The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-11
Jap Stand on Retention Of
Islands Worries the Allies.
Diplomats Apprehensive of
What Trouble VIII Follow.
THEY WILL KEEP ISLANDS
That Is What Japs Say of Mar
shalls and CarOIines.
Chinese-Japanese Pact Also
May Cause an UprOar.

Washington, Feb 11-Japan's at
titude toward China in the peace con-
ference is causing grave apprehension
among the representatives of the other
associated powers. According to Of
ficial diplomatic Information reaching
here. Japan virtually has threatened
war if China makes public secret
treaties between the two countries ana
fails to carry out an agreement to
make Japan the successor of Germany
in rights, property and concessions
held by Germany at the outbreak OF
the European war.
China Relics On ENJOYS.
China is relying on the peace con-
ference, where her delegates are said
to have made an excellent impression
and is seeking support from the United
States and Great Britain. Advices
from the Orient, thru diplomatic chan
nels, say American Minister Reinsch.
at Peking, seeking to reassure the
Chinese foreign minister with state
ments of the friendship of the United
States government, was told frankly
that the foreign minister did not see
h. : at this time the United States or
Great Britain could divert their at
tention to the Orient when the Eu-
ropean situation demanded SO much
attention. When the Chinese peace
delegates arrived in Paris. the infor-
nation now available discloses, they
reported that their copies of the secret
treaty were stolen from their baggage
1 while they were passing thru Japan
and consequently they were unable to
| carry out their purpose of making
them public at the conference
Officials of the state department de-
clined to make any formal comment
today on the situation. The impress
sion was given that the whole matter
was being handled in Paris.
| Minister to Minister.
| According to reports received here,
1.-THE threats against China were con-
veyed to the Chinese foreign minister
| by the japanese minister in Peking in
| thinly sveiled terms. The Japanese
minister is said to have pointed out
that Japan had an army of more than
a million men idle at home, fully
equipped and with arms and munitions
enough to conduct a long war, and to
i have pointed out that Japan had more
than half million tons of shipping
with the intimation that this would be
ready on short notice for active work.
He also is said to have referred point
edly to large sums of money owed to
Japan by China, and to the fact that
China had been unable to live up to
her financial agreements
Upon arriving in Paris, without the
copies of the treaties which they had
| been instructed to use in seeking to
break Japans grip, the Chinese dele
gates made verbal reports of the sub
! stance Oh these treaties to some of the
peace delegates of the other countries.
| This led the japanese authorities to
demand of China that she disavow this
action on the part of her delegates
and that she keep secret the treaties.
Some Treaties Not Ratified.
Some of the secret treaties have not
yet been ratified by the Chinese gov
ernment, altho Japan has ratified
them, and according to today's advices,
the japanese government is bringing
every pressure to bear on China to
ratify them before anything can be
done at Paris. The most important
of the treaties as yet unratified by
China is the agreement of September
"A, 1918, which grants Shantung to
Japan and admits Japan as the success
sor to Germany's rights. concessions
and properties in the Shantung dis
trict- This includes, railways, mines
and other valuable property and the
rights to them for a long term of
years. According to the Chinese claim
Japan already has possession under
treaties and agreements of two-fifths
of the iron ore deposits of the entire
| Chinese republic and is seeking possess
> sion of the other three-fifths
| Have Resisted So Far
Altho they so far have been able to
resist the Japan demands, the Chi
nese officials now say that the pres
sure is becoming unbearabie The
Chinese president has approved by
cable the action of the Chinese dele
gates in Paris in announcing their
I