New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-08-08

ready to withdraw their troops from
along the line of the railroad and to
substitute a Chinese police force. They
intended, however, to retain the COM
mercial advantages involved in the
surrender to them by Germany of the
German rights.
There is the skeleton of the Shan
tung question as it stands to-day. The
Japanese with whom we conferred
frankly admitted the justice of some of
the criticisms that were made against
the character of their military occupa-
ton. They called attention to the fact
that these operations were carried on
while the great war was in active
progress; that they were in field in
which the central government was
impotent; that their native population
was inflamed and prejudiced, and that
they were urged into action unfavorable
to Japanese interests by missionaries
and others.
They declared however, that while
they admitted that mistakes had been
made by military authorities it was fair
that the critics of Japan should keep
general aims and pledges of Japan to
which the nation had steadily adhered
Japan stands ready o-day, they
unanimously declared, to carry out
every promise, specific or implied, in
respect to turning back to China ali
rights of sovereignty; that Japan is
wholly without territorial ambitions,
but they believe it is entirely Just that
Japan should be recompcnscd for the
blood she shed and the money she
spent in removing from the East this
German stronghold by retaining such
commercial advantage and property as
t,.c Las, t,o
her from Germany.
This general outline of the facts
will not, l think, be controvertcd by
any one who undertakes honestly to
present the truth. Varying degrees
Of emphasis will be laid upon the diff
fcrcnt acts of Japan. 1t would be pos
siblc to make out strong case of mill
tary harshness and of general conduct
preferential to Japanese interests 1t
is unnecessary to call attention to the
fact that parallels can be found in the
course of other nations seeking to
acquire spheres of influence in the
East, and that many acts by cnlight-
ened European nations might be men
toned that would in comparison make
anything charged against Japan at this
time in this connection seem almost
innocuous.
Would it not be we'll for American
public opinion. before it makes up its
mind too definitely in respect to the
Shantung question, to soberly review
the whole affair, keeping in mind the
aloof position in which the United
States has placed itself by declining
to become a party to the treaty or a
member of the League of Nations? Our
right of criticism has been limited by
our failure to shoulder responsibility.
Suppose the situation we're reversed.
Imagine after the conclusion of our
war with Spain, Japan not being
party to the terms of peace between
Spain and the United States, sarcasti-
cally doubling the good faith of our
promises, had demanded our Immediate
withdrawal from Cuba and had holly
debated the whole subject with the
ostensiblc claim that she was doing
it from the eminence of a high moral
standard, while we knew that she really
had no great interest in the matter.
but was actually playing home poll
tics.
wonder if under such circumstances
we would have shown the same pa
thence and courtesy if we would have
been as frankly prepared to admit that
we had made mistakes; and if we would
have begged, as Japan begs of us to-
day, for careful examination of the
question, and for sympathetic coopera-
ton IN helping us work out extremely
complicated external problems?
(C'OpVright