Evening star., 1921-09-13
us. MAY TAKE part
IN SHANTUNG MOVE.
Japan WeuId, Settle Affair
Alone, Though China Wants
Other Nations Present.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


taking a deep interest in the negot1a-
tions between China and japan over
the Shantung question. There is even
a chance that the good Offices of this
government. or, at any rate. It's IN
fiuence, will be exerted to orihs
about settlement. though it Is not yet
clear whether the initiative taken
BY the Japanese was for the purpose
of beginning parley that wouid
merge into the larger conIerence az
Washington in November. OF Whethsl
it was an effort to put the Cninese IN
the position before the world OF reius-
ing a settlement.
Japan has professed her anxiety on
many occasions to reach-a settlement
with China, bat the latter-haVins re-
fused to sign the Versailles treaty. 9e7
clines to enter into negotiations which
have as their basis as connrmatioh
of the action Of the Paris peace con-
ference in awarding Japan certain
rights in Shantung The United States
did not favor the Shantuns settte
ment in the Versailles conference anu
the Harding administration. having
failed to ratify the Versailles pact Is
free to interpose it's influence Ior q
settlement between China and Japan
on a disinterested and unpre1udlceo
basis.
Larxe Aspect of Move.
The larger aspects OF the move On
the part of Japan in formally pro-
posing at this time settlement win
China have appealed to the Washihs-
ton authorities. 1t is the most siS-
nificant step that has been taken
since President Harding issued his
invitation for discussion OF Tar
eastern questions in connection Win
disarmament. The Chinese are quite
prefer a settlement before the Wash
ington conference begins. This LOOKS
impossible, because far eastern d.
plomacy is of the slow and procras-
tinating kind. On the other hand,
the Japanese might try to persuade
the Washington conference to Keep
hands off while the matters between
Japan and China were settled direct
ly. China, on the other hand, is
eager for the support OF the OUTSIDE
world and wants all the powers to
be present when an agreement Is
reached so that Great Britain. France.
Italy and the United States will be
morally responsible for the fulfill
ment by Japan of the promises she
makes.
The japanese accepted Americas in
vitation to a conference with the spe-
cific proviso that accomplished facts"
would not be discussed. This was
generally taken to mean that Japan
would not permit the Shantung issue
to come before the other powers. Now,
however. her negotiations with China
have reOpened the question. and there
is good reason to believe that Japan
realized the futility of trying to ex-
c1ude the Shantung controversy from
the Washington conference when she
herself had made no progress toward
a direct settlement with China.
Would Develop Business.
The currents of Japanese diplomacy
are always difficult to analyze be-
cause of the physical distance of the
Japanese government from European
and American capitals. but big busi-
ness in Japan has been urging set
tlement with China, so that CONNER
cial enterprises which the Japanese
have in mind may be developed with
out delay. The consortium agreement
reached between Japan and the Unit
ed States and other powers has little
effectiveness if political relationa be-
tween China and Japan re4nafn strain
ed The immense opportunities for
the development of the resources of
China are recognized on every side,
and the Japanese need the co-opera-
t1on of other countries in most OF
their plans.
The effort to conciliate China and
heal the open sores which the Shan
tung issue raised has back of 1t not
only political but commercial influ-
enceS.
Japan has been told that her action
in respect of the twenty-one demands
as we'll as her failure to restore Sham
tung to China have adversely affected
the public opinion of the United
States. Her advisers have insisted
that the time has come for Japan to
remove the sources of misunderstand-
ing concerning Japan's motives. and
that a most striking example of Japa-
nese rectitude would be afforded by
her course toward China in the Shan
tung controversy. The United States
is eager to help along such a settle-
ment. and 1t is not unlikely that the
Chinese will be urged to give serious
consideration to the Japanese pro-
posals in the hope that an adjustment
may be reached before the Washing
ton conference, and thus remove one
big obstacle to progress at that meet
ing.
y Copyright. 1921