Middletown transcript., 1922-02-04
CH|N|sE AND JAP
END CONTROVERSY
harding's Proposal Basis For
Final Agreement
CONFERENCE TO WIND Up
Plenary Session Called To Ratify
Naval Treaty Agreed Upon BY Com
rnittee-Fortificatio Status Quo
Includes Aieutian Islands.

includes Aieutian Islands.
Washington.-Japan and China vir-
tually settled their long-standing feud
over Shantung while the plenipoten.
tiaries of the f1ve great naval Powers
were coming into final agreement on
the treaty by which they are to limit
their sea power in capital ships.
The mediatory proposal supported
by President Harding was the final
basis on which the Japanese and
Chinese agreed in principle after a
seven-hour session of the Shantung
negotiations.
The naval treaty text finally was
completed at meeting of the Naval
Committee of Fifteen and a plenary
session of the Arms Conference was
called for to announce the covenant to
the world. The Notifications article,
the last remaining problem, was set
tied by an agreement under which the
Notifications status quo in the Pacific
is to include the American Aleutian
Islands as well as the BONN island
group of Japan.
In their discussions, which lasted
from mid-afternoon until late at night,
the japanese and Chinese centered
their attention upon the key problem
Of the Tsingtao-Tsinanfu Railroad,
with which the good Offices" of Presi-
dent Harding, Secretary Hughes and
Arthur J. Balfour had concerned them.
selves. The proposal given approval
In substance provided that China pay
for the railroad in 15-year treasury
notes, with five-year option, and that
Japanese experts be retained during
the payment period in some depart
ments of road administration. but un.
der Chinese superior official.
1t is the expectation of Conference
officials that the plenary session called
for Wednesday morning will be fol-
lowed by another on the afternoon Of
the same day in order to bring up to
date the formal ratification of various
decisions reached in the Armament
and Far Eastern Committees. A dozen
of the resolutions relating to China
have received committee approval only
and the Root submarine declarations
also await the official sanction Of the
Conference proper.
With the naval treaty and Shantung
definitely out of the way, only very
few collateral issues will stand in the
way Of final adjournment of the
Conference. None of these promise to
take very long and some of the dele
gates believe they may be on their
way home by the end of the week.
Among the subjects yet to go
through both the committee and Con-
ference stages of agreement are the
proposal to prohibit importation Of
arms into China, settlement regard
Ing the Chinese Eastern Railway, a
declaration regarding leased territories
in China, the Chinese request for abro-
CATION of the "Twenty-one Demands"
treaties and a general resolution re-
lating to land armament. In regard
to most of these, virtual decisions al
ready have been reached in informal
exchanges between delegation heads,
although the Chinese Eastern Railway
problem is developing considerable
difficulty because of Chinese objection
to proposed methods of financing and
policing.
1t was revealed that the French had
withdrawn their reservation in regard
tc surrender of their leased territory
in China, and that, as consequence,
an agreement on that subject was i'm
minent. At first the French delegates
conditioned their withdrawal upon a
similar action by all the other powers,
but they now are said to be willing to
make exceptions to the japanese oc-
cupation Of Liaotung peninsula and
the British retention OF Kow- Loon.
Obstacles which have delayed action
on the arms importation ban for
China are also understood to have
been removed. The "Twenty-one De-
mands" are not expected to occupy
more than one or two committee sit
tings, the Japanese, Chinese and Amer
lean delegations merely putting into
record their views on the subject. The
resolution regarding land armament,
phrased in the most general terms
likewise holds little promise of long
debate.
1t is understood that a definite de-
cision has been reached to put the
Root submarine resolutions into a
separate treaty, and it may be ready
for submission to Wednesdays Dlenary
session along with the naval treaty.
In view of the fact that new con-
ference is to be assembled in the near
future to discuss laws of warfare some
delegates have favored delaying treaty
action on the submarine question for
the present. but the American delega-
tion in particular is said to be anxious
that the Root resolutions be written
into formal and binding international
covenant.