CHINA TOO TRUTHFUL

Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 274, 21 November 1919, Page 6

CHINA TOO TRUTHFUL

OVER SHANTUNG QUESTION

PRESIDENT WILSON'S

POLICY

Kung Hsiang-Ko, Avho traces his descent in a direct line through. 74 generations from Confucius, has returned to his homo in Kufow, Shantung, from his labors at the Paris Peace Conference, to which he was sent by the Shantung Provincial Assembly as a special -lelegiate representing tjh.e province. Kufow, in the far centre of Shantung," noted because of the tomb of Confucius is there, has felt pi'obably more keenly than any other centre in China tihe grief that the Shantung decision of the Peace Conference brought to the nation, for if Shantung is the birthplace of the Chinese nation and the place from which came many of the sacred, and historical traditions of the people,, then the little city of Kufow, in which the great Chinese' sage lived, and from which he gave to the world his immortal code, is the very heart of the province*. After tolling <oi the efforts of Dr. Wellington Ivoo and Br. C. T. Wang to combat the pro-Japanese campaign, which had hampered the work of the delegates at every turn, Mr Kung told an American coiT3spondent that he believed: ono of the important reasons why China wasi defeated was because the Fiume question had been given precedence at tho Conference. "President Wilson was fully determined to support, tho Chinees cause," Mr Kung declared. "So if the Shantung question had been brought up first it would, perhaps, have been disposed of to the satisfaction of the Chines.}." The blow under which the Chinese dolsgates wore crushed, however, was tho disclosure of the Tokio Treaty, of which they had never hoard un'il the Japanese produced it ati the conference. While much had been published concerning the 21 demands of Japan and it has been known that in these China surrendered the rights of the Germans in the province of Shantung, little light., has been thrown on this secret agreement, called the Tokio Truaty, even sine© the conference. This Tokio Treaty, Mr Kung explained, was concluded with Japan by the 'former Chines© Minister to Tokio. Chiang Chung-Hsiang, one of the officials against whom the wrath of the students was turned in June when the Minisctor with the Cabinet then in office was deposed.