The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-02-08
JAPAN MOVES
TO END ROW
With CHINA
Meets Peking Deleg,a-
ton Part Way on
Request For Aban-
donment. Of "TWen-
ty-One Demands

Washington. Feb 2.-Japan met
China part way today on the lat
ter's request for abandonment OF
the celebrated "twenty-one de-
raands'' program Of 1915.
Taking the center of the stage as
the firal scene of the arms con-
terence began, the Japanese an
rounced that their government
was ready to give up entirely
Group 5 of the demands" which
China has held was calculated to
rob her Of her sovereignty. and
TO make further concessions re-
garding economic privileges and
political and military preferences
in Manchuria and Mongolia.
Tomorrow China is to reply in q
statement that is expected TO bring
the Far Eastern negotiations to
"a end, and on Saturday the Wash
ington conference probably will
adjourn sine die after q plenary
session for formal adoption Of the
Far Eastern treaties.
Consideration Of the twenty
one demands. the last topic re-
manning on the agenda Of the con-
ference, began in the Far Eastern
committee after hope of an ADJUST
ment OF the Chinese Eastern rail-
way situation had been abandoned
and resolution adopted merely
declaring that arrangements Tor
better protection" OF the road
should be worked out in the near
future through the regular diplo-
matic channels. The powers other
than China appended q joint dec
laration of China's responsibility
for fulGllment of her obligations
to foreign stockholders Of the
road
.Iapan's statement on the de
mands" was presented by Baron
Shidehara who argued that the
Chinese request for abrogation OF
the treaties and agreements re-
sulting from the 1915 program
could not be supported by plea
Of invalidity, because the agree
ments made were entered into by
China in the exercise of her full
powers as a sovereign state. TO
question treaties because they
were made under duresS, ne sad,
would be to challenge the validity
Of many OF the most important
existing international concords
through the world. He excused the
delivery Of an ultimatum 10 Chi
ia, just before her partial accept
ance of the demands" as an eS-
pedient to bring the prolonged ne
gotiarions TO an end.
Three concession were an
nounced by Baron Shidehara. one
relating to Group and the others
10 the situation in Manchuria and
Mongolia. Japan was ready. he
said, e withdraw the reservation
attached to the Chinese-Japanese
treaty Of 1915, under which she re-
tanned the right to press further in
the future the unaccepted Group D.
One Of the other concessions VIII
open UP South Manchuria and
Eastern Inner Mongolia TO the
international consortium. and the
other asserts that Japan has no in
tention OF insisting that japanese
advisers be employed in these ter
ritories in political. financial, mill
tary nor police matters.
The famous Group $. thus cast
into the discard after it had been
the center Of the ''dmands' con-
troversy for the past six years.
would have required China toem-
ploy Japanese political. financial
and military advisers in her cen
trail government, give Japan the
right to jointly police With China
certain important Chinese areas.
establish in China a. joint Chinese
Japanese arsenal, and grant to ia
pan important mining and railroad
concessions. These requirements,
the Chinese declared. would mean
the end of Chii!esc sovereignty.