New-York tribune., 1919-09-16

TO-DAY I believe that the Chinese
people are tho victims Of grave mis-
apprehension upon the Shantung
question. This question has been raised in
China to serve internal political purposes.
Japan Is prepared to restore Shantung to
China If Shantung Is first allotted to Japan
at the peace table. China is fully aware Of
Japanese sincerity upon this subject but
certain Chinese political ciques have chosen
to make Shantung party plank.
1t is clearly evident that there have been
many differences between the Chinese gov
crnment and the Chinese delegates in
Paris. l consider that the opinion Of the
Peking Cabinet Is much moro moderate than
that expressed by the Delegates For ex-
ample, in Peking they quite conscious
Of Japan's intention to restore Shantung.
know that Japan has never pressed ths
Chinese government about Shantung Can
didly, Japan is thoroughly alive to the dis
advantages Of applying coercion in China.
The famous Twenty-one Demands, pre-
sentcd by Japan to China on January 1S,
1915, and followed by an untimatum, no
doubt contributed very much to the Ill
feeling of the Chinese toward the Japanese
The people and the Cabinet In japan are
Of opinion that relations with China must
be friendly. 1t is urgent that better feel
ing should be promoted in China, so far as
we are concerned. The present Japanese
Cabinet has made q constant effort in this
direction. The Chinese are working hard
at the same time, it must be said, to null
%ho
latter were too coercive in their tones
take the view that japanese diplomacy may
not have been clever In sending the ulti-
matum to China. An examination Of the
actual demands will however, show that
they were not In themselves so very un-
reasonable, although they were harshly
criticised by the Chinese. OF course, the
economic situation must be borne In mind,
as we'll as the political and CONNIE rcial
status Of China, to reach just verdict Of
the whole question. Moreover, it is neces-
sary to pay some attention to the history
of the two countries during the last twcn-
ty-fve years. By the Treaty of Shmono-
seki, following the Chino-Japan war, China
ceded the Lao -Tung peninsula to Japan,
with the alleged object of securing peace
in the Orient. Russia, France and Ger
many thereupon interviewed and forced
Japan to restore the ceded territory to the
Chinese. During our brief occupation Of
the peninsula prevented Russian pene-
tration.
After the restoration the Liao-Tung
Observation-Disclosures including Dalny and
Port Arthur-was ccded to Russia, with the
result that Japan's position became seri-
ously menaced. The Russo-Japanese War
was the sequel, ten years later
Japan, however, interpreted it that it was
owing to lack of power of resistance rather
than her lack Of faith, and it appeared to
US very necessary to help China to pre-
serve her integrity.
During the succession Of internal strug-
giles which led to the failure of President
Yuan Shih-l<ai's monarchical movement. no
one can say what Russia might not have
done, operating from the north, in order to
spread her influence ovar China. believe
that China's integrity was preserved bv
Japan at this period. While the Chinese
understand this, most Of them say very
little on the subject.
AT the outbreak Of war, in 1914, Ger
many, which had possession of the Shan
tung peninsula, was gradually penetrating
into the interior of China There was a
rumor that the Germans intended to build
up strong military force in China, while
it was recognized that the Chinese govern
ment was not strong enough to keep it
down.
If Japan had done nothing In the war
Germany would have had a strong mill
tary and naval base in Shantung The pro-
German party in China followed German
methods, and the position in Shantung be-
came extremely threatening. 1t is curious
that the Chinese propagandist in this coun
try does not remark upon these facts. The
same applies in America They know the
truth, but they do not too readily give
credit to Japan. On the contrary. thew are
pcrverting the facts and using this Shan
tung affair as a weapon against Japan, be-
cause they think that it suits their in
ternal political ends better to DISGRACE