The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-01-20
PROBLEM OF
SHANTUNC UP
To 2 NATIONS
Japan and China Must Settle
Question, Senator Under
wood Declares = Confer
ence Cannot Take Up.
POWERS COMMITTED
tBy Associated Pressp

WASHINGTON, Jan 20 The
Shantung question must and probably
will be settled between China and
Japan and cannot be taken up by the
arms conference. Senator Underwood
of Alabama, one of the American dele
gates declared in the senate today
during discussion of the controversy.
The conference, Senator Under
wood said was urs BILE to take up the
Shantung question because seven OF
the conference powers were commit
ted by the treaty of Versailles to SUP
port Japan's position. The senator's
statement was made in connection
with introduction by Senator Walsh,
Democrat. Montana, of resolution
calling on the president for informa
ton regarding the Shantung question.
Lodge of Massachusetts, another
American delegate endorsed Senator
Underwood's statement. Senator Tn
derwood went on to say that in the
negotiations between China and Japan
agreement appeared near.
Forecast Adoption
Formal adoption by the arms con-
ference far eastern committee of the
American proposal for publication of
all treaties and understanding relat
ing to China's interests was forecast
today by the general approval given
the suggestion at its preceding ses-
sion
The terms of the resolution pre-
pared for the action of the committee
today embodying the general de-
cision on the proposal reached yester-
day was understood to prove that each
government make known not only the
agreements to which such govern
ment itself was party but also all
! separate agreements and undertakings
entered into by its nationals aud OF
which it has knowledge.
! Replying to the suggestion OF the
Japanese presented with their gen
eral approval of the proposal yester-
day that it might be very difficult
| for any nation to provide a complete
/ list of the various engagements of
] private individuals and corporations
| Secretary Hughes, who offered the
proposal, states that no government
could be expected to list obligations
of which it had no knowledge. He
added, however, that such engage
| ments might easily be of great I'm
! portance and suggested that those of
which the governments did have
! knowledge be made known.
Hughes Suggestion.
! In presenting his proposal Secret2rz
! Hughes expressed the view that .
/ full knowledge by the powers repre-
| sented of all existing commitment :
| in China would be of great aid in any
international discussion of Chinese
problems. He added. also that the
I! present conference offered opportuni
! ty for any discussion which such Il
presentation might suggest As 70
this, however, it appears doubtful to-
day that such a listing of commit
ments would all be accomplished be
fore the Washington conference ad-
journed.
With the naval limitation treaty put
through a final revision and nov,
completed except for the Pacific for
tifications section, the naval experts
of the powers met again today to try
to work out a new phrasing of this
article. There were hopes of an early
solution of the question despite the
fact that the Japanese instructions
from Toxic on it were understood to
be not yet conclusive, and in some
quarters it was believed that the coli
clusion of the treaty might be an
nounced at plenary session early
next week