The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-08-08
The sHANTUNG QUESTION
-aF LIS 1T NOT iliNGatT0. YOU 2
I. Should not Japan be repaid fol
what. she did in the war?
-sy~J John c. Ferguson

"Hdls DIG 0Iu vi ttbS "6itA
The American answer is No Amer
lea receives no indemnity and gains M
new territory as a reward Of sending
about two million men to France ant
expanding several billion dollars. Th'
contribution of Japan toward the win
ming Of the war was small compared
with that of America, and, judged b!
the standards we have set for our
selves, She should receive no compen
sation. We are not bound to enforc.
s.ny secret treaty made by Japan will
other nations as a condition Of her en-
teringe the war IA
q Has not Japan promised to restore
kiaoehow to China? 4h
Japan has made no such promise IL
the Treaty. The only promise made
by Japan is in Notes exchanged with
China May rs, 1915, which Japar
forced China to sign under threat ot
military compulsion. In this promise
Japan reserves to herself "for her own
exclusive jurisdiction" district
which will contain all the wharycs
railway terminus, public buildings
and all other valuable portions Of
Kiaochow. 1t is as If a promise to
return lost purse were to be kept
by giving back the purse after having
extracted all the contents. sa+
3. Can Japan not be trusted? 5r
Yes, when she gives written guaran
tees. All other nations. except Japan
were required to state explicitly in
the Treaty all their obligations II
Japan had promised in the Treaty to
restore to China all that she had taken
from Germany, she could have been
trusted to keep her pledged word, but
having made no promise. she can do
as she pleases in the future. She can
restore the least valuable portion and
retain her best for helself. thus gain
ing q foothold for future enlargement
4. How does 1t concern US as Amer
icanG? ~ ''
America through John Hay pro-
claimed the doctrine OF the protection
of the territorial integrity of China and
the open door, as protest against
the seizure of Kiaochow by Germany
in 1885, America has been the cham
pion among the nations Of this policy
and has never grabbed for herself or
connived at the seizure by other ma
tons of Chinese territory. In the at
fairs of the Far East, we are com
United to the Hay policy in the same
way as We uphold the Monroe doc
1rine for the Americas. If we give our
consent to Japan's acquiring Chinese
territory, it will be reversal of all
our previous policy in China. 1t will
brand us as turncoats -. 4T
S. Is it'not a gain for China to be rid
of Germany even II Japan rctaIno
all that Germany had?
This is not fair question, for China
did not want GernanyTn the first in
stance and she does not want Japan
now. She wants her territory to rot
main in her own control There are
fifty Japanese now in Shantung to ono.
German before the war. Japanese
iaborers now come into competition
with Chinese in this province which
Is already the most densely popula
ted part of China. The invidious con
troll by an alien nation was the same
so far as China was concerned eth or
In the case of Germany OF Japan, but
the economic competition was less
unfavorable to China with the former.
6. Is not China better off with the
League and the Treaty than with,
out III -.~.s,.- -: .' 80
No. for she loses America as an indie
pendent friend and finds her former
friend combining with all the ether
great nations to agree to- her spoliA
ton. If there were no League Ameri-
ca could follow the Hay policy of pro-
tecting China's territorial integrity.
7. Did China do anything in the swar2
Before formally declaring war
against Germany, China allowed Great
Britain and France to recruit about
$4,000 workmen from the province
of Shantung These were taken to
France where they worked in NUM-
ton factories, dug trenches. and did
other valuable work, thus releasing an
equal, number of French and British
as soldiers, After declaring; war,
China prepared to send troops to Eu-
rope but could not obtain transports,
She sent two divisions into Siberia to
cooperate with, the allied forces She
was the first of the neutral nations to
accept the Invitation Of the United
States to break off diplomatios rela-
tons. with Germany and in doing SO,
stated officially that she firmly assoc
ciated herself with the policy of the
United States.' China did all she
eeald and always fstocd ready to do
more if helped by other nations that
had transports. 49,. ..sl!
g. VIII the present arrangements OF
the Treaty concerning Shantune
bring peace IN the Far East?
Not at all. Chinese, students all
over China have already organized
movement which has forced the dis.
missal Of three high officials known
to be pro-Japanese. There is already
an aotiVe.aboycotts against Japanese
goods. In every possible way, except
by the use of violence, China is pro-
testing against the cession of Shan