The New York herald., 1922-02-05
TREATY FOR RETURN
OF SHANTUNG SIGNED.
Hughes and Balfour Attend
Simple Ceremony and Are
Thanked for Mediating.
Special Dispatch 10 THE NEW YonK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
W. shingtOr. ID. C., Feb. y.

Special Dispatch 10 THE NEW York HERALD
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. C., Feb. =.
The treaty between Japan and China
providing for the recession OF the
province Of Shantung to the Chinese re-
public was signed by the Japanese and
Chinese delegates at $40 p. M. to-day
in the Hall of the Americas of the Pan
American Building.
The ceremony was performed in the
presence of Secretary Hughes and Ar
thur Balfour, whose good Offices had
brought about the solution of what had
been regarded as one of the knottiest
The signatures were attached at the
table about which the Japanese and
Chinese delegates had struggled during
thirty-six protracted meetings held sim
ultaneously with the progress Of the
arms conference.
In addition to Secretary Hughes and
Mr.. Balfour the ceremony Of signing
was witnessed by ]. A. McMurray. head
of the Far Eastern Division of the State
Department, and Edward Bell. counselor
Of the American Embassy at Toxic. and
by Maurice Lampson and Ashton Guat-
kino of the Far Eastern Division OF the
British Far Eastern Foreign Office.
These men had been the eyes and ears
OF Secretary Hughes and Mr.. Balfour
during the progress of the "~onversa-
tions" between the Japanese and CHI
nese.
Several newspa per men also witnessed
the signing of the treaty. When 1t was
finished DR.. SEE. Chinese Minister at
Washington, thanked Secretary Hughes
and Mr.. Balfour 'for their good Of
fices." Ambassador Shidehara did the
same thing for JapaA.
s, Secretary Hughes. his voice full of
emotion. said simply: II congratulate
you both. gentlemen"
There were four copies of the treaty.
one each for the archives of the Gov
ernments at Pekin and Toxic. and an
other for the Foreign Ministers of both
Governments. The document was signed
for China by Alfred SEE. Minister at
Washington; Wellington Koo. Minister
at London, and Chung-Hui Wang. Chief
Justice of China, and for the japanese
by Admiral Baron Tomasaburo Kato.
MlnlSlef OF tNe navy, NlJuTo oHlendiH'
Ambassador to the United States. and
Masanao Hanihara. Vice-Minister Of
Foreign Affairs.
The controversy now settled dates
back to the time when European Pow
ers were contesting with one another
in seizing Chinese territory. While Rus
sia was reaching out to seize Port Ar
thur and Dalny. while England was
occupying Wei Hal Wei. Germany in
trenched herself in Shantung. Japan.
the quiet worker of the East. had al
ready displaced Russia in the Liaotung
peninsula when she promptly took ad-
vantage of the world war to assume
Germany's place in Shantung.
The return of the province containing
10000. 900 people to China by Japan is
in harmony with the spirit which ac-
tuated the present congress OF nations
where the watcnword was "Disgorge'
rather than Grab" The Versailles con-
ference had sealed the pact which gave
Shantung to Japan, to be returned at
her own discretion. The storm of dis
approval quickly awakened the japanese
to the fact that times had changed
when one nation can despoil another
with impunity.