SHANTUNG.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 18217, 3 October 1919, Page 8

SHANTUNG.

CHINESE VIEWPOINT. Dr Sun Yat Sen, first President of the Chinese Republic, has issued tho following statement to the people of Japan, setting forth China's case in the present dispute between the two countries : "I will answer frankly the questions .nit to me by your representative as x> tho underlying cause of China's deep inimosity towards Japan, and as to he way which more harmonious rela■ons between these two countries could ■o brought about. "In the past I exerted myself to ring about a better understanding and loser friendship between our two connies, but my efforts have met with ut«;r failure owing to tho actions of the apanese Government in abetting the aitorous Chinese officials to further eir selfish ends and in thwarting the Torts of the People's Party. The memrs of the Minglang or People's Party o comparable to your reformers of -«e Meiji Period. Through the efforts of your own reformers, Japan, once a small and weak country, has become a strong and prosperous nation. Our reformers, desiring to emulate the achievements of the Meiji statesmen in the reconstruction of China, I did my best to effect a more intimate friendship between our countries. But the militarists of Japan, in the pursuit of their aggrandising imperialistic policy, entirely disregarded tho humanitarian aims and principles of their own reformers, and considered China merely as being in the path of least resistance for the expansion of their territorial ambitions. With the adoption of such an attitude, harmony between our two countries is unimaginable. 'Your apologists declare that you cannot understand why China should single out Japan for her bitter hatred when Japan i 8 not the only Power that adopts such an aggressive policy tow.nds China. What difference exists between this line of reasoning and the injured query of the younger brother who, after leaguing himself with robbers to plunder his elder brother's property, inquires of the elder brother, A\herefore should you hate me more than you do the other robbers, for wo aTC the same flesh and blood?' When Japan, like the unnatural brother, prea-hes about racial affinitv and closer relations, the limit of China's endurance is reached. When Japan captured Tsingtau after her declaration of war with Germany, shb solemnly declared to the world that she would return Tsingtau to China—the rightful oivner. But as soon as China joined the Entente Powers, Japan secretly made a treaty with tho latter Powers 6y which she was recognised as' the sicoessor of the German rights in Shantung- As Japan was also instrumental in_ China's step of throwing in her lot with the Allies, it seemed apparent that Japan made this move solely in order that she might, enjoy tho profits of China's labour. What sort of transaction does this appear in the eyes of the Chinese? To make China work while Japan sits by and enjeys the wages of China? "Such an .act is known in the expressive Canton colloquialism at - . ' Mail chu-tai,' or selling poached pigs. This term originated at the time when the countries of Peru, Chili and Cuba lacked pioneer labourers to open their wilderness. 'J ho foreign capitalists learning of the cheap and industrious labourers of China, and desiring to take advantage of it, sent out agents to obtain Chinese coolies for them. At that time China was sti'l a secluded country, and her Government forbade the ' exportation • ot her labourers. Thus tho foreign agents could obtain them only through the port of Macao, which was rented to the Portuguese as a trading station. From this port many hundred thousands of Chinese coolies were ' exposed ' yearly to those countries, beguiled by promises of an El Dorado. •' These poor coolies were treated worse than beasts of the field, and not only had they to perform hard labour, but they had to endure such cruelties and barbarities as flogging and killing by overseers with impunity. This trafficking of Chinese coolies was worse than any form of slavery known to the Chinese. Slavery was too mild a term for it, so our forefathers called the victims of this trade ' chu-tsai' or suckling pigs. The ' chu-tsai' is worse off in position than the slave, for if the slave is laborious and obedient he has hope of good treatment and the compassion of his master, but for the 'chu-tsai' there glimmers no such hope. However, in th#se dark days of labour exploitation tho ' chu-tsai' trader wouU not bo willing fa sell his own slaves to become labourers abroad, but ho kidnapped an enticed those for whom lie had no sympathy whatever. In the eyes of the Chinese this is characteristic of Japan also, for Japan has more consideration of Korea and Formosa than for China, for whom she holds out no single vestige of pity, except to gain and rean whatever profit she could get out of China. And for such treatment Japan expects China not to resent it.

"If what has befallen China in thi<= recent war be taken as a precedent, then wherever a war occurs in the future Japan could force ns to join in, while she herself watches by and enjoys the fruits thereof. This is simplv treating China as ber ' poached pig ' The Macao ' pig-poachers' only sol 1 their ' pigs' and pocketed their raonav from the foreign buyers, Japan by ordering China to join the Entente re ceived the three groups of islands in the Pacific. But not content with this reward. Japan snatched away from u* Shantung, the most precious and sacred of the eighteen provinces. This may be compared to the action of a ' pig-poacher ' who, after selling the ' pig' and pocketing the money, sneakily cut off for himself a huge slice of flesh from the live animal. Is it to be wondered that bitter indeed are China's feelings towards Japan? Japanese apologists base Japan's claim on Tsingtan as by right -of conquest. If so, why did not Japan openly and fearlessly demand from the Entente Governments the rights to Shantung when he? army took Tsingtau, instead of underhandedly and secretly concluding a treaty with the latter when China joined the European War, by which Shantung is given to Japan as compensation for countenancing China's participation in the war of the Allies P China is not yet, at least, a colony of Japan, but the Japnneso Government have virtually exercised the power 01 veto over China's movements, and thus gained rewards from the Entente Governments. Is not this the act of selling China as her ' chu-tsai' ? " The conflict of two distinct ideas

brought about the European War, the idea of world domination and the idea of self-determination of peoples. Tho American and English troops recaptured from Germanv innumerable famous cities and historic towns in Europe, which aggregated 100 times larger than Tsingtau, and their sacrifices and sufferings in the war were a million times greater than that of the Jananese, yet every inch of these lands was restored by them to the rightful owners. If Japan entered the European War on tho side of tho nations opposed to conquest, how could she demand tho succession of German aggrandisement in China? S"mo have said that since China has ..ot achieved much for the Allied cause she should not covet Japan's laurels. "It is true that China could not claim- the.laurels and glory in the Allied victory, but be it noted that although the Poles and Czechs accomplished very little in tho war, yet their territories that were captured by Austria and Germany over 100 years ago were returned to them. Denmark remained throughout the war a neutral country. She had not lifted a hand to support tho Allies, nevertheless her territories that wero captured by Germany sixty years ago were restored to her. Is it not therefore reasonable and just for China to expect the un conditional restoration of Tsingtau? While the Japanese are constantly advocating closer relationships between China and Japan on account of racial affinity and common literature, their treatment of China is far inferior to the treatment accorded to us by the Americans and the Europeans. How conld you expect us Chinese then not to unite as a man to resist you and to adopt the policy of making friends with those afai and fight those nearby, and, if necessary, to drag you down to a common ruin? Thus the succession to German rights in Shantung is a pr*!ude to the succession of Germany's downtall. If you mean what you profess, and are sincere in desiring the friendship of the Chinese people, you should force your Government to repent and abandon for all times the policy of making China the victim of your territorial expansion. Unless, this is done tlicro will be no peace in the Far East."