Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-08-05
6PACIFIC ISSUES
TODECIDE MEET
Success OfDisarmament
Meeting Depends First
On These
BY HARRY HUNT

NJ failure Of the disarmament confer
Lnce in Washington this fall depends
rrimarily on a satisfactory adjust
ment of half a dozen Gar East Prob
LENS"
Onlv with these major issues annie
sbIv adjusted, would the irritanrs
that might ultimately lead to clash
g arms be removed. And then only
onuld the nations involved agree to
= considerable reduction of arma-
ments-at least cessation of build
;no new armaments-without feel
inc that safety was being jeopardiz-
ed.
These problems are:
Mandates under the League Of
Nations. particularly that of zap.
2. Shantung.
g The Open Door in China.
a. The territorial integrity OF
China.
Asiatic Russia.
G. Communications.
Once an agreement on these is
raacbed, the matter of getting to-
aptber on cutting down the size of
armies and navies will be easy. But
This first necessary agreement, Off
cials recognize, will not be easy
That, rather than any actual di-
armament compact, will be the big
step toward peace, if it is achieved.
U. S. Protest.
Yap and Shantung, Japan has IN
dcated, she holds to have been dis
posed of by the Treaty of Versailles.
The United States, however, on
the basis that she, as one of the
m!nripal allied and associated pow
els. even though not member OF
the League of Nations. was entitled
to a voice in the distribution of the
former German islands in the Pa
cific has protested the granting oil
special rights in zap to Japan. Be-
cause of Yap's importance as Pa
8fic cable center, this country has
insisted that it be internationallzed
and equal right in that peninsula.
The unbiased view, however, has
been that any dispute over sover-
eighty in Shantung should be the
matter of negotiation between emma
and Japan.
There is indicated a considerable
desire in several quarters that tine
Yap and Shantung question be eilm-
mated in advance of the Washington
conference. That, it is recognized,
would greatly simplify questions be-
fore the conference. This govern
Ment will not, however, concede that
49, Treaty of ersailles-in the abb
snce of any acquiesence by this
country-could dispose of zap. The
case has been stated so plainly that
japan has no illusions as 20 Inc
, basis on which our claims stand, and
the vigor with which they will be
presented.
Caina's Stand.
As to Shantung, Japan has con-
tended tla! title to the former Ter
man rights in that province was
legally vested in her and cannot be
disturbed so long as the Versailles
Treaty remains international law.
China, on the other hand, contends
that her declaration of war against
Germany restored to China all rights
previously granted Germany. That
being so, she claims, there were no
German rights in China to be dis
posed of at the Versailles conference.
China refused to sign the treaty be
cause Of the Shantung provision.
The Open Door in China, and
Chinas territorial integrity, are, OF
course, old questions. They are the
ones in which the real statesmanshlp
of the members of the conference
may best be displayed. On them de-
pends whether China is to become an
independent nation, or whether the
special interests which virtually rem
der China impotent and helpless are
to continue their hold. In this IS
involved the abolition of all extra
territorial jurisdiction, the control OF
maritime customs by the British, the
French control of the Chinese post
office and the Lansing-Ishii agree