The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-11-30
ROOT
PRESENTS CASE
FOR CHINA
Four Points Proposed
as Basis of Settle
ment of Chinese
Problem Growing in
Favor

washington, NOV. IL 10y the AS
sociated Press) The full signifl-
canoe Of the American -four
points" proposed by Elihu Root and
adopted by the arms conference to
guide its discussions relating to
China, is coming to be better un-
derstood as the Far Eastern nego-
tiations pass through the accept
principle" stage and approach
decisions on specific subjects.
At first regarded as largely a re-
iteration Of general principles
which had long been sanctioned IN
paper by all the powers, the -four
points now have, in fact, become
the foundation on which China s
friends in the conference hope to
erect a system of reforms that will
in many respects reverse complete
.Iy the practices Of the past and
present.
In this far reaching development
the American delegation has taken
the leadership by making known
in a decisive manner that it regards
the Root resolution as something
vastly more than a few finely turn
ed diplomatic phrases. The Amer
lean position is that in accepting the
-four points, the participating na-
tions have bound themselves SOL
EMMY to epi,ly in a concrete way
the long professed principles Of fair
dealing toward China and to pro-
lceed withort subterfuge to give
China as great a degree of inde-
pendence as conditions Will var
rant.
Powerful support from outside
the American delegation has
strengthened that position and in
the present discussion Of tariff au-
tonomy, extraterritoriaa and postal
rights the trend Of the negotiations
never has been permitted to stray
far from the Root platform. In
every case proposed solutions have
been scrutinized in the light OF
appropriate sections Of the -four
points with the result that the
four American principles have be-
come. in fact, as well as in name
the dominating element Of the dis
.cussions.
How this method of procedure
viii affect such troublesome prob
lenas as Shantung, Manchuria and
the "21 demands" if they come
before the, conference is yet to be
demonstrated. It is pointed out
that the Root principles We're cast
in broad terms in their reference
to Chinese integrity, the open door
and special privileges, but no one
who can speak auti1oritatiyely has
been willing to volunteer an in
terpretation of these references as
they apply to specific questions not
yet before the conference.
With the questions Of extraterri-
,torial and postal rights to be dis
posed of tomorrow through specific
declarations now in preparation by
subcommittees there was an ex-
pSCIdt1OU al SO412S No<A4 A4IS1 SNAN~O>~~
that the subject of leases. including
those held by Japan in Shantung
and Manchuria, might be brought
UP for discussion in the very near
future. China's delegates have de-
clared their intention to bring the
Shantung and Manchurian prob
lens to the attention Of the con-
ference as soon as occasion offer9
ed and Japan has indicated re-
peatedly that she does not regard
these subjects as within the pro-
vince of the negotiations. The at
titude of the other nations has not
been defined, but it is expected
that some feature Of the -four
points" will be brought forward
RI e>,,if}e in a decision,