Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-07-17
TIME RIPE FOR
JAPAN TO GIVE
SHANTUNG PLAN
Toxic Should Voice In
tentions in Case Cap
ital Feels.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

NOOpgE4SuI 1918 Dy Inc AIBuSJ =
Washington, D. c., July 16.-
President Wilson has taken further
steps to oversome recent criticism
that he has not consulted the SEN
ate sufficiently or that he has been
standing aloof from members of the
legislative branch of the govern
ment Having waited in vain for
the senate foreign relations COM
mittee to invite him to the capitol
to explain points in the treaty or
League of N,1tions, Mr.. Wilson de-
cided to establish his 'open-door
policy of yesteryears and see any
body in congress who cared to
come to the White House. Also
the president took the initiative in
asking senators to come to see
him. Republicans and Democrats
have been invited. That Mr.
Wilson is adopting an attitude of
letting byegones be byegones was
demonstrated when he sent for
Senator Chamberlain of Oregon,
with whom he had a controversy
year ago about military affairs
that stirred the country. The
Oregon senator emerged from his
conference with the president
wearing a smile
Have you buried the hatchet? ?"
inquired somebody.
"I never had any differences
with the president" said Mr. Cham
berlain MY differences were with
the war department"
The Oregon senator talked with
Mr.. Wilson about visiting Portland
h. ri
dent said he wanted to go there but
West Coast Wants League.
There isn't any doubt in my
mind that the whole Pacific coast, ,"
said Senator Chamberlain, wants
the treaty and league ratified"
How about California ?"
''I rather imagine it is true of
California, too / have my doubts
that Senator Johnson represents
the California view. The Pacific
coast wants business throughout
the world resumed and as quickly
as possible and the treaty ratified. "
If there was anything upon which
criticism was fundamental it was
not so much, Senator Chamberlain
thought, the Shantung controversy
as the Irish question.
As a matte. of fact, President
Wilson is in position of~defending
the whole treaty and League of Ma
tions when he realizes at the same
time there is much merit in some
of the criticisms of the document
which are being made in the SEN
ate. Many of the decisions of the
peace confert nee were based upon
expediency. 1t is this feature of
the situation which Mr.. Wilson is
explaining to senators in the pri-
vate conferences at the White
House
Shantung Gift Weakened Pact.
1t is true, for instance, that one
of the weakest points in the whole
peace treaty is the transfer to
Japan of German rights in Shan
tung. The president has told
number of senators that was es-
sential to heed Japan's request for
German rights. Otherwise Japan
would have left the peace confer
ence and the natural consequence
an alliance with Germany and
reactionary elements in Russia
was not lost upon the conferees.
asked for documents purporting to
show that Japan and Germany
were in negotiation during the
progress of the war. The purpose
of his remarks is to show that
Japan was not so faithful an ally
as is supposed and that she ought
not to have been rewarded at the
expense of China. 1t is true there
were efforts made through rounda-
bout diplomatic channels by Ger F,
many to tear Japan from her assO-
citation with the entente. But it is /
also true that the Japanese gov
ernment never encouraged the ne
gotiations and upon one occasion |
publicly revealed Germany's in
trigue.
There were, on the other hand, |
sections of Japanese pub
lie opinion friendly to Germany, !
who for political reasons were con-
stantly assailing the Japanese gov
ernment's friendship for the allies /
and lauding Germany's efforts in /
the war. Pro-German sections of /
public opinion, it is contended.
however, were present in nearly all /
the allied countries, including the
United States.
Creates Bad Impression.
But while Mr.. Wilson argues that
Japan is merely receiving rights
7