\0 a. i - V-a-m . . I ■ / I V Kiao-Chow as a Spoil of the World War r CHINA SOCIETY i506 FIFTH AV., IM. Y. CITY Published by The Eastanian and The, Chinese Citizens’ Alliance in Michigan KIAO-CHOW AS A SPOIL OF THE WORLD WAR Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from Columbia University Libraries https://archive.org/details/kiaochowasspoilOOIeey KIAO-CHOW AS A SPOIL 01 THE WORLD WAR BY YING LAM LEE The Secretary of the Eastanian November, 1919 PRESS OF THE NEWS PRINTING CO. OBERUN, OHIO Outlines 1. The Settlement of the Kiao-Chow Question by the Peach Conference Has Great Significance to the World. 2. Geography of Shangtung. 3. Germany-’s Occupation of Kiao-Chow. 4. Japan^s Occupation of Kiao-Chow. 5. How Japan Paved Her Way to the Pe.^ce Conference. 6. Japan-’s Victory at the Peace Conference. 7. The ‘^‘Returning^^ of Kiao-Chow to China by Japan. 8. Kiao-Chow and Other German Interests in Shangtung Should Be Restored to China Unconditionally by the Peace Confer- ence. 9. What the Recent History of Manchuria Has Taught Us. 10. Japan^s ‘^‘Friendly'’-’ Attitude and Policy Towards China. 11. Problems Between China and Jap^n as a Challenge to the World. RAILWAY? IN CHINA ISI0 COmTR.U&VED CftPfTRA&'VCB FOR •••«•♦■• JAPANB-SE OWMEO c affizaowt OApANESE AAXYKJIXW Ssa.3&ikM^ Kiao-Chow as a Spoil of the World War 1. The Settlement op the Kiao-Chow Question by the Peace Con- ference Has Great Significance to the World. The world war is over. The Peace Treaty has been signed. The League of Nations is going to exist. Many people have propliesied that the world will be free forever from war. In view of the terrible death, the tremendous financial burden, the great material loss and other nn- seen sufferings as results of the last war, upou the warring nations, people for years to come will not want to think of war any more. On the other hand many people are still questioning whether the recent Peace Treaty has increased international good will and decreased na- tional selfishness, or has created more liatred among nations. Are the strong nations not free now to wrong the weak nations, as the result of the Peace Treaty, which was said to adopt Wilson’s fourteen points as its base? It seems so to China, which represents one-fonrth of the Avorld’s population. Kiao-Ciiow, with other German interests in Shang- tung, has been given to Japan by the Peace Conference or rather by the “Big Three.” It is very unjust to China. Many thinking people have predicted that this action of tlie Peace Conference will lead to a great war in the Far East, unless the injustice is corrected. As Pro- fessor Jeuks of the University of New York says, “The award seems contrary to the principles of right and justice, so contrary that unless some factors enter that do not appear, the decision is almost certain to bring about war in the Far East, and in that war the United States would almost certainly be involved.” It will be a war as a result of rivalry among imperialistic nations over their interests in China. It is not a war between the Yellow race on the one side and the White race on the otlier, as some people think, that Japan will dominate all Asiatic nations and try to keep away the white people from Asia, which then leads to war. It is strongly against the will of the Chinese people to have China dominated by Japan. If such a war would ever come at all, it would never benefit China. China does not want to see its coming. The great wave of World Democracy is marching on. The Imper- ialism of this world has to give way sooner or later, through peace or ■— 7 — war. If there will be no war among the imperialistic nations, there may be a war between imperialism and democracy. Will then the democratic nations of this world not take part to aid in the crushing of imperialism? Senator Lodge says, “England stood by and saw Ger- many take away from Denmark, Schleswig-Holstein ; she stood by and saw Germany destroy Austria and make it practically a vassel state; she stood by and saw Germany wreck France in 1870; she gave Ger- many the island of Helgoland, and she has been paying the bills for those awful mistakes in the last four terrible years. She has done it nobly, splendidly, biit at a terrible cost.” ^ Shall the democratic nations of today follow England’s policy in dealing with . “ the Germany of Asia ?” 