Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-12-23
MESSAGES SHOW
CHINESE UNITED
ON MAIN ISSUES
Whole Nation Stands Firm on
Shantung Problem and
Twenty-One Demands.
TALK OPEN DOOR POLICY
Special to Indiana Daily Times
and Philadelphia Public Ledger.
BY ROBERT BARRY.

Japan are coming forward with unequiva- J
Japan are coming forward with uneqiVO- !
tiOns with respect to the so-called twenty
one demands Of 1915.
Masano Hanihara, Of the japanese dele
cation, said his government had not al
tered in the slightest its position of ir-
reconcilable opposition to a eonsidera
ton by the conference of the treaties
and agreements between China and Japan
growing out of the japanese demands of
1915. The japanese delegation will take
the position that review of those treaties
by the conference or any suggested amend ,
ment or modification. would 90 outside
the agenda OF the conference and in
volve an issue which is the sole affair of
two nations. Mr.. Hanihara viii present
the case Of Japan TO the Far Eastern
Committee and will urge that the treaties
OF all nations with China would have to
be inquired into If the SinO-Japanese
treaties Of 1915 were to be involved.
The Chinese delegation has made pub
lie the text of forty-four vigorously
worded messages received from China
since the conference convened. Afte. re-
ferring to the broad scope of the popular
sentiment expressed through the cable
grams. the delegation statement added
the senders "are giving assurance daily
Of the sentiment at home and the unity
OF China where foreign relations are con
corned. especially with reference TO
Shantrng and the twenty-One demands.
Manchuria and Mongolia also appear in
the later kilograms.
I while cabinets may fall in Pekin." the
= Chinese statement added. public opinion
in no way changes toward the main
issues Cabinet changes do not occur
periodically in China, any more than In
England and such changes as are now
being made look to a further unihcat'on
of the leading factions. The kilograms
: present n historic document in the
growth of popular control Of the forces
: Of government in China and the express
sion Of student sentiment in this country
reflects an even greater activity NJ home.
The Chinese kilograms constituted an
impOsing array of public expressions.
The publication Of the messages at this
hour OF the conference negC tiatOils was
regarded as 4 strategic move ny the dele
CATION to Justify its firm stand for a con-
sideratiOn Of the twenty-one demands.
The feeling has been gaining currency in
the past few days that the other nations
participating in the conference would
support Japan in her contention that
review Of the twenty-one demands was
not proper function Of the conference.
JAP DEMANDS
l.
There has been no formal expression Of
such an attitude on the part of the Amer
sican delegation but it was doubted
whether a nine-pOwer agreement affecting
the mainland Of Asia. TO be known as
the continental treaty" could be OBJ
tanned if a review OF the 1913 treaties
were undertaken by the conference The
matter goes back n question of the
validity of the treaties and an iuveStiga-
ZION Of all treaties made by China is
bought an impossible undertaking.
In the opinion Of some authorities. an
inquiry by foreign natiocs into the
treaty making functions of the Chinese
government and IN assumption by those
nations 10 declare legal or illegal the
various conventions which the Chinese
government has entered into would con
Stitute an invasion of Chinas Soveigutv
and might promote an -itation for the
international control If China. making
her ward Of the powers.
1t is predicted that the powers hold
Ing spheres Of influence i'm China and
which are represented in the washing
ton conference viii agree that the prin-
clpla OF the open door and equal q. or
tunlty for the nationals Of all Countries
IN China. shall apply to every province
o. CHINA. but that none Of them will re-
: sign its sphere It is pointed ont that
so-called spheres Of influence have not
existence in name in the treaties and OK
changes OF notes between China and the
powers which called them into being,
the phrase being invented as a convenient
and expressive one. The powers holding
such spheres of infuerece. it is stated. do
not actually lay Claim to them as such.
but would be unwilling to abrogate the
conventions which erqro rfco +b,-,
The question Of spheres of influence is
admittedly vague one. and Mr.. Balfour
has Indicated they no longer exist the
agreements already reached by the con
ference having abolished them In the
case Of the British sphere Of influence in
the Yangtse valley it WAS created by an
exchange Of notes between China and
Great Britain in which China pledged
herself not 10 ALLEVIATE any of the terri
tories traversed by the Yangtse River.
The French sphere Of influence is the
province of Nunnan. in which France has
preferential rights in financial matters
IN addition to owning. controlling and
operating a railway from the capitol Of
the province. Yunnan Flu. to the horde,
OF the French possession Of TOnking.
Just as Japan owns, controls and oper-
ates the South Manchurian Railway.
JAP SPHERE
OF INFLUENCE.
The province Of Fukien is regarded
generally as n japanese sphere Of in
huence as a result Of an exchange of
notes between Chinese and Japan. in
which China promised not to ALLEVIATE
any territory Of that province. which is
opposite the japanese island OF Formosa.
or Taiwan. South Manchuria is Jan
anese sphere of influence. although in \
distinct category, as Japan there sue
eeeded to rights acquired previously by
Russia and obtained them directly from
Russia after the RussO-Japanese war.
the transfer having been approved by
China. 1t has been indicated bv a
spokesman of the Japanese delegation
that Japan'S interests in the Liaotung
peninsula. comprising Port Arthur ana
Dairen, and properly called the Kwan-
tung leased territory are vital to the
existence of Japan. and up to the pres
ent time this declaration has not been
challenged by any power in the confer
ence.
1t is believed Japan will erect no oh
stacle in the way Of the application Of
the principle Of the open door and equal
opportunity To Manchuria proper. out
side the military areas. except insofar
as the powers themselves have already
agreed in the correspondence relating to
the international bankers consortium for
financing China. whose organization was
delayed until an understanding could be
reached in regard to Japan's special sta
tus in that region. The agreement rec
ognized certain japanese claims and
pledged nOn-interference with the vital
requirements Of JaPan in respect to the
COusortium'S operation in South Man