Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-15
Alternate Plans
for British Ships
Continued from PAGE One

Continued from PAGE One
! Three" would be held Saturday or
Monday.
The focal point Of the conference ne.
gotiatlons appears to be shifting more
and more today to the Fn- Eastern dis
cuSSions.
No session was scheduled today for
the Far Eastern Committee, which ah-
journcd yesterday subject to the call
of Chairman Hughes nftrr Csna had
requested that the treaties resulting
from the famous twcnty-Onc demands
be abrogatsd aud consideration of the
question had been promptly objected to
by the Japanese delegates.
How the Conference will steer its
course On this new element of contrO.
vprsy in the Far Eastern negotiations
was the subject of serious dclibcration
by the othor delegations today as they
prepared for = decision probably az the
rcxt meeting az TO whether the sub.
jcct can properly be tnken up under the
ConfcrCn2e agendn. In the view Of the
Chinese representatives, however. the
subject actually Is before the Confer.
cncc now and must be disposed of one
way or another.
The Conference alGo faced an ndii-
tional complication In the Far Eastern
negotiations today az rcsuit of China 4
rrqucst that II take definite steps to
abolish all claims to special spheres
OF influence" which have grown out of
the several treaties with China.
Another difficult question In the Far
Eastern negotiations remained unset
tied today as the japanese and Chinese
delegates continued their Shantung con
ference In an effort to agree on a basis
for Japanese REIMBURSEMENT Of the
Kioo Chow Railway. The controversy
financial guarantees desired by Japan
for withdrawal from the road. which
some of the Chinese delegates view us
amounting to virtual perpetuation Of
japanese control over the property.
Advices from Riga that Soviet Rus.
ala has protested the discussion Of the
Chinese Eastern Railway by the Con
I ference has served to draw the attcn
ticn of Conference circles to the rather
complicated nature OF this subject which
occupies n place on the American
agenda.
The Chinese Eastern, as it IL collo-
quially referred 10 In the Far East, Is
Of the greatest strategic and economic
, importance 70 RUSSIA, Japan ana Cnlna,
II is the great connecting link across
China of the Trans Siberian railroad
from Vladivostok to far away Moscow
and Petrograd It CROSSES the Chinese
Province Of Manchuria. which pene
trates like a peninsula into the heart OF
Siberia.
Some two or three years ago with
the military occupation Of Siberia by
various troops, including Americans
there was formed an interallied railway
board with u subsidiary technical board
of management under the Craftsmanship
of John F. Stevens, American railroad
manager and expert, who is now in
Washington.
Legally speaking, the railroad is re.
garded as belonging to Russia, but both
the United States and japan are said
70 have made financial outlays for the
upkeep Of the line, the guarding OF
which Is entrusted to Chinese because i,
traverses Chinese territory. The dircc-
tors include both Chinese and Rus
slams.
1t Is the future status Of the Chinese
Eastern that the Conference may be
called upn to discuss