JAPAN'S CLAIMS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 132, 6 February 1915, Page 3

JAPAN'S CLAIMS.

DISPOSITION OF TSINGTAO. $ C-IMfE ■■% Press Association—Copynght. (Rce. 10.15 a.m.) 7 ~ SYDNEY, Yesterday. I The Herald's Tokio correspondent | says that ftßron Kato, in replying to j questions in the Diet as to whether Japan had recommended the restitution j; of Tsingtao to China, gave emphatic ncgative. He declared that the ultimatum j to Germany was isued with a sole object, which was to take Tsingtao from Germany and ensure peace for the East. Restitution after the. campaign was not thought of or referred to in the doen- I ment in question. The matter has been | taken up by the authorities on inter- ; national law, who hold that the proposal to restore Kaiochau was made to Germany on condition that it was handed over without force or compensation. These conditions lost validity when Japan obtained it after a declaration of war against German}-. To restore Kaiochau now would render Japan's sacrifice of men and money of no effect, since China might concede under pajn to Germany or to some other third party, whereas Japan was determined to never again come under the jurisdiction of a third power. Thus, he claimed, the ultimate disposition of Tsingtao was a matter solely between China and Japan.