The sun., 1919-07-18
PROFESSOR LADD AND THE
SHANTUNG AFFAIR.
Letter From the Oficial Adviser to
the President Of China. ..

u
To THE EDITOR or THrsuN-sr: II is
not surprising that Professor @. 7. Ladd
distinguished himself by being among
the first to Justify In your columns last
Sunday Japan's rape of Shantung. In
doing so he reveals the same curious
blindness to facts and. ignorance OF
racial psychology as were evident in his
previous defence Of Japan's policy in
Corea, which has been proved such q
failure by the course of recent events
In that distressed country. -.
Professor Ladd has fed to the refuge
of all those who wish to bolster UP argu-
ments by appeal to prejudice and has
, created DOGGY Of German intrigue"
which controlled. China during the war.
It is true that while China was a
neutral there was n small pro-German
party among military officers who had
been educated in Germany or in Japan
| on German army traditions, Just as there
| were such people in the United States
previous to our declaration Of war. but
| this clique was never in control. The
| sympathy OF the Government of China
throughout the war was unwavering in
support of the allied cause. The state
ment that the German Minister, Won
Hintz (who only arrived in Pekin
the latter part OF 1s15) had complete
control of China's policy until the death
Of Yuan Shih-Kai $3.50 is sheer non
sense. There is still wider divergence
from truth when Professor Ladd states
that to-day there are In China several
thousand interned Germans. civil and
military. that are still tolerated In
their propagandism against Japan" The
! fact Is that China adopted last winter
the harsh method Of deporting all Ger
mans, men, women and children, and
that this policy was vigorously carried
out, the last Germans having left China
in May. This Is In marked contrast to
Japan's generous treatment Of her large
colony of informed Germans who have
| their families living In houses adjoining
their camps and who enjoy almost I'M
limited privileges of parole. Professor
Ladd has revealed an utter ignorance
Of the facts upon which he made his
assertions concerning German intrigue.
AS to the stability Of the Chinese
| Government there never has been time
since the establishment of the republic
in 1912 when there has not been a
| Government in Pekin capable of nego-
tiation, whose acts have the force Of
law. Every foreign Government has had
dealings with Pekin and has recog-
nized the existing Government. Even In
the question of Shantung Japan's main
reliance IS upon the notes exchanged
May 25. 1915, with this same Chinese
Government, although she 10 careful not
to disclose the fact that the consent Of
China to these notes was wrung from
her by an ultimatum threatening mill
tary and naval compulsion within forty
eight hours. ITO whom should Japar
surrender the Shantung peninsula ? ask
Professor Ladd. The obvious reply Is
to its rightful owner. China, from whom
It was stolen In 1898 by Germany, which
has no more right than any other rob
Der to transfer stolen property. Nor. 4
must be added. can we escape condemna'
ton IL we compound the felony by rati
Tying tho stipulations of the treaty.
The United States has never condonet
the seizure of any part Of China by an,
alien nation in the past, nor has She
seized any for herself. For this reason
she is regarded by China as her bes
friend and protector. Shall this laudabl'
policy be abandoned shall the Hay doc
trine OF preserving the territorial in
tegrity and open door be discarded
shall we tarnish our fair name by at
taching our signature for the first tint
to the spoliation of China? II Japan In
tends to restore Kiao-Chau to China VIII!
was she not required to say 80 In thu
treaty and specify a time? Japan hal
the good reputation Of keeping her treat!
promises. but she has also the unenvi
able reputation of keeping no others. 1
the treaty had recited Japan's pledge t
restore to China "all the leased territor,
Of Kiao-Chau." including mines ant
railways, there could have been no NOR
than n technical objection to havinl
German rights pass through her victori
GUS hands to China, but no pledge o
restoration is mentioned in the treat!
and Japan can do as she pleases. VIVA
this will probably be can be Judged from
what she has done in Corea and Man
churia in all matters in which she Is no
bound by the specific provisions OF I
treaty. JOHN C. FERGUSON.
NEWTON, Mass. July II.
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