Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-02-03
Delegates Working Hard to
Wind Up Few Remain
ing Issues
CONCEDE TO CHINA
japan Announces Withdrawal Of
Group Five of The Original q
Demands

Washington, Feb. 3.-Aiming to
hold final plenary session on Sat
urday, with the formalities of treaty
signing on Monday, the Conference
yesterday moved in rush to dispose
of the few items remaining after the
previous days open session. Greater
still is to be the rush in committee
work, in hope of ending it..
In yesterdays work of the Far
Eastern Committee these results were
noted:
Formal announcement by the
Japanese of the abandonment by their
Government of the famous Group 5"
in the 21 demands on China.
Adoption OF a subcommittee re-
port calling for better protection for
the Chinese Eastern Railway and for
the interests of foreign investments IN
the property.
3.-Sarraut, head of the French de-
legation, replying to plea OF Min
lister SEE for a surrender Of French
leases in China-in view of the Shan
tung settlement and the British Of
fer to return Wei-Hai-Wei-explain-
ed that the original French offer to
restore Kwangchowan had been con-
ditioned by NJ. Viviani on surrender
by Great Britain and Japan of all of
their holdings.
In stating the position of their
Government on the twenty-one de-
mands, the Japanese insisted upon the
validity of the treaties resulting there
from. At the same time, however, they
stated theSr willingness to- have the
consortium participate in Financing
the railroads III South Manchuria and
Eastern Inner Mongolia in loans to be
covered by taxes in those districts.
Hitherto they have claimed this
right exclusively.
In adopting the subcommittee re-
port on the, Chinese Eastern Railway
resolutions was passed calling for the
exercise of better care in the selection
of employees and increased efficiency
in the handling of funds. 1t was by
reservation of the powers, other than
China, tSat the latter country was
called upon to meet the obligations to
foreign security holders.
The Far Eastern Committee met
again today and will hear continued
discussion of the 21 demands and such
other Chinese matters as may be
raised. 1t is doubtful that the Brit
ish proposal to debar shipments of
arms into China will be one of them,
as amendments have been proposed,
time is short and ardor is cooling.
Meantime the committees framing the
texts of various treaties and conven-
tions will be actively at work trying
to put them into form for approval in
plenary session on Saturday.
Mr.. Hughes said yesterday that
he did not want to hurry so fast that
any matter would lack full attention,
but that he wanted to close the COM
mittee work today and wind up the
Conference on Saturday. if possible.
Should he succeed, and the signing of
the treaties take place on Monday,
Mr.. Balfour and most of the British
will leave Monday night for New York
and sail for home on Tuesday. Other
foreign delegates will move equally
fast All are anxious to depart at
the first moment.
The 81 demands and the treaties
based upon them, which were put aside
by Mr.. Hughes until Shantung was
settled, on the ground that part of
them bore upon Shantung, came be-
fore the Far Eastern Committee yes
terday afternoon. Baron Shidehara re-
ferred to the Chinese plea for cancel
lation, and stated emphatically that
while the Japanese delegation appre-
ciated the difficult position of the
Chinese delegation, it did not feel at
liberty to concur in the proposal. China
ne said, made the engagements as a
sovereign nation.