New-York tribune., 1919-07-29
Shantung
By FRANK H. SIMONDS
.HE discussion now goAg on in the
United States, Senate and elsewhere
4 over the Shantung circumstance in

HE discussion now goAg on IN the
United States Senate and elsewhere
over the Shantung circumstance in
the peace treaty recalls vividly one
of the tensest moments in sife whole Paris
conference. From the outset of this confer
ence Japanese dissatisfaction was even more
striking than that Of Italy. The discussion
of the covenant of the league of nations and
of that phase dealing with immigration, and
specifically relating to the questions of race
and color, awakened apprehensions that
Japan might refuse absolutely to accept the
covenant Of the league of nations, since it
did not specifically remove the stigma which
American and Australian legislatures in the
matter of immigration had placed upon the
yellow race.
Even at that full dress performance in
which the covenant was itself adopted it
expected that Baron Maxine heading
the Japanese delegation, might make a formal
statement of Japans refusal to sign. There
was a sigh of relief when the Japanese rep
resentative contented himself with dignifed
and formal protest and indicated that japan
would at that time press the discussion no
further but rather seek redress from the
league of nations itself, when it had been
created and had begun to function.
Absolute Break Threatened
Japan's resentment, however, was not dis
gulsed, and when the question of Shantu
was reached it was Immediately apparent to
all informed observers that unless japan
were able to make good her claims to the
reversion of German rights in China some-
thing approaching an absolute break would
ensue This determination on the part of
the Japanese was not hidden. Moreover, like
the Italians, the Japanese were able to invoke
the pledges given by Britain and by France
and Britain and France were compelled tc
stand by these assurances without any such
alternative as provided by the Fiume
circumstance in the Anglo -French-Italian
agreement.
There was a further complication. Mr..
Wilson had recently uttered his appeal to
the Italian people over the heads of the
Italian Ministry. To his intense surprise the
result had been that the Italian people had
rallied behind their government and in de-
fence of the claims Of that government and
Mr.. Wilson found himself confronted with
the hostility Of the whole Italian nation
Had ne at this juncture refused 70 con-
sent to the Shantung proposal, he believed,
and those about him who indicated by their
expressions what his opinion was believed,
that the whole league of nations project would
be lost, that Japan and Italy would make a
common cause in the conference, and the
result would be the collapse of the league
of nations plan as a whole.
Mr.. Wilson had by this time recognized
that tho sort of peace he had expected to
procure at Versailles was impossible of at
tainment. He had already made concessions
to the British and to the French in the mat
ter Of the freedom of the seas and of the
Saar Valley, which armed both the Italians
and the Japanese with claims for equal toler-
ance in matters as important to them as
were these other questions to the British
and to the French.
Compromise Enou;taEIe
The President was warned by many Amer
leans that a surrender in the matter of
Shantung would supply his political enemies
with an admirable issue. He had, moreover.
to listen to appeals from the Chinese them
selves which could not have failed to awaken
his sympathy and reach his sense of Justice.
His decision to yield in the matter of
Shantung due, so far as one can Judge.
to conviction that temporary injustice in