Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-02
Agree ON Chinese
EASTERN R. R. ISSUE
b-committees Complete La
bors and Make Report-"21-
Demands" Question Up
CONFERENCE NEARS END
BY the Associated Press

washington. Feb. 2.--Thc Arms
conference subcommittecs which have
Deen considering questions related to
the Chinese Eastern Railway have fin
ished their labors. reaching agreements
on all points in dispute, and will report
resolution to the Far Eastern Com.
mittee later today.
The resolution, Wellington Koo. the
Chinese delegate said. provides generally
Tor the better preservation Of the rail-
road until such a time as it can be re-
stored TO Russia. Neither the question
OF controlling the finances of the road
through nm international financial
group nor that of policing the road are
An American delegate explained that
those vital things which in the judgment
Of some of the Powers should be done
for the bcttcrment of the Chinese
Eastern Railroad. it was found impos-
Sible to deal with at this Conference.
These. he said, would require ex-
tended negotiations through the regular
diplomatic channels before they could be
accomplished.
Discuss Twenty. one Demands"
The famous twenty one demands
treaty between Japan and China also
was to. come before the Far Eastern
Committee today.
A possibility developed today that
the Far Eastern decisions of the Com
ference might be put into three treaties
instead Of two, bringing the total num-
Der of covenants to result from the ne
gotiations here to nine. The question
Is not yet definitely decided. but some
Conference leaders want to write a
treaty on the four Root principles and
the open door, another on customs ar
rangements in China and third to
cover other Far Eastern resolutions.
In the Far Eastern Committee, ar.
rangements were made for speeches by
the Chinese, Japanese and American
delegations on the twenty -one demands.
the general tenor being to indicate that
the adjustments already reached on the
Shantung question and the action taken
on other Chinese problems involved
In the general treaties to be completed
today will make further consideration
of the twenty.one demands unneccs
sary.
To Sign Shantung Treaty Friday
The Shahtung treaty between China
and Japan Is expected to be signed
Friday, Chinese Minister Sze said to-
day. -
1t was said by a. British spokesman
that every effort was being made with
prospects of success to clear up the work
of the Conference this week. 1t is
hoped to hold a plcnary session Satur-
day. when the remaining treaties will
be presented to the full Conference. and
receiving the approval Of the delcga :
tions, will mark the end Of the Con :
ference proper.
On Monday following the heads Of
tho delegations would gather in the
State Department and formally sign all
of the treaties remaining. Arthur J.
Bnfour wishes to leave Washington
on the AGuitania next Tuesday. and
within few days thereafter, under
present plans, all of the delegations will
have left Washington.
As a result Of an inquiry made by
tho Netherlands Government. notes arc
now being drafted and directed to that
Government and to the Government OF
Portugal assuring them that they are
included in all Of the guarantees con-
taincd in the four-powcr Pacific treaty.
Therefore formal adherence of these two
Governments to the treaty is held to
be unnecessary.
British to Retain Property
The British delegation is considering
the method by which wei -1lhl- W Ell
shall be returned to China in accord
ancc to the pledge given yesterday by
Mr.. Balfour. The subject would BE-
dealt with directly between the British
ard Chinese Governments. probably
! through the British representative mt
Pckin and the Chinese authorities there.
| The British Government has consider
able property in this Chinese port, such
rs hospitals, docks, warehouses, bar
racks and the like.
1t was said today by British
| Spokesman that some Of these might re
main in British possession. without,
| however, affecting Chinese sovereignty
The port for years has been n favoritc
| health resort for the personnel of the
British East Indian fleet when the men
were run down by long tropical service.
The regiment of Chinese soldiers srrv
ing under British officers at Wci-llai-
Wei probably would be turned over &c
the Chinese Government to serve ns
gcndarmes or police, AS some prov islor
would have to be made for the mainte.
nance of order in the port.
Nothing has been made known ofti
cially here as to the purpose of the
French Government with regard t
Kwangchow Wan. though the French
delegates have indicated that the French
Government would deal directly witt