Evening star., 1922-01-23
HOME VIEWS DETER
SHANTUNG ISSUE
Arms Delegates May DipIo.
maticalIy Settle Problem
to "Save Face"
BY JUNIUs b. WOOD..

BY JUNIUS b WOOD.s
The problem of Shantung, the sorest
spot OF the far east, may be diplo-
matically settled by the conference
in such way that the delegates of
both Japan and China will save face"
with their home folk. Popular opinion
in China has been aroused against
any negotiations directly with Japan.
| Political opposition in Japan is
against, countenancing any interview
! tion of outside powers in a settlement
| between the two countries To salts
~ Chinas home susceptibilities the
| thirty odd meetings which have been
| held with Japan on the subject have
been designated as Conversations" !"
not as negotiations.
Only settlement of the compare
| lively unimportant salt concessions
now remains before the two countries
! WIN again lock horns over the Tsing-
| tao-Tsinan railroad. Present indica-
tions are that they are no nearer an
| agreement on that than they were
| when the conversations started in
| November. 1t once caused a suspen-
| sion of the meetings, resumed only
! when Japan insisted that other de-
| tails of the return of the peninsula to
China be discussed Practically all of
| these have been disposed of to the
| mutual satisfaction of the two coun-
| tries. and the 271 miles of railroad is
| again in the foreground.
Conference May Take Hand.
If the deadlock on this continues it
! means that either the Shantung nego-
ttations must fail-an outcome seri-
| ously rejecting on the effectiveness
of the conference-or that the con-
ference itself must take a hand in
! them. With everything in connec-
ton with Shantung, except the rail-
! road. agreed to petween China and
Japan. it is possible that the con-
| ference's general consideration of the
| railroad situation in China may JUS
! tify sufficient specific attention to this
| railroad as>to make possible it's in :
clnsior IN the Shartung settlement
The Esingtao-Esinan railroad is in
VOWED IN the general aspects Of loans
1 to Chino omen door and special in
terests, which makes it much more i'm
portant tnan mere question of
Shantung. 1t has direct connection
with two loans. totalling 10000, 900
yen. which Japan made to China on
september %, 1918, six weeks after
the differentiated the war. They were
extremely liberal in terms, accepting
as security railroad extensions which
not only had not been built, but whose
locations were not definitely decided.
Whether the Japanese banks were
"stung" or whether the possible COM
mercial benefit to Japan justified TAX
ing the change may depend on the
next few years developments from
tung issue did not deter China from
accepting the money from Japan.
one extension was proposed from
kaomi. city about forty miles from
Tsingtao, on the railroad to Tsinan,
southwest across Shantung to Suchow,
X fhn D1lr
Shanghai railroad. The other was
proposed from Tsinan southwest to
Shunteh, in Chilli province, connect
ing with the Peking- -Hankow railroad.
The Japanese spokesman says that
100000 yen. without discount, was
advanced to China on the strength Of
these projects.
Other Extension Plan.
The other plan for railroad exten-
sion, which netted China another
100000 900 yen. was part Of Japan's
plans for the development of Man
chufia and Inner Mongolia. One
branch was to run west from Chang
South Manchurian and the Russian
Chinese Eastern railroads, to Taonan,
in Inner Mongolia; and from there go
south to Jehol. about 100 miles north
Of Peking! Another branch was to
extend. from Kirin across Manchuria
via Hailung to Kaiyuan and connect
the South Manchurian system on the
east coast of Korea.
These latter. known in the loan
treaties as the four roads in Man
part Of the South Manchurian system
whose permanency was assured in the
same twenty-one demand treaties
which disposed Of Shantung. They
also recall the Hartman project for
an American financed railroad across
w hxy
nection with the Chinese Eastern
from Tsitsihar It would open the
same region of Inner Mongolia. The
treaties, by extending for seventy
four years the previous Russian
in March Of next year. extend Japan's
possession Of Dairen and its South
Manchurian properties in China until
1897. They also Cancelled China's
right to purchase the railroads in
Certain features Of these treaties
under an Interpretation of the open
door principles enunciated by the
conference may affect the rights of
other nations than Japan and China.
Some Of these. as evidenced by the
on the day the treaties were signed,
May Is. 1915, are:
In securing capital to build any rail-
roads in South Manchuria or Eastern
lnuoT N1OuSOl1d SulNd SHdll give pre-
ference % Japanese capitalists.
= Before negotiating any loans with
NE taxes Of South Manchuria or
Eastern Inner Mongolia, as security
China shall first consult with Japan
ese capitalists.
If foreign advisers or Instructors on
political, financial, military or police
affairs are employed In South Man
churia, preference shall be given to
Japanese.
China agrees not to convert the
Hanyehpi1g Coal Company into a
state enterprise Without the consent
Of Japanese capitalists nor to cause
it to borrow any foreign capital
other than japanese, The mines are
located at Hankow, on the Yangtze
river, in Hupeh province. about half
Of its annual output of 100000 tons
being taken by Japan.
China promises that 1t has not per-
mittted any foreign nation to con
struct dockyards, military coaling
stations. naval bases or military. es-
tablishments on the coast Of Fukien
province, opposite Formosa, nor does
she intend to borrow foreign capital
to do such work for herself.
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