The New York herald., 1921-11-19
REVIEWS TREATIES
THAT SAVED CHINA
Correspondent Believes Pekin
Should Candidly Admit
Historic Facts.
Ry *. IA. kAWAkAMI,

ny IA ~ IN n w n N n uIs
Special Correspondent to the Jill shimpo,
Toxic.
Special Despatch TO THE New York HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
Washington, ID. c., Nov. Is.
There is a tendency in certain quar-
ters to look upon the Chinese memo
randum submitted to the conference last
Wednesday, with antipathy tinged with
suspicion. Some critics charge China in
language veiled but transparent with
being too audacious and pretentious
Others see in the memorandum the
guiding hands OF American pubicists.
1t is deplorahle that such suspicion
and antipathy should prevail even in
limited circles If there is any nation
which should receive the utmost SYM
pathy and friendly consideration at this
conference that nation certainly is
China. 1t makes not a jot of difference
who drafted the Chinese memorandum
1t may be Mr.. Lansing. 1t may be Dr.
Reinsch Common gossip now is that
DR.. John c. Ferguson. one of the many
foreign advisers 20 the Chinese Govern
ment, is the real author of the docu-
ment. But its authorship Is imma-
terial. We must dismiss foolish gossip
and consider the memorandum upon its
own merits. We must approach IT,,
moreover. in friendly feeling and in the
spirit of fairness and sympathy.
AT the same time We must ask tho
Americans to purge themselves of the
mawkish sentimentality which they are
prone to entertain In discussing China
That we must be sympathetic toward
China goes without saying, but sympa-
thy, divorced from frankness and crit
ical reservation, contributes nothing
ari la, -
question. much less toward it's solution.
1t would be extremely unwise on the
part of China to bring the Anglo
Japanese alliance before the discus
sion OF the arms conference Indeed
such movement may be construed as
wholly gratuitous. Not that japan
clings to the alliance, but because the
matter is one that should be left to
the sole deliberation of the contracting
parties
Britain and Nippon will part, Il they
must, in the same gentlemanly spirit
and manner in which they met upon
the stage of diplomacy twenty years
ago They met as friends. and as
friends they will part. Their leave
taking certainly calls for no ipterfer-
ence on the part of any third nation.
There Is another point equally i'm
portant The Chinese memorandum car
ries with II an unmistakable intima-
ton OF displeasure over various treaties
which vitality affect her, but which
have been continued without consulting
her. Evidently the Chinese delega ties
have in mind especially the Anglo
Japanese alliance of 1902 and 1906. the
Russo-Japanese entente of 1907 and 1910,
ana the Franco-Japanese agreement of
June, 1907.
No fol y,,;,1oJ ,,..~
TO China's contention that no treaty
affecting her interest be continued be-
tween powers without first consulting
her. At the same time we must. in
the name OF candor and fairness. ask
China TO examine herself. and especially
ner past. We must ask her to consider
her own condition in the past several
decades and SEQ whether she can find
reason TO appreciate these Instruments
concluded over her head. Toward the
end of the nineteenth century China
stood upon the verge of dismember-
ment. St Petersburg, Berlin, Paris,
vienna and London were seriously talk
ing of the partiuoning of China. When
the curtain rose upon the twentieth
century the condition was going from
had to worse
However distasteful to us Il may be-
we must admit that China's territorial
integrity has been saved mainly be-
cause the Powers. by such instruments
as I have mentioned agreed not TO de-
stroy it. A cynical critic may regard
those Instruments as a manifestation
of a sordid international jealousy. But
the fact remains that had the Powers
agreed to partition. and not TO preserve
her, China would have years ago ceased
to exist as an Independent nation.
Frank admission of this fact on the
part of China would be conducive to
harmonious and friendly understand
Ing between her and the Powers. once
this Is admitted, the interested Powers
may be willing to formulate at the
present conference a broad international
understanding. in which China and
America WILL of course, be represented
and whose purpose will be to insure
Chinas existing integrity. can see
no reason why such an agreement
should not replace numerous treaties
and UNDERSTANDINGS which have in the
past been continued among the Powers
over China's head.