New-York tribune., 1919-06-15
Japanese Pot and
Chinese Kettle

at was agreed between them that
Wellington Koo was to do his utmost
to get the Chinese government to send
Wang to Paris as one of the envoys.
Everything turned out spic and span.
Wang was appointed by the Peking
government as Chinese envoy to Paris
and joined Wellington Koo there.
"This, then, explains the sudden and
definite abandonment Of his pro-Japan-
ese policy at the peace conference. He
simply had to support Koo. But it was
right then and there that sudden, un-
expected storm broke loose.
"The storm entered Paris in the per-
son of Liang Chichao. He was sent
there by the Peking government as the
chief adviser to the Chinese delega-
ton. Liang's standing in China (both
official and unofficiaD is very high.
The relation of DR.. Wellington Koo to
LANG is about like that Of pupil to
master. LANG is the most famous
disciple of the famous Kang Yuwei and
known throughout China as one of her
foremost scholars. He was the Min
ister of Justice in the Hsiung Cabinet
and the Minister of Finance under
Tuan. He does not love Japan over
much. But he seems to be clearsighted
enough to see that the only financial
and economical salvation of China lies
in the cooperation with Japan in the
constructive exploitation of Chnas re-
sources, and in the orderly develop
ment of Chinese industry. At the peace
conference he advocates the policy of
fulfilling China's treaty obligations in
Shantung, of honorng the promises
made to Japan in 1916.
All this does not tune with the
programme of young Koo at ALL 1t is
simply farcical for either Koo or Wang
or both even to attempt intimidatng
Liang. AS soon as DR.. Koo recovered
from the shock of this unexpected set
back, he lost no time in getting some
one to do the work which was beyond
his own powers. He wired he Pc
king government and to the financial
interests at Shanghai, he caused his
colleague, Wang, to cable to the Can
ton Military Office, to the members of
the peace conference between the
northern and southern factions, then
in session at Shanghai, and to the
leading business men and organizations
at all the principal centres of China.
What he told them all was that LANG
has turned traitor at Paris, that his
policy is equivalent to selling out
China to her enemies. Rumors of this
most any country. And the recent
cable reports from Shanghai seem to
indicate that some of the fnanciers
there took the political propaganda of
koo at its face value. They even went
so far as to send cable message to
LANG calling his attention to what
they have heard regarding his actions
at Paris
"In those Peking circles which are
familiar with this sort of political
sideplay, the impression created by
koo's propaganda was different. Ac-
cording to the sentiment expressed in
the recent issues of a Chinese news
paper published at Peking-the Pc
king Ching pao'-politica Peking seems
to favor Liang's views. They seem to
think that the wisest way is to CO.
operate with Japan, especially in sup
porting the demand for the abandon
mpnt of racial dicrri ~, iro+;o,,
"lt was rumored that pro-Japanese
sentiment is making sudden gains to
the extent that there is talk of ap-
pointing Chang Tsung hsang, the Chi
nese minister at Toxic (who is in Pc
king just now, to the office of the For
eign Minister, and dispatching him to
Paris to supersede the present chief
envoy, Lu Cheng-hsiang."