Evening star., 1922-02-03

VIC" VI tnOSe COInpllCdtcu uilHCNltfeS
the subcommittee had arrived at the
conclusion which had been laid before
this committee by Senator Root.
Mr.. Zoo further stated that in the
second resolution the powers other
than China proposed TO make q reser-
walton Of their right to insist here
after on the responsibility Of eliza
for the performance or non-perfor..,-
ance or the obligations. ETC, and that
In doing so the powers were. OF course.
perfectly within their rights, and 1t
was not for him to mako any COM
ment. He wished merely to make
lew observations on the views Of
China concerning her relations with
the railway. In the first place. as re-
sards the legal position OF the rail-
way. that was. of course. expressly
denned In the agreements between
emma and Russia. and between China
and the railway. and the Russo ASH
attic Bank, and. later, with the railway
| company. and whatever changes have
! taken place in the internal organiZa-
tlon OF the railway have been effected
oy due process, reference having been
hiaue sometimes TO the most recent
contract October 2, 1920 entered into
between the Chinese government and
also the Russo-Asiatic Bank. Mr.. koo
said that he knew it was not the de-
sire OF the committee. nor was 1t his
own desire, to discuss the question OF
ferred to that as matter Of informa-
tlon, IN saying that that contract was
. entered into by the Chinese govern
merA with the bank after having sat-
isfied Itself that the bank represented
all the stockholders and owned all the
snares this fact having been certified
through the French government.
Russian Government Relation.
AS regards the extent Of the trust
,AI tN.t
could only apply to the functions
which formerly were exercised by the
Russian government under the agree.
ments with China. and which were
now exercised by China as provi-
sional measure. because OF the abse ence
of recognized Russian government
for the time being. To that extent. OF
course, China assumed, so to speak
tI> responsibility Of the Russian gov
ernment in its relation with the rail
road company.
speaking of the pracuca! situation,
AIR. HOO said that of course. there
was room for Improvement, undoubt-
cdly. on the Chinese Eastern railway
! as there was room for Improvement
he supposed. on every railway in the
! world: but he thought that the diff
cultieS that beset the Chinese govern
ment had been very great, the polit
ical revolution in Russia. with its con-
sequent REORGANIZATION, having in
jected problems which were not eX-
pected at all. in this railway area
RuSsion workmen having time and
again gone on strike and the red and
white forces having struggled for
control Of the line. He thought it un-
necessary to go into details further
than to recall to the minds of his col
| leagues on the committee the ex-
traordinary steps taken in 1920 by
Gen. Horvath as director general of
tn Hs-ni 10 hi .l
rreme dictator in this railway area,
investing himself. according to his
, proclamation, with governmental pow
erS.
Best Handling Seen.
Mr. koo further stated that in every
instance SO far. if the testimony of
the foreign press could he trusted, the
Chinese authorities had handled the
critical situation to the best OF their
ability, and so far had relieved the
communities in the railway area of
anxiety and of apprehension. The
Chinese government. in accordance
with the terms of the original con-
tract with the Russian government,
had been providing protection for the
! railway and for the persons in it's
service to the very best Of it's ability
and IL it had been found. in the opin-
ion OF some of the powers, that that
protection had not been adequate. the
Tedl1N ndO DSen que more
to the difficulties which were conse-
quent upon the political disorganiza-
zion in Russia, and not really due to
any lack of determination on the part
| OF China fully to discharge her obliga-
tion. In fact. thanks to the protec-
! tion thus given, the Chinese Eastern
railway was still in operation, while
some Of the other railways in the
transsiberian system were in very un-
satiSfacto condition. Therefore, ne
desired to express the hope that the
committee. in considering this second
bear in mind the observations which
he had been permitted to make at
this time.
The chairman then said the ques-
tion was on the adoption of the
resolution.
Resolution Adopted.
A vote was taken and the resolu-
ton was unanimously adopted.
A vote was then taken on the
above reservation and it was unani-
. mously adopted, China not voting.
The chairman then said that he
understood that the next subject to
be brought up was the matter which
had been generally called the "twen-
ty-one demands" and he believed an
opportunity had been reserved for
the Japanese delegation to speak
upon that subject.
Baron Shidehara read the follow
ing statement:
"At previous session Of this COM
mittee, the Chinese delegation pre-
sented a statement urging that the
Sino-Japanese treaties and notes of
| 1915 be reconsdered and cancelled.
The Japanese delegation. while ap-
preciating the difficult position Of the
Chinese delegation, does not feel at
liberty to concur in the procedure
now resorted to by China with a view
to cancellation of international en-
gagements which she entered into as
a free sovereign nation.
TT is presumed that the Chinese
delegation has no intention of call
ing in question the legal validity Of
/ the compacts Of 1915, which were
formally signed and sealed by the
duly authorized representatives Of
| the two governments, and for which
! the exchange of ratifications was eff
fected in conformity with established
international usages. The insistence
| by China on the cancellation Of those
instruments would in itself indicate
that she shares the view that the
compacts actually remain in force
and will continue to be effective un-
less and until they are Cancelled.
Declared Dangerous Precedent.
"It is evident that no nation can
have given ready consent to cessions
Importance. If it should once be
I recognized that rights solemnly
granted by treaty may be revoked at
any time on the ground that they
were conceded against the spontane-
GUS will of the grantor, an exceeding
tablished, with far-reaching conse-
quences upon the stability Of the
existing international relations in
Asia, in Europe and everywhere.