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FAR EASTERN QUESTIONS.
Affairs in China.
Washington, Nov. 30.
The memorandum which w:'s issued
this evening by the Committee on F:,r
Eastern Problems contained a full state
ment from the Japanese delegates re
gnrdina rheir attitude towards foreign
garrisons ih: China. The statement
opened by disclaiming emphatically that
Japan ever ertertained any aggressive
purpose or :?ny dlsire to encrouch ille
gitimately on Chinese sovereignty by
sending to and maintaining in China such
garrisons.
Referring to the Shantung question
Japan has declared and now reaffirms
her intent:,n of wvithdrawing her troops
as soon as China has notifiel that her
Chinese police have teen orga.-ised and
have taken over the charge of the rail
way protection. Similarly. ~ hi regard
to Hankow. it is not intended that the
Japanese troops shall remain there per
mntnently. but Japan must be assured
that Chin:a w91 take immediate and ef
fec:ive measures for the maintenance of
order :,nd the protection of foreigners.
and assume full responsibility for any
damage w'hich may be or has been done
to foreigners.
The question of the maintenance of
troops along the South Manchuria rail
way is under a different footing, having
been conceded and recognised by China
in the treaty of Pekin of 1905. The
activity of bandits in that region ren
ders it impossible for Japan to forgo
the right or. rather. the duty of main
taining railway guards in Manchuria,
whose presence is recognised by the
treaty. Acting in unison with other Pow.
ers which have garrisons there, Japan
is ready to withdraw her troops which
are guarding the railways in Siberia.
Japan's troops in China proper number
about 4.500, of which 2,700 are in
Shantung.
The committee discussed the ques
tion of wireless stations which was re
ferred to a sub-committee. The draft
report of the sub-committee was sub
mitted for an expression of the sense
of the full committee with respect to
these stations. The committee was noti
fied that .Mr. C. E. Hughes and Mr. A.
J. Balfour had offered their good offices
to the representatives of Japan and
China in a suggestion that there should
be conversations with these representa
tives, with a view to the settlement of
the questions relating to Shantung and
ianu-Chan. Their offices were accepted
by the representatives of both Govern
ments, and the' conversations are to
proceed accordingly.
Periodical Conferences
Proposed.
London. Dec. 1.
The Washington correspondent of the
London "Daily News" says:--"The Chi
nese delegates' proposal for periodical
conferences regarding Pacific affairs may
be considered as approved. The with
drawal of foreign troops and police is
apparently being conceded, though Japan
may raise difficulties. The leased terri
tories with the possible exception of
Port Arthur. are likely to be restoted.
It is obviously the policy of the Wash
ington group to give China both the op
portunity and the incentive to put her
own house in order. I predict that the
Powers will so shape their findings now
as to make 'the next year's Conference
more important for China than this."
Shantung Question.
Washington. Nov. 30.
The Shantung question was removed
to-day-at any rate for the present
from the purview of the Conference,
The American delegates' viewpoint, as
expressed 'by their spokesman, was that
it was obviously desirable that 'there
should be conversations between the two
nations in, the present very favourable
-atmosphere, this being- an opportune
time for and a fair and just settlement
So be reached. The Chinese and Japan
se delegations also spoke hopefullyp
though the former qualified their remarks
by saying that the people of China would
prefer that-the matter be settled by the
Conference. It was also pointed out
that the conversations would not bind
either nation to finalise matters if the
conclusions which were reached were not
satisfactorjr to -both nations. It was
indicated, however, that the Chinese de
legation was prepared to do its best for
China without insisting upon the refer
ence of the matter to the Conference.,
It cannot be said, however, that China
is going into the conversations with an
open mind. To-day the Ghinese deleg'i
tion issued a statement' reviewing the
Shantung question, and "this reflects in
several ways on Japan's conduct in deal
ing with Shantung. In one or two parts
of the statement quite undiplomatic lan
guage is used. Japan is accused of hai -
ing violated neutrality "deliberately, and
having proceeded to make secret ar
rangements with European Powers, a
most objectionable feature of Japan's
latest proposal." Thiq is not calculated
to preserve the atmosphere of goodwill
which has been talked about- so much.
China's chief objection relates to Japan's
proposals in making Kinu-Chan an open
port. The Chinese delegates say that
this should not be one of the conditions
of the settlement. They have not aban
doned the attitude which they adopt4'd
in Versailles, where they maintained that"
Shantung and all of the ceded rights had
reverted to China. -
Discordant Notes.
S Washington, N?v. 30.
More discordant notes were struck to
night concerning Shantung by two repre
sentatives of several 1publie bodies in
Snt':. "i*0n wert 4ent 1h.re unoffieially to
watch.the proceedings. The delegation has
issued a statement opposing the accept
ance of propositions .made in conversa
tions, and insisting that the. matter
should be brought before the 'Conference
in the regular way. Another objection
canie from Ma Foo. the personal repre
sentative of Dr. Sun Yat Sei,' of the
South China Government, who alleged
that Mr. C. E. Hughes had been out
maiioeuvred by the other Powers, so that
the Chinese delegation had been rendered
powerless. The whole affair is discre
dited.
Chinese correspondents declare that
while China is willing to discuss matters
with Japan the Chinese people- want
Shantung returned to them uncondition
ally.
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