MR. LANSING MAKES ADMISSIONS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 268, 8 August 1919, Page 7

MR. LANSING MAKES ADMISSIONS

AMERICA AND THE SHANTUNG SETTLEMENT STATEMENTS TO £ENATE COMMITTEE By Toloeraph—Press Asßociation-Oonvrieht . . Washington, August 6. Mr. Lansing has admitted that he protested to the President against the Shantung agreement. Ho stated before the Foroign Relations Committee of the Senate that the United States had entered into its agreement with Baron Ishi while ignorant of the secret treaty between the Allies and Japan, ceding Shantung to Japan. The American plan for tho League of Nations, he added, was never presented at Versailles. Ho .admitted that President Wilson cabled to the French Government asking it not to provide the Fronch Senate with the confidential minutes of the League of Nations Commls-sion.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

A PETITION FROM SHANTUNG ALLEGED CRUELTIES OF JAPANESE New York, August 3*. A dispatch from Peking states that the Government has received a petition signed by citizens of Shantung protesting against the brutalities of Japanese: soldiers. The petition stated that the soldiers robbed and ill-treated women and forced the Chineso to sell their lands. Tho Japanese Consul at Ivuang-cheng-ku. where sixteen Japanese wero killed in the recent riots, made three demands on the Chinese local authorities as the result of the incident—that tho Chinese trooDS should not be allowed to approach within ten' miles of Kuang-cheng-ku; that tho two chief cities of the province of Kirin should bo opened to foreign trade, and that resident Japanese should be granted a monopoly in operating the waterworks of the city of llmin. The Chinese authorities granted the first demand, but referred the other demands to Peking.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. 4 STATEMENT BY BARON UCHIDA A JAPANESE DISCLAIMER. \ ®ec. August 7, 7.30 p.m.) Tokio, August G. The Japanese Foreign Minister declares that Japan has been faithful ,to her pledge to China, given in 1915, and is willing to restore the whole of the luaochau territory to China immediately JaDan ratifies the Treaty of Versaillies. Further, Japan does not claim any rights affecting tho territorial sovereignty of China in tho provinco of Shantung.— Renter. (Rec. August 8, 1.20 a.m.) London, August 6. Baion Uchida, tho Japanese Foreign Minister, states with emphasis that Japan has no intention of claiming rights affecting China's territorial _ sovereignty in Shantung. Sho only claims tho economic privileges that wero previously granted Germany. Japan is prepared to withdraw her troops,—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

[Japan claims that her part in the capture of Tdinjftao entitles her to the reversion of all German Tights in China, and, while she is prepared to hand back tho occupicd Sllantung territory to China, she proposes to do so only-on terms laid down in the famous Twenty-One Points agreement which China signed—under duress, as she has always alleged—in May, 1915. China's caso is that whatever wero the circumstances under which she signed tho 1915 agreement as a neutral, her 'assumption :of tho status of a belligerent changed the .whole situation. . Uermanj was only in occupation of Kiaochau, (the district of which Tsingtao is tho chief port) as a 99-year leaseholder, and it is urged that all rights subsisting under tho unexpired portion of that leaso became automatically extinguished when China entered tho war' against Gormany in 1917. That being so, tho Chinese argue, Japan can*clearly claim 110 rights in regard, to Kiaochau, and cannot, therefore, exact conditions as a prico of its return. The position is, however, complicated by two further considerations. In September, 191b, at a. timo when China -was in tho throes, of civil war, her Prime Minister, Tuan Chi Jui, signed a second agreement with_ Japan, confirming and actually extondin'g tho concessions granted in 1915. This agree-, ment, however, it is important to note, has never been ratified by China. The second consideration arises from a series of secret treaties. In February-, 191", America broke off relations with Germany, and called on all neutral States to do the same. China at once prepared to act' on this counsel, and, in point of fact, (lid declare war on Germany a few weeks' later. In tho meantime, however, Japan had eocrefcly approached the four Burobolligerents—Britain, Prance Italy, and Bussia-with an inquiry as to whether tlioy wotlld look favourably on the application of Japan to succeed to all German rights in Cliina and the North Pacific. Italy and Kussia agreed without conditions. Franco stipulated for certain, action against German subjects and property in tho Far East, while Groat Britain, with a sound oyo for business, laid it down that the British Empire must enjoy similar rights over German holdings in tho South' Pacific.]