Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-04-15
Woodrow Wilson
AS | KNOW HIM
BY JOSEPH p. TUMULTY.

| The three-for Orlando had them
withdrawn from the conference.-the
been gradually frightening their
sessions, the discussions were lon
ger and more acrimonious. They
were tried out. Only six days be-
fore, on April %, the high council
had been hopelessly deadlocked on
the Italian question.
Japan's Principal Wants
1.-THE president had issued his bold
message to the world regarding the
, disposition of Fiume and the italian
delegation departed from Paris with
the expectation that their with
drawal would either force the hands
of the conference, or break it UP.
while this crisis was at it's
height the Belgian delegation, which
had long been FESTIVE over the non
settlement of Belgian claims for
reparations, became insistent. They
had no place in the supreme coun-
Gil and they were worried lest the
French and British-neither of whom
could begin to get enough money out
of Germany to pay for it's losses
would take the lions share and leave
Belgium unrestored. The little ma
lions were always worried at Paris
lest the big ones take everything
and leave them ss.othingi Very little
appeared in the news at the time
concerning the Belgian demands,
but they reached practically an ul-
timatum if Belgium were not salts
fed she also would withdraw from
| the conference and refuse to sign
the treaty.
cit was at this critical moment
| that the Chinese-Japanese question
had to be settled. 1t had to be set
| tied because the disposition of Ger
man rights in China unlike Italian
claims in the Adriatic) had to go into
the German treaty before it was pre-
scented to Brockdorff- Rantzau and his
| delegates at Versailles; and because
the Japanese would not sign the
treaty unless it was settled. The de-
lection of Japan, added to that of
Italy and the possible withdrawal of
| Belgium, would have made the situa-
ton desperate.
"The two principal things that ia
pan wanted at the peace conference
were: first, a recognition in the cove
nant of the League of Nations of
the equality of the nations and
the just treatment of their nations;'
and, second, the recognition Of GER
tain rights over the former Ger
man concessions in China (Shantung)
Lose Out at Last
"After struggle lasting all
| through the conference, Japan had
! finally lost out, in the meeting of
| fI,a of 0OY11 iScinn
on April II, in her first great conten-
ton. She was refused the recogni-
ton of racial or even national equal.
ity, which she demanded, although
majority of the nations represent
ed on the League Of Nations COM
mission agreed with her that her de-
sire for such recognition was just
and should find a place in the cove
nant.
Few people realize how sharply
the Japanese felt this hurt to their
pride; and few people realize the
meaning of this struggle, as fore
runner Of one of the great coming
struggles of civilization-the race
struggle.
Having lost out in their great
| contention the Japanese came to the
VI LIlSlI ScCOIlQ uCIIldIlu
with feeling of irritation, but with
added determination. The Japanese
delegates were the least expressive
of any at the conference; they said
the least, but they We're the firmest
of any in hewing to the line of their
interests and their agreements. 1t
must not be forgotten also, in all
fairness, that the Japanese delegates,
not less than the British, French and
American, had their own domestic
political problems, and opposition,
and that there was a powerful de-
hand in Japan that, while all the
other nations were securing some
return for their losses and sacri-
fees in the war, Japan should also
get some return.
China Bound by Treaty
"At the same time Japan was in a
stronger position than any other Of
the allied and associated powers ex-
cept the United States. She had
been little hurt, and much strength
ened by the war. She was far dis.
tant from danger; she did not need
the League of Nations as much as
did the countries of Europe; and,
more than anything else, she occu-
claims We're supported by treaties
both with China and the allies; and
she was, moreover, in position, if
she were rendered desperate. to take
by force what she considered to be
her rights if the allies refused to &C.
cord thm."
cat a dark moment of the war,
the spring Of 1917, the British and
French, in order to sharpen Japa
nese support of the allied cause,
made private agreements to sustain
the claims of Japan at the peace
conference to German rights in
Shantung. 1t thus happened, in the
council Of three, for Orlando had
then gone home, that two Of the
powers, Great Britain and France,
were bound by their pledged word
to Japan. Indeed, the British argued
that they felt themselves indebted
to the Japanese not only as a long
friendly ally but for helping to keep
the Pacific free of the enemy whilA
Australian troops were being trans
ported to Europe and thus relieving
a great burden for the British fleet.
''It must not be forgotten that
China was also bound by the treaty
and notes of 1915 and the notes Of
1918 with Japan-although China
vigorously asserted that all of these
agreements were entered into upon
her part under coercion by Japan.
In fact, one of the Chinese delegates
at Paris had actually signed one of
the agreements which he was now
asking te conference to overflow. |