2. Geography of Shangtung. In order to realize the significance of the Kiao-Chow question, one must know the geography of Shangtung Province, where Kiao-Chow, the German-leased territory, is situated. Tsingtao is a sea port in Kiao-Chow. Japan’s ambition is not merely on Tsingtao or Kiao-Chow, but the whole province of Shangtung. Shangtung is one of the most important provinces of China. She and Manchuria, now under Jap- anese domination, entrench on both sides of the Gulf of Pe Chi Li, the water outlet of the capital of China, Peking. She controls the outlet of the Yellow River, which runs down from the internal part of northern China. She has the longest sea coast in China. The area of Shangtung is 65,970 square miles, with a population of 38,247,900. It is the most densely populated province in the world. Belgium herself had only about 350 persons per square mile before the war. Shangtung furnishes strong laborers, the best soldiers and industrious farmers. The Chinese labor battalion in France is composed mostly of men from this province. Shangtung is one of the oldest provinces in China. , She has a long history of her own. She is China’s holy land, packed with memories of Confucius and Mencius, great sages of China. It is the cradle of Chinese civilization. 3. Germany’s Occupation op Kiao-Chow. During the Chino- Japanese war in 1894-5 China was brought down on her knees before the Island Empire. China could not stand any more war. The world powers knew her weakness and were coming after her. In 1898 Germany started in first and took Kiao-Chow. France followed and took Kwang-Chow-Wan. After that Liao-Tung peninsula with Port Arthur and Dairen went to Russia and Wei-Hai- — 8 — Wei to England. They were all leased territories under different terms. The case of Kiao-Chow was due to the killing of two Grerinan Cath- olic missionaries by the native Chinese in Shangtung. German war- ships were sent to the Bay of Kiao-Chow and opened fire, landed troops, occupied the territory. It was an act of aggression — a distinguished characteristic of Prussian militarism. The important feature of the convention between China and Ger- many may be outlined as follows : ^ A. “Both sides of the entrance of the Bay of Kiao-Chow with the island of Chiposan, and Potato Island, and ‘all islands lying seav/ard from Kiao-Chow Bay which may be of importance for its defense,’ an area of some 400 sq. mi. in all, to be leased to Germany for 99 years. B. “By Art. 1 of Section 2, Germany was sanctioned to build two railways. Art. 2 of the same section provided for a Chino-German Railway Co., ‘and in this company both German and Chinese subjects shall be at liberty to invest money as they so choose, and appoint directors for the management of the undertaking.’ C. “Art. 3 of the same section provided, ‘The Chinese Government will allow German subjects to hold and develop mining property for a distance of 30 li (one li is approximately 1-3 of a mile) from the side of these railways and along the whole extent of the lines.’ Chinese capital may be invested in these operations. D. “Art. 4 of the same section provided that ‘The Chinese Govern- ment binds itself in all cases where foreign assistance in persons, capital, or material may be needed for any purpose whatever within the province of Shantung to offer the said work or supplying materials in the first instance to German manufacturers and mer- chants engaged in undertakings of the kind in question.’’ Besides what have been mentioned above, a neutral zone was estab- lished in thg immediate hinterland involving some 2,500 square miles. Twenty per cent, of the duties collected by the Chinese Custom House at Tsingtao was contributed toward the local administrative expenses of Tsingtao. The German government decided to build up Tsingtao into a modern commercial and naval port. She spent an average of 14,000,- 000 Marks per year for the administration of Tsingtao. Modern roads, huge floating docks, substantial breakwater granite docks, warehouses, factories, machine shops, schools and military departments gradually sprang up. At the same time several cities in Shangtung were volun- tarily opened up by the Chinese government for commercial posts. The population was in 1913, at Tsingtao, 60,500 ; in the Leased Ter- ritory, 192,000; in the Zone, 1,200,000. Of these only 4,470 were Euro- peans, 3,806 being Germans; this figure including both civilians and soldiers.^ No doubt the German occupation of Kiao-Chow was a result of imperialism and militarism, yet she never went so far, in violating — 9 — the sovereignty of China, as Japan has done since she came into Shang- tung. 4. Japan^s Occupation of Kiao-Chow. When the world war broke out in Europe, August, 1914, Japan, in the name of a British ally with a selfish and aggressive purpose, sent an ultimatum to Germany, demanding her to withdraw all her armed forces from the Japanese and Chinese waters, and to hand over the entire leased territory of Kiao-Chow to the Japanese authorities with- out condition or compensation, not later than September 15, with a view to restoring the same to China. This ultimatum was to be answered by the German government not later than noon, August 23, 1914. The German government failed to answer. At that time China was neutral. On September 2, Japanese troops were landed at Lung- kou