Omaha daily bee., 1919-06-29
China REFUSES
TO SIGN PACT At
LAST MOMENT
Could Not Reconcile 0bjec.
tlonabIe Shantung Clause
in Treaty With Feelings
of Nation.

Paris, June 28.-(By the Associ-
ated ress.)-China's refusal to sign
the peace treaty came after repeated
efforts of the Chinese delegation to
obtain permission to sign with reser-
vations on the Shantung settlement.
President Wilson was appealed to
by the Chinese delegation several
times within the past week and at
first seemed inclined to favor al
lowing the Chinese to attache their
signatures with reservations. Final
ly, however, he cohcurred in the de-
cision Of the conference that the
Chinese might make a declaration
on their position after signature, but
not before.
This was regarded by the delega-
ton as not protecting China's rights.
The Chinese refused to sign and now
are awaiting further orders from
Peking.
The Chinese delegation issued an
official statement tonight reviewing
its protest against the Shantung set
tlement, made to the council of
prime ministers on May 4 and its
reservation on the same question
made in the pleniary session of the
peace conference May E against the
transfer OF German rights in Shan
tung to Japan instead of to China.
Nationwide Protest.
The statement says the action of
the conference on Shantung evoked
nationwide protest in China, which
makes it impossible for the Chinese
government to accept the objection
able clause in the treaty.
The Chinese delegations pro-
posal was that it wrote in the treaty
above its signature subject to
reservationt made at the plenary
session of May E, relative to the
question of Shantung. in articles
l56, l57 and lS8"
The statement says the peace
conference, through official chan
nels denied action on the part of
China which would make it posi-
Bile to reopen the Shantung ques-
ton.
After failing in all earnest at
tempts at Cancellation" says the
statement, "and after seeing every
honorable compromise rejected, the
Chinese delegation had no course
open save to adhere to the path of
duty to their country.
Refrain from Signing.
Rather than accept by their sig
natures the Shantung articles in the
treaty against which their sense Of
right and justice initiated, they re-
Trained from signing the treaty al
together. The Chinese plenipoten-
tiaries regret having to take course
which appears to mar the solidarity
of the allied and associated powers.
However, they are firmly of the
opinion that responsibility for this
rests not with themselves, who
had no other honorable course, but
rather with those who it is felt un-
justly and unnecessarily deprived
them of the right of making a dec
laration to safeguard against any
Interpretation which might preclude
China from asking for reconsidera-
ton of the Shantung question at a
suitable moment in the future, in
the hope that the injustice to China
might be rectifed later in the in
terest of permanent peace in the
far east.
The peace conference having de-
MED China justice in the settlement
of the Shantung question and hav-
ing today, in effect, prevented them
from signing the treaty without sac
rifcing their sense of right, justice
and patriotic duty. the Chinese dele
gates submit their case to the i'm
perial Judgment of the world"