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


At the time we were engaged in the
war with Spain. Mr. Dooley quite accu-
rately described American public opin-
ion as being hazily divided, some re-
garding the Philippines as some new
kind of canned goods or prospective
island possession. We have some Wig
Shantung, but the defnitencss of our
knowledge is perhaps as hazy as were
our views in regard to the Philippines.
There are at least two or three
geographical terms which, it would
seem, are essential to fix in our minds
in discussing Shantung. Personally,
must admit to clarifying my ideas in
regard to these places since l left
clusion that possibly there were other
Americans as ignorant as | was.
Shantung is one of the provinces of
China. 1t is a peninsula stretching out
INTO the Yellow Sea marking the fur
lnest east extension of China proper,
and lies directly south of Port Arthur
and west of Corea. 1t has a population
of 100000. On the southern side Of
the peninsula is harbor and bay The
general district embraced in the bay
is known as Kiao-chau. There is a
city of about 100000, which is the har-
Dor, and the name Of this city is
Tsingtao.
From Tsingtao west there stretches
a railroad ITO miles long, known as the
Tsingtao-Tsi-nan railroad At the out
break of the war Germany controlled
the district of Kiao-chau, dominated
the city of Tsingtao, and Germans
owned and operated the railroad. Ger
man warships were in the harbor and
German soldiers on the land.
Japan Joins the Allies
Japan was urged by her ally. Great
Britain, and later by France and Italy,
to join the Allies in the war against
Germany. She acceded to that demand.
The first work at her hand naturally
appeared to be to drive German mill
tary and naval power from this strong
hold in the East. Germany's first move
had been a concentration of war YES
sells in the harbor and preparation for
its defense by the laying down of sub
marine mines. A frontal attack on
Tsingtao by way of the sea would have
been dangerous naval operation the
outcome of which would have been
predetermined even if the attack had
been made in full force by the Japanese
navy The ships of the Allies and of
neutrals, of course, prevented ingress
to and egress from Kiaochau Bay.
Among the earliest definite moves in
the war by Japan was the negotiations
with China granting Japan the right to
march japanese troops $50 miles across
the peninsula of Shantung, that they
might attack Tsingtao from the rear.
At the same time Japan made formal
demand upon the German government
that all rights of Germany at Kiao-
chau, as we'll as the control of the Ger
man owned railway, should be surren-
dered to Japan. Japan pledging herself
at the same time to return to China
all rights of sovereignty, retaining
only the commercial advantages and
property which Germany had in the
province Of Shantung
On the refusal of Germany to do
this troops were dispatched to the
northern coast of Shantung and the adj
vance begun through the neutral zone
in accordance with the permission OBJ
tanned from the Chinese government.
There was no protest from any nation
except Germany to this proceeding.
Japan pressed her military advance
toward Tsingtao. 1t is admitted that
d small portion of the troops, because
of bad weather and difficult roads,
passed outside the limits of the neu-
trail zone. Tsingtao was invested and
fell, the Germans were made prison
ers, warships were captured, and Japan
took possession of the railroad. Since
that time martial law has prevailed
in the Kiaochau district and the rail