The sun., 1919-05-04

formed orally on behalf of the Council
of Three of the outline of the settlement
proposed regarding the shantuns ques-
ton. Under this settlement all rights
to Kiao- Chau, formerly belonging to Ger
many. are transferred to Japan. While
Japan voluntarily engages to hand back
the Shantung Peninsula in full SOW
ereisnty to China, she Is allowed to re-
tain the economic privileges formerly
enjoyed by Germany.
These privileges, the delegation is in
formed. refer to the Using tao Gilman
railway, ESQ miles long, the mines con-
nected with II and the two railways to
be built connecting Shantung with the
two trunk lines from Pekin to the
Yangtze Valley. In addition she obi aims
the right to establish settlement at
Tsing-tao and, although the japanese
military forces, II is understood, Will be
withdrawn from Shantung at the earli-
est possible moment, the employment
OF special railway police is permitted.
such being the outline of the pro-
posed settlement, the Chinese delegation
cannot but view It with disappointment
and dissatisfaction.
These German rights in Shantung
originated in an act of wanton agrees
sion in 1897 characteristic of Peussian
militarism. To transfer these rights to
Japan, as the Council of Three proposes
to do IL, therefore. to confirm an act of
aggression which has been resented by
the Chinese people ever since It's per-
petration.
such a virtual substitution Of Japan
for Germany In Shantung is serious
enough In itself, but It becomes grave
when the position OF Japan in Southern
Manchurla and Eastern Mongolia is
read in connection with II. Firmly in
trenched on both sides OF the Gulf Of
Pe-chili, the water outlet Of Picking,
with a hold on the three trunk lines
from Picking and connecting 1t with the
rest of China, the capital becomes but
an enciave In the midst OF Japanese in
fluence.
Moreover, owing to Chinas declara-
ton of war against the Central Powers
on August II. 1917 and the abrogation
OF all treaties and agreements between
China and these powers. the German
rights automatically reverted to China.
This declaration was officially notified
to and taken cognizance Of by the Allied
and Associated governments. II is,
therefore, significant that the council in
announcing the settlement OF the Kiao-
chau-Shantung question referred to the
rights to be transferred to japan as the
rights formerly belonging to Germany"
The Weaker only suffer.
'Tt appears clear then that the coun-
ell has been bestowing on Japan the
rights. not OF Germany, but Of China ;
not of an enemy. but of an ally. The
more powerful ally has reaped a benefit
at the expense. not Of the common en-
envy, but Of the weaker ally. Besides
Shantung Is Chinas holy land. packed
with memories Of Confucius and Menc!us
and hallowed as the cradle OF her
civilization.
''If II is the intention OF the council
to restore II to China II is difficult to
see on what consideration OF principle
or of expedlency can be justified the
transfer In the first instance to an allen
power which then voluntarily engages
to hand It back to the rightful owner.
Japan based its claim for the German
rights In Shantung also on the treaty
and notes OF 1915 and the note of 1918
with China. II Is to be noted. however.
that the documents OF 1915 were agreed
to by China under coercion OF an ultl-
matum threatening war In case OF non
compliance with the twenty-one de-
mands
The notes OF 1918 were made by
China as the price for Japan's promise
to withdraw her troops. whose presence
In the interior OF Shantung as we'll as
the establishment OF japanese civil ad-
ministration bureaus IN the district had
aroused such popular opposition that the
Chinese Government fel. constrained to
make the arrangement
The Chinese delegation understands
that the council was prompted by the
fact that Great Britain and France had
undertaken In February and March
1917, TO support at the Peace Conference
the transferring to Japan of the Ger
man rights in Shantung. To none OF
these secret agreements was China a
party nor was she informed OF their
contents when invited to Join the war
against the Central Empires. The for
tunes OF China appear thus to have
been made objects OF negotiation and
compensation after she already had
definitely allied herself with the allied
Powers.