The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-03
NORRIS DENOUNCES
SHANTUNG AWARD
Nebraska Senator Will Oppose
League Of Nations Unless
Wrong Is Righted.
BORAH FINDS NEW JOKER
Sees in Article XI. Grant of
Power to Interfere in Do
nestle Affairs of Nations.

WASHINGTON, July 2.-Senator Norris
(Neb). whose favorable views on the
general desirabHity OF League OF Ma
lions have caused pro-league Senators
to cast eyes in his direction. came out
1atfootedly to-day In favor OF revision
of the treaty. Taking the Shantung
cession for his text the Sebraskan
turned loose an avalanche of invective
az ainst the international deal which had
wrung from China 36,000.00o OF her
people and huge strip of valuable terri
tory including in its areas some OF the
best river terminal properties or the
Oriental republic. Senator Norris coupled
his attack upon the Shantung steal,
which Mr.. Wilson had helped to ratify,
with the assertion that so long as some
amendments to the treaty and covenant
we're necessary he intended to vote Tor
every reservation and amendment cal
, culated to render the pact less obnoxious
than at present.
"The Shantung settlement cannot pos
sibly be defended before honest men or
| squared with Justice or honesty SAID
Senator Norris. II would sacrifice al-
most anything to get league OF nations
but I would not commit murder nor
would dishonor my country for ~
|
defenceless China In this. l have stud ed
these Shantung provisions so far as
can get the material for such study.
| There Is nothing in the treaty whatever
that provides that Japan ever shali re-
turn this peninsula to China, though we
are Informed that outside OF the treaty
Japan privately has agreed on such
| return. Then why should IL not %
written into the treaty?
Had Pledge Of Four Allies.
Before she entered the war japan
procured agreements with Great Britain.
France. Russia and Italy that this ces-
! sion was to be made to her Great Brit
| ain was first to agree to the terms, ana
| in return asked that japan would sup
port her In getting all German colonial
| possessions south of the Equator. TO
this Japan agreed.
At that time there was much German
shipping in Chinese ports and the ship
| ping question was vital one for the
| Allies: they all wanted TO get those
| ships Japan had been using her in
fuence to keep China out of the war
| because Japan did not want China to be
represented and have a voice at the
Peare Conference. France now agreed 10
| stand by the demands of Japan in
China, but in return asked that japan
| would permit China to enter the war
| on the side OF the Entente in order that
those ships might be made available TO
| the common cause.
| ITO this Japan assented and 50 the
| deal was made with both Great Britain
and France. Likewise the matter was
taken up In Rome by the Japanese Am
/ bassador and italy consented, and In
| Observation-Disclosures then being still In
the war-the assent OF the Russian Gov
eminent was obtained SO when they
met at the Peace Congress with Great
Britain. France. Italy. Japan and the
| United States, the dominating Powers
| the situation was that Great Britain.
France and Italy secretly we're bound to
support the demands of Japan. China's
case was before a packed court. 1t is
a disgrace amounting almost to the I'M
| helievable that such a rape should be
perpetrated on China.
China Did Her Part.
The Entente had the support OF
| China, loyal and sincere: 1t got the
! ships II sorely needed II got many thou
sInds in Chinese labor battalions to help
| in Europe; true, they were not in the
trenches, because they were not trained
| soldiers, but they did their part China
contributed, too, something in food for
l part
played by China was more generous and
worth while than that of Japan, which
did little save drive Germany out OF
China in order TO take the German
possessions there.
| ITO turn Shantung over to Japan IL
as bad as 1t would be. after our part
| in the war, to turn New England over
to Canada, to be held until Canada
should choose to restore it to us, This
cession gives Japan control of China S
access to the sea, of railroads and of
the lower courses of the Hoang-Ho. In
short It places the complete domination
of China's future in the control OF Japan.
Article y. OF the league covenant
ought to be stricken out it has no bust
ness there. But would not on its ac-
count have voted against ratification had
not this Shantung matter emphasized
what that article might involve for US
In this matter the right OF people to self
determination is simply annIhilated. for
gotten. There are 100000 people in
this region; they are all Chinese No
| Germans, no japanese among them
They are merely turned over to Japan
regardless OF their wish or aspirations.
suppose they rebel against this de-
els on. as II is likely they will Suppose
China rises In aid to them, as II is
likely to do? Where will we then
SNdNu we Will Dt tDH1Itlleu unuer our
| agreement in Article Y. to help Japan
put them down. or course we never
| would do that, and we never should be
put in position where We would be under
obligation 10 do such thing.
when one cannot support the treaty
in any case, as ! cannot, II seems to me
one should vote for every amendment or
| reservation calculated to make It any
better; and that Is what l shall do"
Article NJ. Also Opposed.
That Article XI. of the League OF
Nations Covenant has been construed
to authorize the league to interfere in
the domestic affairs OF nations is the
assertion vigorously put forward to-day
by Senator Borah Udaho). This has
been insisted on by the Senator for a
long time, he having repeatedly asserted
1t was justified by the text of Article
NJ. He now says that no less person
than Premier Clemenceau officially has
issued exactly the same construction.
The French Premier, In Transmitting
to Premier Paderewski OF Poland an
official copy OF the Peace Treaty, wrote
a covering letter in which he said thai
under the treaty there rests on the
entente associated powers IAN obIIga,
tiOn which tha,.