New-York tribune., 1921-04-18
Request That Japan Set
Definite Day of Evacua-
ton Is Expected to Fol-
low Decision on Yap
View Similar to
Norris Program
Policy of Open Door in
China To Be Maintained
as American Doctrine
By Carter ield


WASHINGTON, April II. -
President Harding intends to make
move on the Shantung situation
soon after the present negotiations
with Japan and the other Allies over
the Yap mandate are concluded. In
volved in Shantung are many impor-
tant questions, including the open
door in China, which affects ire
mendously the commercial interests
of the United States and the popu-
! lar disapproval in this country of
the section of the peace treaty trans
ferring Germany's concessions to
Japan over the protest Of the Chi
nese commissioner at the peace con-
ference.
The contentious which this gov
ernment will make as to Shantung
are so different from those in the
zap case that it was practically inn
possible to include it with the de-
mand for Americas rights in the
important little cable center. In
addition, this government wanted to
await the outcome of the Yap con-
tentions before presenting it's case
on Shantung. It is within the range
of possibilities that if this country is
granted her full rights on Yap and
other mandate territories more lib
eral attitude may be shown Japan
on Shantung.
Harding Favors Norris View
But there is no doubt whatever that
the position of. the Harding AdministraS
tion on Shantung will be taken, and
from the most excellent authority
comes the information that this posi-
tion will be one that will placate the
men who agreed with Senator George
W. Norris in his fight to amend the
Versailles Treaty with regard to Shan
tung.
1t will be recalled that several fights
were made to amend this section of the
treaty. Senator Norris first tried to
have the word Japan" stricken out and
the word "China" substituted, so that
the German concessions in that big
province would have been given back
to China as one of the Allies in the
war against Germany.
When this failed the effort was made
to strike out the whole Shantung Sec
tion of the treaty. President Harding,
then Senator, voted for the Norris
amendment, and was known to sympa-
thize deeply with the Nebraska Senator
in his fight. What was known as the
mild reservationst group of Senators,
however, voted against all the textuai
amendments, and, as the Republican
majority in the Senate was only two.
this gave the pro-Wilson Senators a
majority and enabled them to beat the
Shantung amendments as they beat the
johnson amendment giving the United
States an equal vote with the British
Empire in the League of Nations AS
sembly.
Included in Reservations
However, safe majority was mus
tered for strong reservation refusing
approval to the Shantung section Of
the treaty, and this was included in the
Lodge reservations which were tackled
on to the treaty, Mr.. Harding voting
for this as we'll as for the textua]
am endments.
The case of Shantung is not a case
OF the transfer of territory-certainly
not technically or legally-since ali
that the treaty hands over to Japan are
the German concessions. But as these
include the right to police the railroad
running up through the province the
Chinese were and are apprehensive.
Japan has made statement with
regard to the situation that has never
satisfied either China or the present
Administration-although neither Mr..
Harding nor Secretary Hughes, of
course, was in the Administration when
the statement was made. This state
Japan would withdraw but made the
whole thing conditional on the salts
factory outcome of negotiations then
in progress between Japan and China.
The Administration is said to be
heartily in favor of extracting from
japan a definite statement as to a dav
on which Japan will withdraw from
Shantung not only legally but actu-
ally
The Administration is also STRONGLY
in favor of maintaining the open door
in China, which, az one high official
put it to the Tribune correspondent.
is mot only shut but barred and nailed
fast"
Strong Position Forecast
The only move made so far on tho
whole Chinese situation was with re-
gard to the loan to China by the Ave
powers. Secretary Hughes took rm
position on this, forecasting yery firm
stand when the Shantung and OPEN
door discussions fofrc--
This Administration is determined. 10
possible, to keep the markets of China
open for American exports, with no dis
ordinations permitted in favor of the
merchants Of Japan or any other coun-
try. 1t is fully realized that the Shan
tung situation is tied up with this. en-.
tireiy aside from the sentimental mo-
tives affecting the Shantuns settle
ment, which. in the minds of most
Americans at least, are dissociates
from questions of trade.
An interesting political aspect of the
whole situation is that this move with
regard to Shantung, about which no ~
nouncemcnt has been made but vticA