The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-07-22
TROUBLE BREWING IN CHINA.


Whatever the rights and wrongs of the Shantung ques
ton may be from international standpoint it certainly
behooves the parties concerned to pay attention to tn
material facts which threaten serious trouble The state
ment Of the Chinese delegates just returned from Par
is not to be set aside by discussions of obscure treaty
gotiatons. The danger of disturbances in Shantuni
province is imminent and apparently unavoidable TIL
Chinese population is showing its resentment by boycott
ting Japanese and this grim experience has shown
sometimes the prelude to outbreaks like the Boxer trouble
of 1900. The oBxer attacks antiforegn, while tn
Forthcoming disturbances if they occur will be antiJap
anese
What would follow wholesale outbreak in Shantun,
in which the Chinese proceed to pitch the Japanese out
drive them from the railroads and O
them? Japan would act necessarily, and with overwhel
ming force. She would sen an army and the feet tt
China and would not only take possession of all Shan
tung, but would make China. Such cours
would be unavoidable for China is responsible for tn
acts of her people, and if the Chinese government
will not control the people, the Japanese government
must necessarily do In order to assert this control
scrtion of sovereignty by the Chinese Thu
China if unsupported and if the powers do not intervene
would undergo brief period of war, followed by
conditional surrender to Japan.
What then? If Japan was so strong to make all thu
powers of the world yield to her wishes concerning Shan
tung, the strength Of treaty which drawn from
China at The point of the sword howwoud the powers b.
able to prevent Japan from taking full satisfaction
Chnas surrender? Japan would then be in the position
of conqueror with large war bill and substantial
claims of other kinds.
claims of other kinds.
1t may be suggested that these events made mpos
sibe by the league of nations. However, the t
that suggestion is that the league of nations would
include Japan if the powers had not yielded the Sha'
tung question The treaty of peace guarantees to Japar
the Shantung rights which about to make war, &C
cordng to all appearances. AS the treaty stands thu
are bound to guarantee Japans grip upon Shan
tung and the Chinese people should go far to at
tack Japan the powers are bound to fight China.
So there is visible relief for China and no o.
avoiding clash by invoking the treaty of peace tn,
league of nations Apparently the best that the western
do in this uncture is to refrain from being
drawn into AsatiC If they can persuade japan
to take immediate steps to mollify China and perhaps
recompnse her if Shantung cannot be handed back wei
and good If Japan should prefer not to yield to China
at this time, the immediate outlook is for such unpopular
unrest and disorder as will lead to riots massacres and
war;
One of the fatal weaknesses of China, aside from the
cardinal nfrmity of unpreparedness for self defense
the division between North and South China. The spill
government while the outheners are technically rebels
without recognized kovernment There is so little OF
the feeling which the West calls patriotism that the
Chinese not able to hold general government to-
gether Thus the people cannot present solid front
Japan, even in the matter of Shanung which touches
individual Chinese to the quick Politics is strenuous and
sordd and will go to great lengths in violation of what
to westeners to the fundamental spirit of patriot
have little difficulty in dealing with factions of the
Chinese, in playing faction against another Thus
here no prospect of any whatever for China
case of with Japan The only hope in that event
would be in the western powers and they seem to have
committed themselves irrevocaby to Japan in the Shan
Jung Observation-Disclosures Post.
Considering how much silent satisfaction some men
ret out of putting clean Shirt it is surprising they
on't do it oftener.