on the northern coast of Shangtung, nearly one hundred miles away from Kiao-Chow, from where they marched overland to attack the German military base. Germany violated Belgian nentrality, and Great Britain declared war on her. Here Japan was doing the same thing as Germany did in Belgium. Chinese subjects and properties were snffering from Japanese troops. The Chinese government pro- tested against the action of Japan, bnt the Japanese paid no attention. Then, following the precedent set in the Eusso- Japanese war, the Chinese government declared voluntarily a war zone, where the Japan- ese had begnn to carry on their operations. It was clear to the Jap- anese as well as to others that the German military forces were con- centrated in Kiao-Chow. In spite of this fact Japanese troops were sent to Weihsien, which was outside of the war zone, and then to Tsin- anfu, the capital of Shangtung, which is 256 miles from Kiao-Chow. As Professor S. K. Hornbeck says, “Observers, who were familiar with the history of Manchuria, now began to point out that Japan was bent upon much bigger things than merely the defense of the interests of her ally and the peace of the Far East.” ^ With the help of a small British force, Japan captured Tsingtao on November 7, which gave complete control of the German interests in Shangtnng to the allies. The whole campaign took about two months, in which about 300 Japanese soldiers W'ere killed. This should be compared with the period of the world war, which was over four years, and the number of soldiers killed was 7,981,806. In return Japan’s gains in Shangtung are thus stated in the oflflcial summary of the peace terms : “Germany cedes to Japan all as' to Kiao-Chow and the rail- roads, mines, and cables acquired by treaty with China of March 6, 1898, and by other agreements as to Shangtung. All German — 10 — rights to the railroad from Tsingtao to Tsinanfu, including all facil- ities and mining rights and rights of exploitation, pass equally to Japan, and the cables from Tsingtao to Shanghai and Chefoo, the cables free of all charges. All German state property, movable and immovable, in Kiao-Chow is acquired by Japan free of all charges.” Since November, 1914, Japan has gone farther in violating the sov- ereignty and integrity of China in Shangtung than Germany ever did before, namely, she established civil and military administrations with policing forces in towns and cities along the railroad line from Tsing- tao to Tsinanfu and secured full control of the Chinese Customs Admin- istration in Tsingtao. “ She will gradually create a railway enclave on the Manchurian model in the heart of old China. For along the course of such railways new railway towns inevitably spring up, bringing all the complications which conflicting jurisdiction creates. In solving such conflicts the stronger power first employs force; then, to give its authority a deeper meaning, it sets up its own courts, administers so- called justice, and sends its police officers far from the zone of the rail- way to satisfy judgments. This is already what has happened in Shangtung, it will happen wherever Japanese railways go.” ® Now every Chinese citizen in Shangtung is confronted with Japanese in- fluence. Thousands upon thousands of Japanese have been flowing into Shangtung ever since the capturing of Kiao-Chow by Japan. We have heard too many times that Japan claims to be a good friend of China. Let us see what Japan has done to injure the morale and health of the Chinese people both in Shangtung and elsewhere. Since the coming of the Japanese into Shangtung, they have organized in Tsinanfu alone 194 enterprises, out of which 63 are drugshops and twenty-two are houses of prostitution.® Drug shops and other miscel- laneous and notion shops are places where they are engaged in mor- phia traffic. This kind of business is carried on not only through drug shops but also through drug sellers, who penetrate into the heart of China, and the Japanese Post Offices, which number more than three hundred within the territory of Cliina. Japan is poisoning and weaken- ing China from her official classes down, so as to make her an easy prey to the aggressor. While the morphia traffic is going on, Japan is also smuggling- opium into China. We can never forget the noble deed of the Chinese government, which burned up about f25,000,000 worth of o[)ium in January, 1919, when she was under great financial difficulty. On the other hand Japan is trying to injure China by the morphia and opium business. This is more clearly shown by the following statements; “Although Japan is a signatory to the Agreement, which forbids the import into China of morphia or of any appliances used in its manufacture or in its application, the traffic, inasmuch as it has — 11 — the financial support of the Bank of Japan is carried