The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-03-21
Unloading Soy Bean Cake at Dairen.

refused her offer. In November, 1897,
Germany seized the bay ostensibly be-
cause two German missionaries had
been killed in Shantung. In Deem
Der the Russian Asiatic fleet steamed
into Port Arthur, 200 miles north of
KiaochOw, and announcement was
made that it would winter there. In
March, 1898, Germany obtained 90
year lease Of approximately 100 square
miles on the shores of the bay which
she had seized; and the same month
Russia obtained a 25-year lease to
Port Arthur and a part of the Lao
tung peninsula, with the right to ex-
tend the lease.
Only a few weeks after the leases
had been granted to Germany and
Russia, Great Britain obtained lease
on the shores and Bay of Wei-hai-wei,
almost equidistant between Port Ar
thur and KiaOchow. This British
lease was not for a definite number of
years but provided that it was to run
for the period during which Russia
should hold Port Arthur. Later in
April France entered the competition
and took a 99-year lease on the Bay
Of Kwang Chow and approximately
% square miles of territory on the
mainland.
In June Great Britain increased hel
holdings at Hong Kong by leasing for
90 years 800 square miles of addition
al territory on the mainland and ad-
ditional islands aggregating 20 square
miles in area. In November, 1899,
France added to her lease at Kwang
Chow a group of islands dominating
the bay. Finally in 1900 came one of
the most ambitious steps of all in the
acquisition of territory-the occupa-
ton of Manchuria by Russia. This
brought on the Russo-Japanese war
after which both Russia and Japan
removed their troops from Manchuria
which reverted to China but with the
provision that Japan should have GER
tain economic concessions.
Changes Since World War.
There has been a greater mortality
in the recently acquired foreign
patches in China than in the earlier
ones. When Manchuria reverted to
China, Japan succeeded to Russia's
claims to Port Arthur and the Lao
tung peninsula, and obtained an ex-
tension of the lease to 90 years. The
other territories remained with an I'M
changed status until the World war.
Soon after the outbreak of hostilities
Japan stormed and took the German
leased territory of Kiaochow in Shan
tung.
The KiaochOw lease to Germany
covered an area along the coast rough
ly ten or twelve miles in diameter. In
addition there was a neutralized zone
33 miles wide skirting the entire Bay
of Kiaochow. On the leased plot Ger
mans had built a typical German town,
Tsingtao. The agreement had includ-
ed concessions to build railways out
side the leased and neutral areas, in
Shantung proper; and coupled with
the railroad concessions was the right
to exploit mines in zones twenty miles
wide traversed by the railroads.
The 255-mile railway line from
Tsingtao to Tsinan, the capital of
Shantung was opened in 1904. When
in 1914 Japan announced that she
would support Great Britain's inter-
ests by taking the town of Tsingtao,
the Chinese wished to send troops to
~ ffof
but were dissuaded. When Japan had
stormed the town and taken it from
the Germans, the Chinese considered
the matter merely a "Tsingtao ques-
tion," but it rapidly grew into ''Shan-
tung question" again when secret
treaties were disclosed whereby Japan
had obtained more than a year before
the peace conference the engagements
of Great Britain, France, Russia and
Italy to support japanese claims to all
privileges which Germany had ac-
quired in Shantung. Although the Chi
nese delegates protested that when
their country entered the war against
Germany and abrogated all treaties
with the latter, the territories and
concessions automatically reverted to
China, the Paris council followed the
secret treaties and provided in the
Treaty of Versailles for the transfer
of "all rights formerly belonging to
Germany" in Shantung, to Japan. The
Chinese refused to sign the treaty.
Finally, in 1922, Japan returned the
leased area to China.
AS result of the adjustments since
the World war, there are only five
patches Of China now formally gov
erned by foreign nations. Three of
these, Portuguese tiacao, British Hong
Kong, and japanese Formosa, are
owned outright by the governing ma
lions. OF the loEg time leases, only
Port Arthur and kwang Chow remain.
The former is under the control Of
Japan, the latter Of France.