The Washington times., 1921-12-06

China of the various portions OF ter
ritory which had been forcibly taken
from China by the powers. There
had been a great show Of promises
that this would be done. Even when
the secret session was over, the word
was passed to the waiting news
paper men that these promises had
been agreed to.
But when the official statement
was issued. II showed how valueless
the agreement in principle" had
become at the conferences; how tri-
umphant over every promise re-
NAMED the imperialism and the self
ishhess of the powers concerned. The
result was that not one OF these
, leased territories was even provision
ally pledged for restoration to China
Only the French. whose interests
were the smallest, were ready TO
agree TO such a restoration, provided
Japan and Great Britain did the
same. Neither of these powers would
do so. Both INDUCED In eloquent
protsstations OF friendship for China
and then sent after these protesta-
tons. the used weasel paragraph. to
suck out the eggs Of their promises.
Japan's Solfishness Barred.
But II Is interesting to see the
difference between the hypocrisy OF
GTedI anu TIC hy poSi 10Y VI
Japan. Great Britain insisted upon
q retention of its territory as mat
ter of unselfish world interest. Japan
was more brutally frank. 1t insisted
upon its retention as vital TO It's
own interest.
The British centered their position
on the retaining Of the leased terri.
tory of Kowloon. Mr.. Balfour told
the conference that Great Britain
must retain this territory because
without 1t "Hongkong was perfectly
indefensible and would be at the
mercy Of any enemy possessing
modern artillery"
Nothing could be fairer than that.
To protect Puget sound. the United
States ought at once to acquire Brit
ish Columbia. In the light OF the
range OF modern artillery. Great Brit
ain has an inalienable right to the
possession OF Calais, lest French artil-
lery lombard Dover. BY the same
right, France il entitled to a leasehold
of Dover, lest the British shoot holes
into the harbor of Calais. 1t is all
very simple. But that explanation
would sound selfish. And Mr.. Balfour
Is the enemy of all national selfish
ness. His soul. and every British soul.
il moved only by an unselfish duty 10
the world. His heart. and every Brit
Ish heart, throbs only In unison with
| the great hearts of the nations OF the
globe. So Mr.. Balfour did not rest
| his case on the selfish British inter
est IN Hongkons.
HE hoped" declared the official
communicate. that he would carry
the conference with him when he as
serted that the safeguarding Of the
possession of Hongkong was not mere
L T.-ta LIB sv.tA hut
| the whole world was concerned.
Japan Not So Tactful.
The Japanese have not yet become
tense. They have not progressed be-
You'd the primary grade of setting up
| theft own desires as the real motives
| for their operations. Therefore. when
| the Japanese declared that they would
| not abandon Port Arthur and Dairen.
| they merely said so In SO many Japa-
! pese words. The official communicate
translates their protestaton az fol-
lows:
THE japanese delegates desire to
make It clear that japan has no inten-
ton at present to relinquish the i'm
portant rights she has lawfully ac-
ouired and at no small sacrifice. The
territory In question forms a part Of
Nanchuria-a region where, by rea-
son of It's close propinquity to Japan's
territory, more than anything else, she
has vital interests In that which re-
Ia ties to her economic life and national
safety"
Is IL any wonder. that after such
an exhibition of promising one thing
and doing another. France should
have felt impelled to suspend all its
promises for the restoration Of kwan-
chouwan.
But the days hypocrisy was not
yet complete. Lest even this series
of empty pledges prove embarrassing.
Japan questioned the right Of the
Chinese delegation to sit as the rep
resentatives of China or to make
promises in its behalf. There could. Of
course, be no restoration at all, ac-
cording to this contention, IL the Gre
dentials Of the Chinese delegation
could be successfully questioned be-
cause of the internal conflict between
Picking and Canton. II Picking were
making new grants Of Chinese terri
tory there would be no doubt about
its authority. But when IL comes to
return of stolen property. Peking
must first demonstrate an inviolable
title to it's own government.
This will have an important bear
East. China has at least a govern
ment recognized by the powers. Rus
STA has none. Therefore nothing will
restored to Russia, and the promise
of Russian integrity, despite all Of
Secretary Hughes fatuous nonsense
about a moral trusteeship," will add
another chapter to the hypocrisy OF
the conference.
What is the interest of the United
States in all of this? Just this. The
| United States. as the Government
| which called the conference and a. a
nation which IL to subscribe to the
agreements that result from 1t, must
either accept these treacherous doc
trines and stand sponsor for them to
the despoiled peoples Of China and
of Russia, or 1t must reject them.
| II II rejects them, II must wreck the
conference and align itself against the
combined Imperialism Of England and
japan.
1t is not q pleasant prospect. It