on with the direct approval and encouragement of the Japenese Government. In no other country in the world has there ever been known such a wholesale contraband trafidc. Literally tens of millions of yen are transferred annually from China to Japan for the payment of Jap- anese morphia. The chief agency in the distribution of morphia in China is' the Japanese Post Office. Morphia is imported by parcel post. No inspection of parcels in the Japanese Post Offices in China is permitted to the Chinese Customs Service. The Service is only allowed to know what are the alleged contents of the postal packages as stated in the Japanese invoices, and yet morphia enters China by this channel by the ton. “But while the morphia traffic is a large one, there is every reason to believe that the opium trade, upon which Japan is now embarking with such enthusiasm, is likely to prove even more lucrative. One must emphasize that this opium is not imported to Japan. It is transhipped in Kobe harbour to Tsingtao, from which point of vantage, assisted by the Japanese-controlled railway to Tsinanfu, it is smuggled through Shangtung into Shanghai and the Yangtze 'Valley. Opium purchased in Calcutta for Rs. 3,500 per chest, about Tls. 1,G00, costs delivered in Kobe Harbour, all told well under Tls. 1,200 per chest. This opium, Tsingtao opium, is sold at Shanghai at $500 a ball of forty balls to the chest, a total of $20,000 per chest. China’s failure to sell (for medicinal purposes) her opium at $27,000 per chest, the price asked by the opium ring, is thus explained. The price is undercut by the Japanese. The dimensions that the traffic has already assumed are noteworthy. There is reason to believe that between January 1 and September 30 of this year 1918, not less than 2,000 chests of opium purchased in India were imported into Tsingtao via Kobe.” ’’ “As in railways, so in customs matters, it is again Japan that renders so difidcult the task of real reform. At all ports where Japanese commissioners of Maritime Customs hold office it is un- deniable that centres of contraband trade have been established, opium and its derivatives being so openly smuggled that the annual net import of Japanese morphia (although this trade is forbidden by International Convention) is now said to be something like twenty tons a year, sufficient to poison a whole nation. In the case of Tsingtao, it has been proved beyond a doubt that since the Japanese military occupation opium has been introduced at military stores on such an immense scale as to give the authorities a royalty of several million pounds sterling, with which immense tracts of land around Kiao-Chow Bay have been purchased.” ® When the European Powers were busy in the great war, Japan had a free hand in China. The Allies were trying their best to please her in order to maintain her friendship. They could do nothing but accept what Japan wanted to do in China. It was also quite evident that the great war would not end quickly. Japan grasped this great oppor- tunity to satisfy her various territorial and economic ambitions. The notorious twenty-one demands were sent to China January, 1915. China could not accept such unjust demands, so she refused. So unjust were the 'Japanese demands that China did not yield until an ultimatum was sent to her by Japan and she was threatened by a Japanese in- vasion. Four out of the twenty-one demands were concerning the Ger- man interests in Shangtung. They ' are as follows : — 12 — “Art. 1. The Chinese Government engages to give full assent to all matters upon which the Japanese government may hereafter agree with the German government relating to the disposition of all rights, interests, and concessions which, by virtue of treaties or otherwise, Germany now possesses in relation to province of Shantung. “Art. 2. The Chinese Government engages that within the province of Shangtung and along its coast no territory or island will be ceded or leased to a third power under any pretext whatever. “Art. 3. The Chinese Government consents to Japan’s build- ing a railway from Chefoo or Lungkow to join the Kiao-Chow-Tsinan railway. “Art. 4. The Chinese Government engages, in the interest of trade and for the residence of foreigners, to open by itself, as soon as possible, certain important cities and towns in the province of Shangtung as commercial ports. What places are to be opened are to be decided upon by the two governments by separate agree- ment.” Notes were also exchaiigert between the governnieiits of China and Japan in 1918. From tliese notes Japan on the one hand would con- centrate her troops from various parts of Shangtnug to Kiao-Chow and one contingent in Tsinanfn, and withdraw her civil administration. On the other she would be granted the right to build two railways, one from Kaonii, 20 miles west of Kiao-Chow, to Suchow, about 250 miles, and the other from Tsinanfn to Shnntek, about 150 miles. These notes of 1918 were made by China as the price for Jaiian’s promise to with- draw her troops and civil administration. 