The daily Alaska citizen., 1919-07-19
THE ORATORE OF SHERMAN.

Judging from brief reports of a speech delivered Thursday in the senate by Senator Sherman, of Illinois, he is apparently trying to work up indignation against the peace treaty, and especially Mr. Wilson, over the Shantung settlement. Not that Mir. sherman, personally cares especially about Shantung but it offers about the only plausible peg for an argument against the treaty itself.
 In his speech he would paint to America the picture of Japan trying for a world empire and declares that the Shantung settlement Is the start. He also torcsees future danger tor the Philippines from this source.
 Atho he would have the nation see these dangers, Mr. Sherman himself shows no evl- dcnce of being in panic. 1t is merely the argument of a lawyer who is presenting a weak case the address of d man who has aI- ready committed himself to the opposition and runs over the evidence hoping to find some thing to help establish a case.
 The necessity for the Shantung settle ment is undeniabIe That Japan forced the situation, taking advantage of set ot c1rcum- stances existing at the peace conference to work for her own national gains to the dlsad- vantage of her neighbOr, Chna IS equally un- deniabe The question to be settled by the conference was which is the better, absolute justice for China in the Shantung peninsula case without any sort of guaranty ot world peace under a league of Nations, or League of Nations giving the world a chance for world peace. Sympathy for China has noth- ing to do with the matter The peace of the world Is more important than the feelings Ot China.
 It is futile to compare the case with the Plume question. The Japanese held strong CT hand because of the situation brought about by the Italian Adriatic dmeands. The Japanese played their hand we'll in the game of greed. First, they threatened to upset the allied plans by a howl for ''raCial equality Then, after publicly accepting the decision ot the conference in that matter, they let the Italians play into Japans hand almost as if the two nations had arranged 1t previously, which of course was not done.
 Italy threatened to bolt the League of Nations and start the scrap all over. Here was Iapan's chance and she took 1t. The con- ference might have turned down Japans pro- posals, President Wilson might have dehed the Japanese and won applause from the jim goistic press, but such action would have de- feated the proposed formation of League of Nations, or have left Japan free outside of the .eague to form an imperialistic alliance with Germany and Russia, thus creating two leagues bristing with war threats instead of one which offers the world a chance for ftl- ture peace.
 William Allen White, writing from Paris as an independent observer, says that the Shan tung compromise ''saVes the league of Na- tions, making it the dominating force in the WOrld' Mir. White is a member of the same party as Senator Sherman, but unlike him, is not committed to opposition to the League of Nations.
 The Illinois senator creates bOgy which is much less likely to exist under the League of Nations than without 1t. The very thing which he says is threatened is safeguarded against by Japan's membership in the League, but against which there would be no adequate guaranty if Shantung had been awarded with out reservation to China and Japan not lnclud- ed in the society of nations.
 If the argument made against the peace treaty by Senator Sherman is the best that the opposition can produce he and his colleagues may be able to catch few supporters among the discontented, the chronic kickers against establishe order, and jingosts of the yellow peril type, or those who do not like President Wilson, but they will convert few reasonable men who are not already converted.
 NTA