Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 September 1919 — THE SENATE AND SHANTUNG [ARTICLE]

THE SENATE AND SHANTUNG

The treaty rippers of* the senate have said so much about Shantung tijat it might be wellr to set down in order a few plains facts relative to that province. By the terms of the- treaty, Japan succeeds to the economic rights formerly held by the kaiser in that province. Except in a very small strip, including the town- of Tsing Tao, and containing rather less than 200,000, she is under pledge to hand back the political control of the province to China. This being the case, what can the senate do about it? Nothing. The treaty goes into effect as soon as it is ratified by three of the allied powers.’ England already has ratified it, France and Japan assuredly will. When that happens, the legal title to such parts of Shantung as are affected by the treaty passes forthwith to Japan. True, by a successful war, we could force Japan to give up that title; but no one, not even a g. o. p. senator, has been preposterous enough to propose that the United States should go to war with Japan over this matter; The senate can not alter the status of Shantung by killing the treaty. All it can do is to ange 4 Japan, and keep the best friend China ever had —the United States —out of that league of nations to which Japan must give an account of her stewardship.—Chicago Journal.