5. How Japan Paved Her Way to the Peace Conference. Japan has been trying to applj" her Korean policy to China. She wants first to control China’s foreign affairs, secondly to control a large part of .China’s natural resources, and thirdly to influence China’s home affairs. Before March, 1917, China was repeatedly trying to get into war against Germany of her own volition, but Jaj)an had no desire to let her. Japan did not want China to have a place at the Peace Conference, so that she might be China’s representative. She did not want the wrongs done to China by her to be heard at the peace table. She wanted to settle the differences with China alone. “ In November, 1915, China tried to enter the contest as desirerl by the European Powers. On tliat occasion Baron I.sliii, then Japanese minister of foreign affairs, said to the European ambassadors at Tokio, ‘Japan could not view without appreliension the moral awakening of 400,000,000 Chinese, which would result from their entering the war.’ “China did not dare act contrary to the wishes of Japan, for she knew Europe could not help her in case of need, and she feared Japanese — 13 — aggression. But another opportunity came to China early in 1917, when the United States broke diplomatic relations with Germany and invited all the neutral countries of the world to follow her example.” ® Then Japan realized that she could no longer keep China neutral. She used the weakness of the Entente and the collapse of Russia to extort, first from England and then from France, Italy, Russia, treaties recognizing Japan’s reversionary rights to all German possessions in China. She used the same situation to obtain from the United States the Lansing-Ishii agreement recognizing Japan’s “ special interests ” in China. It has been said that she even had secret treaty with Ger- many, before the Armistice of the War, concerning the Far East. All these secret treaties and agreements were without the consent of China. It is difficult for justice itself to see that the would Powers were giving a piece of China’s territory to Japan, in order that Japan might allow China to take part in the war to fight for the world course. As Sena- tor Norris of Nebraska remarks, “ It is thus clearly disclosed that while these leading governments of the world were inducing China to get into the war, in order that they might obtain her assistance and particularly that they might be able to get possession of the German ships interned in China’s harbors, they were secretly plotting among themselves as to her destruction as soon as she had complied with their wishes and the war was over. In all the annals of history I do not believe there is re- corded an instance of a more disgraceful and dishonorable agreement to carve np the territory, not of an enemy, but of an allied friend.” These communications between Japanese government and the Brit- ish and French governments concerning Japan’s claims in Shangtung and her allowing China into the world war, are as follows: At the beginning of 1917 the Japanese minister of foreign affairs at Tokyo approached the British ambassador at that place, with a view of bringing about an agreement with the British government. The British ambassador cabled to his government at London, and after re- ceiving instructions from his government, wrote the Japanese govern- ment as follows : “British Embassy, Tokyo, Feb. 16, 1917. — My dear Excellency: With reference to the subject of our conversation of the 27th ultimo, his Britannic majesty’s government accede with pleasure to the request of the Japanese government for an assurance that they will support Japan’s claims in regard to the disposal of Germany’s rights in Shangtung and possessions in the islands north of the equa- tor on the occasion of the peace conference; it being understood that the Japanese government will in the eventual peace settlement treat in the same spirit Great Britain’s claims to the German islands south of the equator. “I avail myself of this opportunity, M. le Ministre, to renew to your excellency the assurance of my highest consideration. Conyng- ham Greene, His Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador.’’ — 14 — On February 21 , 1917, the Japanese government replied to this com- munication of the British government as follows : “The Japanese government is deeply appreciative of the friend- ly spirit in which your government has given assurance and happy to note it as fresh proof of the close ties that unite the two allied powers. I take pleasure in stating that the Japanese government on its part is fully prepared to support in the same spirit the claims which may be put forward at the peace conference in regard to the German possessions in the islands south of the equator.” While the Japanese government was waiting for a reply from the British government, it proceeded also to negotiate with the other allied governments. Its message to the French government was as follows ; ‘ The Imperial Japanese government proposes to demand from Germany at the time of the peace negotiations the surrender of the territorial rights and special interests Germany possessed before the war in Shangtung and the islands situated north of the equator in the Pacific ocean. The Imperial Japanese Government confidently hopes the government of the French Republic, realizing the legitim- acy of these demands, will give assurance that, her case being proved, Japan may count upon its full support in this question. “It goes witnout saying that reparation for damages caused to the life and property of the Japanese people by the unjustifiable attacks of the enemy, as well as other conditions of peace, of a character common to all the entente powers, are entirely outside the consideration of the present situation.” A few days later the French ambassador replied to the Japanese foreign office as follows : “The government of the French Republic is disposed to give the Japanese government its accord in regulating at the time of peace negotiations questions vital to Japan concerning Shangtung and the German islands in the Pacific north of the equator. It algo agreed to support the demands of the Imperial Japanese Government for the surrender of the rights Germany possessed before the war in this Chinese province and these islands. “M. Briand demands, on the other hand, that Japan give its support to obtain from China the breaking of its diplomatic rela- tions with Germany and that it give this act desirable significance. The consequences of this In China should be the following: “First, handing passports to the German diplomatic agents and consuls. “Second, the obligation of all under German jurisdiction to leave Chinese territory. “Third, the internment of German ships in. Chinese ports and the ultimate requisition of the ships in order to place them at the disposition of the allies following the example of Italy and Portugal. According to the Information of the French government there are fifteen German 'ships in Chinese ports, totalling about 40,000 tons. “Fourth, requisition of German commercial houses established in China; forfeiting the right of Germany in the concession she possesses in certain parts of China.” Similar negotiations were entered into with Italy and Knssia with the similar results. — 15 —- It has been said that neither Wilson nor the Chinese delegates knew of the existence of these secret agreements, when they came to I’aris. These agreements led to the victory of Japan in the I’eace Con- ference. G. Jai-an’s Victory at the Peace Conference. After securing support from England, France, Italy and Russia on her claims iu Shangtung, Japan came to the Peace Conference. When the question of Shangtung came up — it would not take long for the “Big Three” to decide it. Great Britain was an ally of Japan. She, no doubt, favored Japan’s claims. It was also said that Prance and Japan had agreed beforehand to support each other on their claims. These three powers went even further. They decided the territorial problem of the Far East sometime in March, 1919, as Mr. T. F. Millard reported. It was called the Tri-Power Entente. They had Asia divided up among themselves. Shangtung and some other provinces of China were to be under Japan. It was in the same month that United States secured the Allies’ recognition of the “Monroe Doctrine” in the covenant of the League of Nations. The latter is a fact, but we hope the former is not true. The psychological moment of the Peace Conference, at the time when the Shangtung question came up, strengthened Japan’s claims. Italy, on account of the Fiume question, had withdrawn from the Con- ference. Japan was threatening to do tlie same, if she failed in her claim regarding Shangtung. In order to prevent the possible alliance of .Japan, Russia and Germany, which would be a great opponent to the League of Nations, and to compromise Japan’s failure in her demand for the racial equality, the great democratic leader, whose support China hoped to have, had to yield. .lapan rejoiced in her victory. Imperial- ism ha V •V. > J. h'-' THE EASTANIAN tt M Y. L. LEE, Secretary and Treasurer 31 Council Hall Oberlin, Ohio, U. S. A. K. T. WONG, Business Manager Care of Cheung Mow Tai Co. Oi Yuk West St. Canton, China Pamphlets Published by the Eastanian 1. Japan and China, by Y. L. Lee. 2. The Chinese Translation of Japan and China, Translated by S. K. Wong. 3. Kiao-Chow As a Spoil of the World War. By Y. L. Lee. Price, 20 cants each.