Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-08-27
UNCLE TED BEDTIME STORIES
He Tells of China and What the Peace
Conference Did to Her,

Uncle Ted, spoke up Jack after
he and his sister Ruth were again
seated for their weekly story, you
promised US last week that you would
tell us another reason.Why the big Sen
ators do not like the Peace Treaty
which President Wilson signed in
France. You said it was about China
and that there was a dragon in it,,
too "
Eyes" answered Uncle led, as he
settled back in a big easy chair with
Jack on his lap and Ruth at his feet,
China has come to be very important
in the making of peace after the great
war. Way back in 1898, before either
of you were born, China signed treaty
with Germany by which China gave to
Germany, large part Of this far-aWay
country. The part which Germany re-
ceiyed at that time is known as the
province of Shantung, a province in
China meamng about the same as a
state in the United States. This
province or state is in the northeastern
part of China and is about as large as
the two states of Pennsylvania and
Virginia put together. The land is in
the form of a peninsula with the Gulf
of Chill on one side and the Yellow
Sea on the other. Port Arthur, which
the Japanese won from the Russians
in another wfr,is just across the water
from the most mortimer part of Shan
tnng. "
But what has that to do with the
Peace Treaty and the Great War;"
asked Jack.
Just this. In the peace treaty
which President Wilson is asking our
Senate to accept without changing, it
says that Japan shall be allowed to
own this province of Shantung and
that Germany will no longer own
any part of it. But the Chiese and
the japanese cannot agree. They are
just like you, Jack, and the little boy
next door, always getting into
quarrel. China hepled fight Germany
in the Great War and China says that
she helped fight 1t after the United
States promised to protect her at the
Peace Conference from just such things
as this turning of Shantung over to
Japan.
Would it be wrong to give Shan
tung to Japan7' asked Ruth.
Yes, il would be wrong for several
reasons. Germany never had any real
right to stay in Shantung, and it was
only because her army an her navy
were much stronger than the Chinese
that she was able to stay there. 1t is
true the japanese and not the Chinese
drove the Germans out, but after that
happened China took sides with the
allies and did all she could to help beat
the Germans. When the peace treaty
was written Japan should have been
told that when she made the Germans,
leave Shantung she only drove some
robbers away from land that really
belonged to China, and that now the
war was over it Fhonld be given back
to the Chinese again. "
Then, asked Jack, China would
really lose by the war without hav-
ing anything to say about whether
she wants Japan to have part of her
country or not. "
That is right, Jack, and also
another thing that is wrong is the
way inwhich the men who made the
peace treaty decided to give Japan
this part of China. | heard Senator
Nelson of Mime sofa, make speech
in the Sentae in which he read letters
showing that in l9lGand 1917 England,
France, Italy and Russia secretly told
J apaD that if she would help them
get what they wanted, in the peace
treaty they would help Japan get Shan
tung. The United States did net have
anything t. do with this secret, but
our President gave his consent in
France to allow tins part of China to
be gwen to japan. He always said
too, that he would not let anything
like that happen 10 any of the coun-
tries at the peace conference. II the
peace treaty is accepted by our Senate
giving this province to Japan, it may
cause the United States lot of
trouble. .
but why does Japan want this
land?" asked Jack.
Because she will get more Land for
ner people to live IN. She will get