Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-01-11
NAVALLEADERS
TRY TOPREVENT
ANAGREEMENT
Shantung Issue Threatens to
Be Skeleton in Closet
of Nations.
FARLEY PROGRESS SLOW
Special to Indiana Daily Times
and Philadelphia Public Ledger.
RY RORERT BARRY.

BY ROBERT BARk1.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1l.-Amerlcan
naval opinion is working to prevent
agreement by the United States to the
five-power naval reduction treaty pend
ing DEVELOPMENTS of the highest impor
lance to peace in the Far East. The
Shantung issue is threatening to become
the SHELTON in the closet of the nations
here assembled Another Chinese polit-
ical crisis Of such serious import as to
threaten disruption of any Far Eastern
formulsae Of the Washington conference
appears in prospect.
The heads or the five delegations late
yesterday went over details of the naval
treaty. They made progress, but not
enough to conclude their task. Their
discussions were continued today Sew
eral issues are in dispute. Some of them
may have to be referred to home gov
ernments. American naval officers were
pointing to a possible menace in full ap-
prOval by this Government to the naval
treaty in advance Of adjustment of mat
ters pressing to the fore in the Far East.
Theirs was a disposition to withhold as
sent to some details of the naval agree
ment until such time as the Chinese
political atmosphere showed definite
signs of clearing.
NEW POLITICAL
MOVE IN CHINA.
WI Pei Flu, tuchun of the province of
Hupah, and inspector general of Hupah
and Hanan, is the center of a new no
Htical movement in China. Although al
lied nomin9lly with T'Sao Kun. SUPER
tuchun OF the Chin1i group, and one of
the military triumyirate which estab-
lished the existing ministry at Pekin,
appeared to have had the political as
tuteness to grasp the possibilities Of the
situation offered by the action of the
Pektn officials in entering into a Shan
tung agreement with Japan in the terms
OF the Toxic government He proposes
to trade on the intense unpopular feeling
on that issue. An effort to overthrow the
present government and set up a new
cabinet committed to irreconcilable op-
position to the decisions of the wash
1ngton conference was not at all I'M
likely. The Chinese student movement
in this country and in China is believed
to have arrived at a point of religious
fanatictsm relative to Shantung. A popu-
lar uprising is not at all improbable.
Such an eventuanty might carry WI
Pei-Fu to power, but leave a wake of
serious political consequences, upsettiug
the best laid plans of the men attending
the Washington conference.
nine-p wer far Eastern treaty would
become a virtual impossibiIity. The Chi
nese delegation in Washington would
have abundant excuse for not signing it.
The prospect is not entirely remote the
delegation must lend certain influence
to a popular Reputation Of the Pekin
ministry which undertook direct settle
ment with the japanese minister. Mr..
Obata, at Pekin, at the moment Chinese
spokesman in Washington were holding
out against the japanese terms as i'm
possible Of acceptance.
HUGHES AND
BALFOUR ACTIVE,
Secretary Hughes and Arthur J. Bal
four were represented as having been
quietly and informally active in the
Shantung matter, but their efforts were
believed likely to be productive of re-
suits very shortly. Announcement was
made that at the request of the Japa-
nese delegates, the conversations with
the Chinese delegation would be resumed
tomorrow for a discussion Of collateral
issues" Those exchanges, it was said.
would relate to mines along the Shan
tung railway and other properties not
disposed of thus far in the negotiations
There were many rumors of the immi-
nence of a full agreement on the whole
question. In some quarters it was stated
an announcement might be forthcoming
within forty eight hours
The statement was made by respons-
ible spokesmen that China has received
effective notice her request for a con-
sideration by the conference Of the Sine
japanese treaties Of 1915 basd on the
twenty-one demands was not possible Of
granting.
The position taken by Elihu Root, ap-
proved by the American delegation and
known to be concurred in by the British
and other delegations respecting the
sanctity of treaties was held to offer ade-
quate forecast of what may be expected
of the conference.
NO WHITE HOUSE
MEDIATION,
Occasion was taken IN executive quar-
tiers to say there had not been any sug-
gestion Of White House mediation in the
Shantung squabble, but it is known
President Harding regards a settlement
as one OF the vital tasks of the confer
ence.
The powers represented in the confer
ence, it was learned, have called on the
Chinese delegation for a list Of the instru-
ments which the Chinese government
would like to have altered and for infor-
nation as to how 1T would have them
modlned. The request grew out Of the
situation respecting spheres of influence
in China. Most Of the delegations desire
to abandon the obsolete system Of spheres
Of influence but It is contended the bur
dens China wishes to be rid of must be
defined by China herself
HUNT FOR
SATISFACTORY FORMULA.
DR.. Wang, one Of the Chinese Pleni-
potentiaries, said:
1--WE have not yet found a formula salts
factory to both China and Japan, but we
hope solution will be found. Chinese
public opinion on the Shantung question
is much more intense and stronger than
it was at Paris. Then it was acute. Now
It is chronic. 1t is a political issue now,
it may become a retinuous tenet later
SO it is also with the 'twenty-one de
mands."
The text Of the pronouncement by WI
PeiFu, as received here by the Chinese
delegation. applied the term traitors" to
"BONCILLA FACES"