New-York tribune., 1920-05-09
Government Anxious TO
Open Negotiations With
Japan, but Fears Act
Might Cause Uprising
Want kiaochow Back
People Believe Officials Are
Under the Influence of
tlae Japanese Government
BY Nathaniel PETER

from distance. In its major out.
lines at least it is fairly clear here
And its underlying significance marks
tho most significant development ir
China in recent years. For it reveals
that a public opinion, weak and un-
organized though it may be, does func.
tion in China when great issues are
touched. That Is the reason why the
question that caused such furore both
in America and China year ago has
come to such fast deadlock and been
almost dropped.
Three months ago the Treaty Of Yer
sa1iies formally came into force. In
accordance with one Of its sections
Japan took over Germany's former ter
ritorial possessions in the Kiaochow
peninsula and commercial rights in
Shantung Province. In accordance also
! with Its pledges to the Allied repre-
sentatives in Paris to restore the Ger
man rights to China, it formally mott
fled China Of its willingness to open
negotiations to that end. And China
has not agreed TO open negotiations. It
has not answered or even acknowled dyed
the note. Nor is there much likeli-
hood that it will An early solution is
highly improbable.
The Chinese government is willing,
anxious even, to begin negotiations at
ence-the sooner the better. The
people are not. The government does
not dare to. To do so would be a
challenge to popular Indignation that
might even end in national uprising.
Reversed Orders to Delegates
Why, in view Of the great clamor
that arose from all articulate China
when the decision of the peace con-
ference became known? To understand
the reason it is necessary to know
some Of the Far Eastern background.
More important is it to be disabused of
the misconceptions gathered about the
whole Shantung question, particularly
in America.
The issue has not been so simple as
it has been Senatorially and Journalistic
cally portrayed. Needless now and too
late to discuss the wisdom or unwisdom
OF the peace conferences action, but it
Is still necessary to emphasize-what at
every resident Of China knows-that so
far as the fate Of Shantung was con-
cerned the decision of the peace con-
ference made no difference China stood
! J'c ofo
way rights in any case. If the peace
conference had given them hack to
China, the Chinese government, or that
element which controls the Chinese
government, would have sold them right
back to Japan. 1t has sold equally i'm
portant Chinese possessions in the last
few years.
II China refused to sign the peace
treaty its refusal was dictated by an
aroused national sentiment. 1t Is no
longer secret that the government
twice cabled its delegates at Peking to
sign and then reversed its instructions.
It is no longer either secret that the
last order, which was not to sign, was
not received by the delegates and that
they acted contrary to their instruc-
tions in not signing, being sustained in
their belief that they were doing right
by the food Of messages from pular
organizations in all parts of China. In
any case, the peace treaty was not
signed by China, and legally China does
not recognize the Allies cesson of the
Kiaochow Peninsula to Japan.
Loopholes Left In Note
According to China's construction.
therefore, the position Of Shantung is
this: WhenN it declared war on Ger
many all treaties were automatically
<efogated, including the one by which
Germany got the Kiaochow lease, and
K'aochow and the rights going with it
automatically reverted to China at that
time. When the war ended, the mill
tary exigency by which Japanese mill
tary occupation was necessitated ceased
and Japan was legally obligated to
evacuatc. The Chinese-Japanese treaty
Of 1915 growing out Of the Japanes.
twenty-one demands did, it is true,
stipulate that China should abide by
any decision reached between Germany
and Japan as to the disposal of the
Shantung possessions, but China's claim
is that it gave notice of denunciation
of that treaty in Paris.
That technically is China's case. But
legal techricalties, backed by China's
three or four little cruisers, have only
paper value, and the practical issue
WAS whether Japan would abide by its
pledge to return the territory to China
voluntarily.
Japan formally gave notice to China
that it would, though mention must be
made that its note left two or three
suspicious loopholes as to the main
tenance OF its troops along the railway.
Now, inasmuch as China's legal position
Is at least challengeable and, further
more, it has not the power to back up
ats position, the soundest course per-
haps would have been to open negotia-
tions With Japan, and at least see what
the details Of Japan's offer were. Ger
tainly there is no alternative. The
only other proposal-appeal to the
league of nations-even the Chinese pin
no faith to.
Shantang Test Case
They recognize the league of nations
to be as yet tenuous body; they
recognize that the men who will dictate |
its policy in the near future represent |
hn Sx,I