Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-04-13
Woodrow Wilson,
AS | KNOW HIM
BY JOSEPH P. TUMULTY.

itude to the German government for
certain services which she was sup
posed to have rendered, but never
did render. That was the beginning.
I do not know whether any of the
gentlemen who are criticizing the
present Shantung settlement were
in public affairs at that time or not,
but will tell you what happened,
so far as this government was con-
cerned.
Zone Of the most enlightened and
humane presidents we have ever had
was at the head CT the government
William Mckinley, a man who
loved his fellow men and believed in
justice-and associated with him
was one of our ablest secretaries of
state-Mr. John Hay. The state of
international law was such then
that they did not feel at liberty to
make even protest against these.
concessions to Germany. Neither
did they make any protest when, i'm
mediately following that, similar
concessions were made to Russia,
to Great Britain and to France. 1t
was almost Immediately after that
that China granted to Russia the
right of the possession and control
of Port Arthur and a portion Of the
region of Talien-Wan. Then Eng
land, not wishing to be outdone, al
though she had similar rights else.
where in China, insisted upon a SIM
liar coscession and got Wei-Hai-Wai.
Then France insisted that she must
have a port, and got it for niney-
nine years. Not against one of
those did the government of the
United States make any protest
whatever. They only insisted that
the door should not be shut in any
of these regions against the trade
Of the United States. You have
heard of Mr.. Hays policy Of the
open door, That was his policy of the
open door-not the open door to the
rights Of China, but the open door
to the goods of America. I want
you to understand, my fellow coun-
trymen, am not criticizing this be-
cause, until we adopt the covenant
of the League of Nations, it is an
unfriendly act for any government
to interfere in the affairs of any 9TH
err unless it's own interests are i'm
mediately concerned.
ResuIty of Treaty
1.-THE only thing Mr.. Mckinley and
Mr.. Hay were at liberty to do was
to call attention to the fact that
the trade of the United States
might be unfavorably affected and
insist that in no circumstances 1t
should be. They got from all OF
these powers the promise that it
should not be-a promise which was
more or less kept. Following that
came the war between Russia and
Japan, and at the close of that war
Japan got Port Arthur and all the
rights which Russia enjoyed in
China, just as she is now getting
Shantung and the rights her re-
Gently defeated enemy had in China
an exactly similar operation. That
peace that gave her Port Arthur
was concluded, as you know, on the
territory of the United States-at
Portsmouth, N. H. Nobody dreamed
of protesting against that. Japan
had beaten Russia. Port Arthur did
not at that time belong to China;
it belonged for the period of the
lease to Russia, and Japan was ced-
ed what Japan had taken by the
Well-recognized processes of war.
Every we'll, at the opening of this
war, Japan went and took Kiao-choW
and supplanted Germany in Shan
tung province. The whole process
is repeated, but repeated with a new
sanction. In the meantime, after
this present war began, England and
France, not at the same time, but
successfully, feeling that it was es-
sential that they should have the
assistance Of Japan on the Pacific,
agreed that if Japan would go into
this war and take whatever Ger
many had in the Pacific she should
retain everything north of the equa-
tor which had belonged to Germany.
That treaty now stands. That treaty
absolutely binds Great Britain and
France. Great Britain and France
cannot in honor, having offered
Japan this 1nducement to enter the
war and continue her operation, con-
sent to an elimination of the Shan
tung provision from the present
treaty. Very well, let us put these
gentlemen who are Directing to the
Shantung settlement to the test.
Are they ready to fight Great Brit
ain and France and Japan, who will
have to stand together, in order to
get this province back for China?
know they are not, and their inter
est in China is not the interest or
assisting China, but of defeating the
treaty They know beforehand that
a modification of the treaty in that
respect cannot be obtained, and they
are insisting upon what they know
is impossible; but If they ratify the
treaty and accept the covenant of
the League of Nations they do put
themselves in a position to assist
China. They put themselves in that
position for the very first time in
the history Of international engage
mentS