The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-11-13

mining, of Industries, of agriculture
and of the steamship lines that visit
her ports? And II | may go further,
without the foreign education that Is
being given her sons, primarily by
Great Britain, Japan and the United
States? ! deliberately class educa
ton with development. for one is es-
sential to the other and both serve
the cause of progress. Neither OF
these things are without their evils,
but how much greater are their bene-
fits!
The cause of Manchuria is we'll
worth considering, Before the rail-
way lines were constructed there and
the brigands along them brought I'M
der control, Manchuria was almost
depopulated. 1t was in effect an eX-
tension of the Monaghan desert. with
Mukden the only place worthy to be
dignfied by the name of city Today
the opportunities that are afforded
peaceful farmers, the protection
that is given them, the rail-
roads that take their crops
to the seaports. and the steamship
lines that convey them as far as
Europe and America-these things
create a greater demand for labor
than the Manehurian population can
supply anu HuifdltIS VI &HiHCSt GLOSS
annually from the. provinces of sham
tung and Chill into south Manchuria
to reap the' harvests. thereby earn
ing in the temperate months OF the
year sufficient wage to enable them
to return to China and provide for
their families throughout the winter
All Countries Profit.
likewise do foreign countries in
Guiding Great Britain and the United
States. profit by the development, no
matter who undertakes it. Americas
trade with Japan today, both ex-
port and import, is far greater than
that with China. in spite of the lat
ter's gigantic size and natural wealth.
Part of the trade in cotton goods
may have passed from the United
States and Great Britain to Japan,
but the increase in the sales of ma
chinery has much more than compen-
stated Wherever organization and
production are provided. the Chinese,
a most Industrious people. thrive and
profit, and wherever their labor and
resources are made available the
benefits extend to all the world
I'm this connection let me state
some facts with regard to Shantunc
which Japan has been charged with
taking from China When it became
part of Japan's obligation in the late
war to drive Germany out of that
area she assumed only part of the
rights which that country held in
Shantung. The leased territory of
Kiochow, which the japanese cap
tured from the German garrison. con-
tanned not 100000 people (Which
is the estimated population of the
province). but $4,000 or $4,000, most
of whom had gathered there TO trade
with the Germans and continued to
reside there and trade with the jap
anese. The leased territory of kio-
chow covers about zoo square miles.
less than half of l per cent of the
area of the province.
Japan promised China that she
would withdraw her forces and re-
turn the l<iaochow territory to her,
and she also offered to share with
China, on an absolutely fair and equal
footing in substance as well as in
name, that section of the German
railway which has come to her hands
in consequence of the war.
China has not agreed to accept this
arrangement, contending that alone
by her action in entering the war the
German rights naturally reverted to
her. But Chinas entry into the war
was three years after the German
fortress had been reduced by a Japa-
nese army.
Only 1000 Remain
The japanese soldiers that took
Tsingtao have long evacuated the
province with the exception of 1000
men. who remain to guard the rail-
way line and the port. This is a force
less in size than one-half of that
which the great powers, including
oil IN
province of Chilli to protect the rail-
way line from Picking to the coast
and to guard the legations at the CAP
ital. Moreover the several conces-
sions obtained by the Germans for
future railway construction in Shan
lung are to be transferred to the
international consortium composed of
American, British and French, Japa
nese and Belgian financial groups,
supported by their governments.
Thus, 1t will be seen that the
charge of "aggressions" on the part
of Japan in Shantung has been pre-
sented in a conspicuously unfair
light.
1T is the hope of Japan that the
Washington conference will give her
the opportunity to dispel whatever
distrust and suspicion may exist in
America against her. She hopes to
demonstrate conclusively the necessi-
ties of her position and the justice
Of her policies, in order that false
charges against her may find no
honest response in the future. Where
she may be wrong she will strive to
mend her ways. Consideration in
stead of condemnation, cooperation
instead of conflict, could profitably
as well as rigdteously be the slogans
of the nations hereafter.
There Is one point of warning
should like to make in conclusion.
Naval limitation means not only an
agreement among the great powers,
but also tremendous example to
others and an influence in favor of
the settlement of all controversies by
peaceful processes in the future.
Neither by failure to keep this objec-
tive constantly in view nor by letting
critics and opponents subtly befog
and obscure the main issues of the
conference should the chief delegates
permit their noble, and attainable,
purposes to be defeated
chi \ Hl|l D|NG.S