Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-11-29
The SHANTUNG QUESTION
Involves the Territorial Integrity OF
China.
HOW JAPAN GOT Her FINGER In
BY Riehts Territory Taken BY Ger
many Should Have Gone Back to
China; But by Secret Treaty the A.
lies Had Given it to Japan.

after all, and what part do Kiaochow
and Tsipgtao play in it?"
This Question is answered in bull
letin issued from the Washington, D.
C. headquarters of the National Geo.
graphic Society as follows:
"The 'Shantung Question had its
genesis when Germany, eager TO COM
pete with other European nations
which were becoming more and more
important in the Far East, determined
to have a port and naval base of her
own on the shores Of northeast China.
1t took definite shape when in 1897
two German missionaries were killed
in teeming Shantung, most densely
populated and economically and senti-
mentally one of the most important OF
Chinas provinces. BY way OF indem-
nifying herself for the loss OF her nat
ionals Germany forced China to grant
her a 80 year lease on an area roughly
ten or twelve miles in diameter on the
coast of Shanturg at the entrance to
Kiaochow Bay and to neutralize
zone 33 miles wide skirtins the entire
bay and including the leased region.
On the leased plot the Germans built
typical German town Tsingtao.
First Only "Kiao- Chow Problem.
"The leased and neutral zones to-
gether comprise relatively small part
Of the sc, 600 square miles of ShantunS.
So far as area is concerned, it is very
roughly as though Virginia, Maryland
and Delaware were substituted Tor.
Shantung the District of Columbia
for Tsingtao, and for the neutral kiao-
chow territory, fan-shaped area oi
Maryland counties with radius
edualing the distance between wash
ington and Baltimore.
When this most stubborn of Far
Eastern questions first, emerged with
Germany and China as the chief par
ties concerned, 1t seemed to be only
'Kiaochow Question But the Kiao-
chow inch rapidly developed into the
indefinite but looming Shantung ELI
when Germany's economic designs
were understood; and the later
amendment of the plant made the
problem still broader For the agree
ment included Concessions to build
railways outside the leased and neu-
tral areas in Shantur~ proper; and
coupled with the railroad concessions
was the right to exploit mines in zones
twenty miles wide traversed by the
railroads.
The Question Springs up Again.
THE 255 mile railway line from
Tsingtao to Tsinan, the capital OF
Shantung, was opened in 1904. When
in 1914 japan announced that she
would support Great Britains interests
byAtaking the town of Tsingtao, the
Chinese wished to send troops to make
the attack a concerted affair, but were
dissuaded. When Japan had stormed
the town and taken it from the Ger
mans, the Chinese considered the mat
ter merely Tsingtoa Question but
il rapidly grew into 'Shantung- Ques-
tlOn again "lltll StCltl NiNe'iNS WV
disclosed whereby Japan had obtained
more than year before the Peace
Conference the engagements OF Great
Britain, France, Russia and Italy to
support Japanese claims to all priv
ileges which Germany had acquired
in Shantung. Although the Chinese
delegates protested that when their
country entered the war against Ger
many and abrogated all treaties with
the latter, her territories and conces-
sions automatically reverted to emma
the Paris council followed the secret
treaties ard provided in the Treaty
Of Versailles for the transfer OF AL
rights formerly belonging to Germany
in Shantung, TO Japan. The chinese
refused to sign the treaty; and there
the matter may be said to rest, though
it has since been the subject of almost
ccaseless diplomatic discussion.
Is China's Holy Land.
Most of the coast of Shantung is
rough. but within this minor barrier
lnuCh oil the province IL pL''iII" N'NH''S
with uncndng fields of beans and
kaoliang. kind Of grain sorghum.
The level sections Of the province are
traversed by the great Yellow River,
which periodically mandates the coun-
try: and the Grand Canal, a waterway
second in importance as commerce
carrier only TO the Yang -tSZe-kiang.
Near the central part of shan
tung rises Tai-Shan, the highest ana
most famous of the five sacred noun
tains of China. a short distance 70
the south of the mountain is little
town which probably ranks as the
most veneratcd spot in all China, the
birthplace and burial place of Con-
Cucius, one of the worlds greatest re-
1ipious teachers. To both Tai-Shan
and the grave of ConfucIus at Chow
I'm. thousands of pilgrims journey an
nIrallv. The presence Of these sacred
enots raises Shantung sentimcn';ulN
above the. other provinces they
tr,psmute il into the Chinese Holy
Lana"
- l.