Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1921-12-14

prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety, Washington, u c.
KlnochOw, TSingtaO Shantung-these
form II tumble OF names that have
served to make the famous "Shanung
Question" fairly brIstle with confusion
In the West.
The so-called Shantung question be-
gan when the Germans determined 10
have naval base In northeastern
Chinese waters. They gained posses
sion of the rocky promontory Mt the
entrance OF Klaochow Bay, where
deep water was available. and on this
point built from the ground up the
new. typlcally German town of Tslpy-
tao.
To add to the confusion OF names,
the region as well as the bay has
been known as Klaochow, and there
was already In existence town Of
that name some six miles inland from
the bay and wholly outside the leased
zone. Bay and towns are In the
important Of China's states" This
governmental unit of $4,000 square
mlles-as large as Pennsylvania, Mary
land and Delaware combined--has Il
large peninsula Jutting out to the east,
which half closes the Gulf of Chill,
the front door To Peking. out of the
large domain Of Shantung the territory
actually leased to Germany and trans
ferrcd by the Versailles treaty to
japan has an nrea OF l23 square miles
little more than that Of the original
District of Columbia. The issue be-
tween China and Japan, therefore, in
So fur AZ It concerns territory actually
claimed, might he more correctly
called "the Klnochow question"
But there are other aspects of the
problem than the outright claim 10
territory. Germany also had conces-
sions to construct railway lines into
the interior Of Shnntung, and to carry
on mining operations there; and
Jnpan's lnslstence on falling heir 10
these privileges, and the fear OF the
Chinese that they would lead to closer
control of the entire region by the
conccsslonHlres has raised the "Kino-
chow problem" into the "Shantung
question"
British Have q Concession.
And Klaochow IL not the only part
o; Shantung that has already passed
under control OF foreign govern.
Nent. Near the very tip % the shan
tung peninsula about 100 miles north.
east of the Klnochow area Is Wei-hel-
wei. a region of about the same extent,
leased by the British.
one " the reasons why China was
In a position TO meet foreign demands
for territorial concessions on the const
Of Shantung Is picturesque. Some
centuries ago this coast was ravuged
notorious pirate, koxlnga. the bloody
% Captain nldd and Henry Morgan com.
blned of the Far East. The emperor
then relgning, unable To protect his
subjects from the murderous depreha-
tions Of Koxlngn, 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 Shantung coast had
been free from villages and even In
habi'ants,
Although there Is touch Of modern
western advancement In It's English
dominated port OF wel.hai.wel, and In
German-Japnnese Tslngiao, and the
Kiaochow zone, Shantung boasts n
civilization which goes back to 'he
beginning Of ChIna's national life.
within It's 56,OOo square miles there re.
side more than S1O0O,OOO people the
density Of population being greater
thnn In any other province In the
country.
II II not hard to understand the
abnormal population of inland Shan.
tung. for the province II traversed
from north to south by the Grand
Canal. an artificial waterway 100
miles In length. which. as a commerce
carrier for the nation. ranks second
only TO the great Yangze-kiang.
This canal furnishes cheap Transports
ton for the rich yield Of the Shan.
tung coal mines and for the lead. cop
per and gold ore Of the district as
well as agricultural produce. In the
valleys VI the province the fertile soil