people had that Japan would strren-
der all territorial rights within the
Chinese province were based on the
promises" of the Japanese peace
commissioners and not upon any def
mite announcement by the Japanese
government.
Would Quiet Senate.
If the latter were to come out with
definite statement that the Japan
ese would live squarely up to the
pledges of her commissioners, it was
said, the teeth would be drawn from
much of the senatorial opposition to
the Shantung agreement which dem
ocratic leaders in the senate admitted
today was giving them no little con-
cern.
Abandon Hope.
Republican senators like Borah Of
Idaho; Johnson OF California, and
Knox of Pennsylvania, who have
abandoned hope of the presidents
antagonists being able to separate
the league of nations covenant from
the peace treaty, were not attempt
ing to conceal their satisfaction with
the Shantung controversy, which has
sprung up in the senate. Their sat-
isfaction was based, they frankly
stated, not only on the fact that
the Shantung issue had tended to
the republican majority, but
promised a sufficient lineup of re-
publican senators to prevent the rat
ification of the peace treaty in it's
present form by The necessary two
thirds vote.
Senator Norris, republican, OF Ne
braska, signified his intention of Of
fertng an amendment to the docu-
it is reported to the SEN
ate by the foreign relations commit
tee-to strike out the Shantun
settlement.
If such an amendment was adopted
and the republican leaders claimed
they would be able to muster the
majority essential to it's adoption
the whole peace treaty would be
thrown in the air so far as the senate
was concerned, with the league of
nations opponents able to win out
by making Shantung the chief issue
instead of the league.