The Washington herald., 1922-01-22


one demands from Pekin. the
methods in Shantung have all been
. mistake. that Japan must deny
them. correct the wrongs done un-
der them II she II to have the SYM
pathy and enjoy the cooperation OF
the outside world. II II most I'M
portant that the people of the
United States particularly should
understand the liberal leanings IN
Japan, should give them all the
support within their power; above
all should not attempt 30 TO force
Japan's hand here at the confer
ence as to strengthen the military
feeling at home.
There has been much irritation at
different times In Washington be-
cause the Japanese delegation In
sisted on holding up the march OF
negotiations until IL could hear
from Tokyo. and between Tokyo
and poor cable connections the an
swers have been sometimes slow In
coming. The delegation has al
ways insisted on waiting, however,
and in this II has been wise. 1t
can go no further safely than the
government at home will back It,
II II attempts to do so 1t will mean
the final reputation of the meas
ures to which 1t has agreed. Ger
tainly Americans should under
stand this. 1t may take time for
the Japanese to stop at every point
in the negotiations to consult their
government. but II is a much safer
method in the long run than max
ing such haste that a situation can
arise like that we have had be-
AL t., nj
President of the United States-the
difference in the Interpretation OF
the Four-Power Pact. difference
which no doubt arose from a fall
ure to see that the busy President
did have in his head the aexact
meaning of the short and simple
document. 1t sometimes pays TO
make haste slowly.
IL the. Japanese are cautious IN
their dealings, haggle over details'
are slow to make concessions whicn
II is likely they intend all the time
to make, give up nothing until they
are sure they will be backed by the
home government, 1t may be exas-
perating but II is not necessarily a
proof of intrigue or of a lack OF
sympathy with the larger purposes
of the conference. In spite of these
methods so Irritating to people
whose only thought is to put things
through in the shortest time possi-
BILE, there is little question that the
Japanese have made a better i'm
preston on the conference than the
Chinese, for the simple reason that
the one have been workers. the
other takers. More than once in
the course Of negotiations it has
been necessary to recall Chinese at
under consideration was not the
pathies were with the takers, and
all ones practical sense with the
patient workers.
.Insuranee" Attempt New.
The nations. in adopting the prIn-
ciples that they have in regard to
China, in insuring her a protecting
ring within which they promise to
see that she has the chance to de-
velop and maintain effective and
stable government. and to give all
nations an equal opportunity of
carrying on commerce and industry
with her, are attempting something
that has never before been done in
this world-they are fnsuring a
great weak, divided nation its
chance. Never again under the pro-
lection adopted here, IL the promises
made are kept, can anybody chip
OF a piece of Chinese territory. Sc
cure a monopoly of her resources;
never again can there be in China
a Shantung, a twenty-one demands,
a Port Arthur. The pacts and prin-
ciples adopted here establish over
China that moral trusteeship" of
which Mr.. Hughes talks. They put
upon all nations and particularly
upon this nation the obligation TO
see that this moral trusteeship is
something more than a phrase.
Although the immediate results
are not as sweeping and generous
as many friends of China would de-
sire and many believe would have
been possible and wise, they are
substantial. She will control her
post Offices beginning with January,
1923: the correction of the humili-
ating extraterritoriality is being
undertaken; foreign troops will be
withdrawn: a beginning at least
toward tariff autonomy has been
b"NAN VIM pe StlllcHlenlS OIL
the Shantung question and probably
withdrawal or at least a modif-
cat'on of the twenty-one demands.
1t is beginning. II young China
viii take hold vigorously now there
is reason to believe that the thongs
about her feet will in time be cut,
She has a long. slow work before
her. but she is assured sympathy
ana protection m carrying II on
That is vastly more important re-
suit than to have granted all the
demands or her eager young Demo-
Gratis and left her alone in the
world.
1t Is the old. old story-nations
must climb step by step-they have
no wings.
Copyright, ls22.)