The Washington herald., 1922-02-03
ARMS DELEGATES
HOPE TO FINISH
BY END OF WEEK
Baron Shidehara Makes
Declaration of To-
kyO's Stand.

The arms conference is trying to
adjourn sine die by Saturday.
At yesterdays and last nights
sessions there was an endeavor on
the part of all members to get suf-
hcient headway to effect this. Sec
retary Hughes, however. would not
go farther in his suggestion than
to hope that this would be pos
sible.
1t was hoped that there Will be a
plenary session Saturday. II this
is so, then IL will be possible to
have the conference end its labors
at that time.
However it was made certain
that there will have TO be another
decision between the Chinese and
Japanese on the twenty-one points.
The Japanese made 1t plain that,
so far as they were concerned, they
could not agree to any discussion
of this treaty. The insistence of
the Japanese threw the Chinese
delegation off their equilibrium
with the result that finally IL was
agreed that the Chinese should be
allowed to state their case at to-
days session.
shidehara Makes Statement.
So soon as the twenty-one points
were called up Baron Shidehara,
the japanese Ambassador to the.
United States. said:
'At a previous session of this
committee, the Chinese delegation
presented a statement urging that
the Sino-Japanese treaties and
notes of 1915 be reconsidered and
cancelled. The Japanese delega-
ton, while appreciating the diff
cult position of the Chinese dele
cation, does not feel at liberty to
concur in the procedure now re-
sorted to by China with a view to
cancellation of international en-
gagements which she entered into
as a free sovereign nation.
1T is presumed that the Chinese
delegation has no intention of CALL
Ag 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
effected in conformity with estab-
Eshed international usages. The
insistence by China on the cancel
lation 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. unless and until they
are cancelled.
Fears Dangerous Precedent.
1T is evident that no nation can
have given ready consent to ces-
sions of its territorial or other
rights of Importance. IL il stsuid
once be recognized that rights SOL
emnly granted by treaty may be
revoked at any time on the ground
that they were conceded against
the spontaneous will of the grantu.,
an exceedingly dangerous precedent
will be established. with far-reach-
ing consequences upon the stability
of the existing international rela-
tions in Asia, in Europe and every
where.
TT should also be pointed out that
the term Twenty~One Demands
often used to denote the treaties and
notes of 1915, is Inaccurate and
grossly misleading. 1t may give rise to
an erroneous impression that the
whole original proposals of Japan
had been pressed by Japan and ac-
cepted in toto by China. As a mat
ter of fact, not only Group W but
also several other matters contained,
in Japan's first proposals were ELI
minated entirely or modified consid-
erably, in Difference to the wishes
of the Chinese government. when
the final formula was presented to
China for acceptance.
The Japanese delegation cannot
bring itself to the conclusion that
ny useful purpose will be served
by research and re-examinatfon at
this conference of old grievances
which one of the nations repre-
'eDted here may have against an
other. 1t will be more in line with
the high aim of the conference TO
look forward to the future with
hope and with confidence.
Having in view, however the
changes which have taken place in
the situation since the conclusion
of the Sino-Japanese treaties and
notes of 1915. the Japanese deIega-
tion Is happy to avail itself of the
present occasion to make the fol-
Loving declaration:
Japan Is ready to throw open to
the jcint activity of the fnterna-
tional Financial Consortium recent
ly organized the right of option
granted exclusively in favor of Jap
anese capital. with regard. first. to