The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-11-27

tPrsparee b. the National Geographic So
ciety Washington, , c.
hlaochow Tsingtao, Shantung-these
form a 1umble OF names thar have
served 10 make the famous "Shantung
Question" fairly bristle with confusion
IL the West.
The so-called Shantung question be-
gan when The Germans determined to
have o naval base IN northeastern
Chinese waters. They gained posses.
Zion VI the rocky promontory al the
entrance Of Kiaochow Bay, where
deep wafer was available, and on this
point built from the ground up the
new typically German town Of Using
tao.
To add 10 the confusion OF names,
the region as well as the bay has
been known as kiaochow. and lhere
was already In existence Il town Of
that name some six miles inland from
the bay and wholly outside The leased
zone. Bay and towns are IN the
province of Shsntung, one OF the most
Important Of China's states This
governmental unit Of $4,000 square
uiles--as large as Pennsylvania. Mary
land and Delaware combined-has a
large peninsula jutting out 10 the east,
which half closes the Gulf VI Chill,
the front door 10 Picking. Out OF the
hrge domain OF Shantung the territory
actually leased to Germany and trans.
ferred by the Versailles treaty TO
Japan has all area Of l23 square miles,
little more Than that OF the original
District VI Columbia. The issue be-
tween China and Japan, therefore, in
50 far as II concerns territory actually
claimed. might be more correctly
called the k%iaocbow question"
But there are other aspects OF the
problem than the outright claim to
territory. Germany also had conces-
sions "a construct railway lines into
the interior Of Shantung. and to carry
on mining operations there; and
Japan's insistence IN falling heir IL
these privileges, and the fear Of the
Chinese that they would lead TO closer
control of the entire region by the
concessionaires has raised the "Kiao-
chow problem" into the "Shantung
question"
British Have a Concession.
And K!sochow is not the only part
Of Shsntung that has already passed
under control OF II foreign govern.
ment. Near the very Zip OF the Shan.
tung peninsula sbout 100 miles north.
east Of the K~iaochow area is Wel.hal.
wei, u region Of about the same extent,
leased by the British.
one OF the reasons why China was
In a position 70 meet foreign demands
for territorial concessions GU the coast
~ Shantung Is picturesque. Some
centuries ago this coast was ravaged
time and again by the band Of a
notorious pirate, koxlnga, the bloody
Captain Kidd and Henry Morgan CON-
blned Of the Far East. The emperor
then reignlng, unable to protect his
subjects from the m%urderous depreda.
t,ans OF koIinss, commanded them 10
retire about twelve miles inland and
leave the strip OF land along the coast
n deserted "no.man's land" Since that
time much Of the Sh0ntung coast had
been free from villages and even In.
h%shltants,
Although there Is a touch Of modern
western advancement In Its English.
dominated port OF Wei.hai.wel, and In
Germsu.JOpanese Tslhgtao, aud the
kiaochow zone, Shsntuny boasts n
civilization which goes back to the
beginning Of Chlna's national life.
Wlthin lie 5000 square miles there re.
side more than 100000 people. the
density Of population being greater
than In any other province In the
country.
II L. not hard to understand the
abnormal population Of inland shan.
runs, for the province IL traversed
from north ~ south by the Grand
Canal, su artificial waterway 200
miles 10 length. which as a commerce
carrier FOR the nation, ranks second
only to the great fangze. klanv.
This canal furnishes cheap t%ransporta.
ton for the rich yield Of the Shan.
,ung coal mines and for the lead, cop.
per and gold ore OF the district rs
we'll as agricultural proddce. In the
valleys OF the province the fertile soil
rewards the husbandman with an