The Washington herald., 1922-01-25
SHANTUNC issue
EXPECTED SOON
s.: TO Be SETTLED
Significant Messages Are
Passing Between This
And Eastern Capitals.

: s9tllement of the shantuns prob
nernlvas declared certain last night
This information came from
american and British sources. No
ugsestion regarding the possible
form Of the agreement, IL one Is
eached. was made.
= Japanese and Chinese sources
Snsfntained an air CT not knowing
anything that wa ssoing on. They
insisted that they were waiting for
a formal reply from Tokyo concern
ing the last word" by China as TO
the transfer of the railway.
However II is admitted that i'm
portaat communications are pass
ingbetween Washington and Tokyo
and Pekin- They carry with them
tke fate Of the Shantung negotia-
rsns. and. because of this, to a
Sseater or lesser degree the fate
A.fthe armament conference.
q Their text is withheld. Even
sNhere they originate is known only
~ the inner circles of the confer
ence.-. But they are of sufficient mo-
iRshrto have compelled a postpone
uiene of the interminsble negotia-
tiohs between the two Oriental
DELEGATIONS from last night until
Thursday afternoon
Lands Are Considered.
Yesterday the direct negotiations
were devoted TO consideration of
the question of lands belonging TO
Chinese nationals and certain
claims that have been in dispute.
a1A
have been followed ever since the
railway debate entered the dead
lock stage. There was an amicable
agreement. But, like every otn--
agreement that has been reached
at these negotiations IL was made
dependent upon a final ratification
Of an understanding that will turn
the railroad back to the Chinese.
II was admitted In American
circles yesterday afternoon that
there were strong reasons to be-
licve that an important announce
ment regarding Shantung can be
looked for very soon. Just what
form this will assume is not known.
However. the statement was coupled
with another expression Of conf
dence that the Shantung problem
will be fully and completely set
tied before any further business is
transacted by the armament confer
.ence in open session
Efforts for Concessions.
This statement was interpreted
as meaning that the effort to Sc
cure concessions from Tokyo Is
proceeding in a manner that is sat
isfactory to the American and Brit
ish delegations who initiated il.
Everything that has been done and
is doing must be OF an entirely un,
official character. The question of
the individual sovereignty OF Japan
and China is involved. And any
suggestion OF pressure to be ex-
erted upon either delegation would
be the signal for a positive refusal
to allow IL.
Naturally the conference leaders
are extremely desirous of having
all Of the decisions reached here
made unanimous so that they can
be signed and made binding. This
is one case where the majority
cannot rule. All decisions must be
agreed to by every delegation that
participates. And should Shantung
remain unsettled when the present
conference gets ready to adjourn
there is very little doubt in in
formed quarters that the Chinese
would refuse to sign any treaties
affecting China which were salts
factory to the Japanese.
1t is because of this fact that Of
ficials generally are expecting an
carly settlement of Shantung.
Tokyo realizes how much Is de-
pendent upon an amicable agree
ment and IL is considered certain
that she will make concessions suf-
fcient TO allow the Chinese delega-
ton to return home with a real
victory on the province that was
lost at Paris.