Evening star., 1921-12-13

The official statement issued yester-
day on the meeting Of the commit
tee on Pacific and far eastern ques-
tions. follows:
The committee on Pacific and far
eastern questions met this morning,
December ~, 1921. at II o'clock in the
Pan-American building. All the dele
gates were present except Baron
Shidehara, Signor Ricci and Sir Rob-
ert Borden. Mr.. Everwijn took his
seat as a delegate in the place Of DR..
Moresco, who had left for home.
The committee adopted the reSoiu-
tion on Chinese post offices as fol-
lows:
A. Recognizing the justice Of the
desire expressed by the Chinese gov
ernment to secude the abolition OF Ior-
eign postal agencies in China. save, or
except, in leased territories. or as
treaty, it is resolved:
% The four powers having such
postal agencies agree to their aban-
donment, subject to the following
conditions. (a) That an efficient chi
nese postal service is maintained. lD)
That an assurance is given by the Chi
nese government that they contem.
plate no change in the present postal
administration SO far as the status
Of the foreign co-director general Is
concerned.
(2) To enable China and the powers
concerned to make the necessary @ oone unse
positions, this arrangement shail coine
into force and effect not later than
January l, 1928.
b. Pending the complete withdrawal
of foreign postal agencies. the iour
powers concerned severally unoeI
take to afford full facilities to tne
Chinese customs authorities to exam
inc in those agencies all postal mat
ter Excepting ordinary letters,
whether registered or not. which upon
external examination appear plalhis
to contain only written matter) pass
ing through them. with view 10 as-
certaining whether they contain ar
ticles which are dutiable or contra
band or which otherwise contraVene
the customs regulations or laws OF
China.
Japan Expresses Assent.
Senator Lodge read the following
Japanese Delegation.
Washington, December y 1871
With regard to the proposed abo,
lition of foreign postal agencies, l
am happy to inform you that my
government have no objection 70 the
Initiation of the arrangement as from
the date in the draft resolutioe,
that is, not later than January !, 1873:
In announcing this agreement OF
my government, l am instructed "
state before the committee their oe
sire concerning the maintenance OF
efficient Chinese postal service suo-
stantially to the following enect:
Taking into account the fact that
the proposed change in the postal
regime in China cannot fail prac-
tically to affect the Japanese to
much greater extent than any otheI
nationals. the japanese goveramgins ins
wish to place on record their desire
that a suitable number of experienced
Japanese postal officers be engaged
by China in the interest OF the eI
,iciency of the Chinese postal aam,n
istration. The reasonabieness OF .nis
desire will readily be appreciated
when it is considered that the pow
ers concerned have recognized tne
need of effective foreign assistance III
the Chinese postal administrator.
and that no less than seventy BRUSH
subjects and twenty Frencnineh In
anese experts are employed In IT.
Yours respectfully, ,.p.
Hon Henry acbot Lodge. Chairman
Subcommittee for Foreign fosl vi
fees in China.
Pledge G1Sen ny Sh"<a.
Mr.. SEE made the following state
ment: ,r no
,ional postal service China has at all
times handled with efficiency all ZOE
eien mail. She appreciates that. Win
the withdrawal of foreign post oHces
from her soil. the amount or foreis Il
mail to be handled by her own poslaI
system will be increased. This increase
she undertakes to handle with the
same efficiency by making such addi-
tions to the personnel and equipment
of her postal service as Will De re-
quired. AS soon as the Siberian route
is reopened for the transportation
of foreign mail matter between ASIA
and Europe, steps will be taken to
make arrangements for the transpor-
tation of such mail matter as was for
merIy transported by this route. AS
regards actual railway transporta-
ton of such mail China will hold her
self responsible for uninterrupted
service upon those railways or sec
tions of railways within her jurisdic-
tion which are under her own con-
troll and operation"
DR.. Wang ON Spheres Of influence.
The committee also entered upon the
discussion of. matters relating to
radio stations in China. which was
postponed for further consideration.
1t then took up the matter of spheres
of influence in China, in connection
with which Dr. Wang made the fol-
lowing statement, and the discussion
of the matter was postponed to the
next session of the committee:
''Tht phrase sphere of interest," or
sphere of influence, as ii is some
times called. is a more or less vague
term which implies that the powers
making such claims in China are
entitled within their respective
! spheres to enjoy reserved. prefer
entail, exclusive or special rights and
privileges of trade investment and
for other purposes.
Germany was the first to claim a
sphere of influence or of interest in
it's crystallized form over the prov
ince of Shantung: later the other
powers made similar claims over
other portions of the territory of
China.
These claims are either based on
agreements between the powers
themselves to which China is not a
party, such as the agreement of Sep
tember 2, 1898, relative to railway
construction concluded between Brit
ish and German banking groups and
sanctioned by their respective gov
ernments. or based on treaties or
agreements made with China under
circumstances precluding the free
exercise of her will. such as the con-
vention with Germany for a lease Of
Kiaochow of March 6, 1898, and the
treaties and notes of May Is. 1915,
made with Japan in consequence of
the latter's twenty-one demands on