HOW SECRET DIPLOMACY FORCED CHINA
Reinsch, Paul S.
How Secret Diplomacy Forced China Machinations of Japan Compelled Her to Give Up Shantung; War Lords of Island Empire Misled World By PAUL S. REINSCH JAPAN is going to take advantage of this war...
...7 and German control had been wholly eliminated from the lease-hold of the railway...
...This the Japanese seized upon as a calculated insult...
...1, expressing deep concern over the action of the Japanese in Shantung...
...From information in my possession," he stated, "I am convinced that the Japanese have a definite and far-reaching plan to use the European crisis in an attempt to lay the foundations of control over China...
...A Fatal Mistake FROM May 1 to 7, councils were held daily at the president's residence...
...Because of the pretensions of the "certain power" he must insist on the demands regarding harbors and dockyards...
...What will be left to China...
...So far as harbors and naval bases were concerned, the American government did not object to any arrangement whereby China would withhold such conces-sions from any and all foreign powers...
...But the Japanese minister stated to the Chinese foreign office, on Aug...
...the British, who had also sent a contingent of troops, were kept by the Japanese in a very subsidiary position...
...An unfounded report spread by interested parties was thus made the basis for a demand against Chinese government...
...This is the punishment for be-ing peaceful and just to others...
...On May 8, the cabinet and council of state were in session nearly all day and finally decided for acceptance...
...Meanwhile they persistently injected Group V into the negotiations...
...So ended the famous negotiations of the 21 demands...
...He said: "The buzzing gnats disturb my sleep, but they have not yet carried off my rice...
...18, the Japanese minister became more peremptory...
...Would Occupy Railroad WITH great promptness, however, the Japanese executed the plan they had adopted...
...Should they await its delivery, or try to placate the Japanese by further concessions...
...this substituted the term "economic relations" for "special position...
...As it was, Group V was given the character of unfinished business, to be taken up at a future date...
...6. The Japanese minister was strikingly peremptory in manner...
...At Tsinan-fu, new entrenchments were being built...
...For in the public opinion of the world and especially of the United States, the Chinese saw the force that would ultimately prevail...
...But in China the people, as an anciently organized society, are vastly more important than any political government...
...The Chinese government notified Japan that permission to use part of Shantung for military operations would be withdrawn, since occasion for it had disappeared...
...In view of possible consequences the British government hesitated to make the call...
...Japanese residents in Peking were warned to hold themselves ready...
...Those who favored resistance pressed the president with the argument that, though Japan might, indeed, occupy large parts of China, this action, instead of creating rights, would expose Japan to universal condemnation...
...He enjoined absolute secrecy, on pain of serious consequences, before handing Yuan the text of the demands...
...So I can live...
...Thus beset, the Chinese had by the end of March almost entirely accepted the Japanese demands in Shantung and Manchuria...
...Then growing serious, he went on: "I wish to make a peaceful settlement...
...Manchuria was to be made more completely a reserved area for Japanese capital and colonization, but with administrative control wielded through advisers and through priority in the matter of loans...
...The minister agreed with me...
...Meanwhile what the Japanese had put forth for foreign consumption in the way of news was being compared with what was actually done in Peking...
...The Japanese minister sought a private interview with Yuan Shih-kai...
...16, the Japanese government, acting on its own account, sent the Shantung ultimatum to Germany...
...26 presented the demands with respect to Shantung and Mongolia, unchanged except for the wording of the preamble...
...The blow evidently had come with stunning force, and the counselors of the president had not been able to overcome the first terrified surprise or to develop any plan for meeting the crisis...
...When it was known that an ultimatum would be delivered, the Chinese officials were perplexed and undecided...
...The British government was then informed of the action taken...
...Group V consisted of the sweeping demands that would have deprived the Chinese government of the substance of control over its own affairs...
...Partly in an exchange of notes, partly in a convention, the concessions exacted through the ultimatum were given form...
...for it could not be avowed before other nations as part of the matter covered by the ultimatum...
...But," he added, "when the draft was submitted to the Japanese legation, they insisted that after the words 'Group V' there be added the clause, 'which are postponed for later negotiations.'" It had been thought necessary, my visitor explained, to state in the reply that something had been refused, in order to save the face of the government...
...Many Chinese friends came to see me and tell me of their fears...
...that negotiations could not continue on this basis...
...When he asked whether the American government was now protesting against any special proposals, I had to reply in the negative, but I insisted that the rights referred to in the note be given complete protection in the definitive provisions of the treaty, thus keeping open to my government the opportunity for a more specific protest...
...Though the Chinese did not expect material assistance from the people and the government of America, they greatly desired that America should know the facts about the attack made on Chinese liberty...
...Then the department cabled on May 11 an identical note to both governments reasserting the principle of equal opportunity and reserving all American rights that might be affected by the demands...
...The present American administration might withdraw its "pretensions...
...The Chinese would feel themselves abandoned by the public opinion of the world...
...He finally confided to me, almost in tears, that Japan had made categorical demands, which, if conceded, would destroy the independence of his country and reduce her to a servile state...
...They informed the Chinese that, being judges of their own military necessities, they would occupy the railway by force majeure, immediately, but would leave its administration in Chinese hands—with the exception that Japanese conductors would be placed on the trains...
...Hold Pact Invalid TILE state department had cabled on May 6, counseling patience and mutual forbearance to both governments...
...At this time 1 imormed the Chinese minister for foreign affairs that should the attitude or policy of the United States be mentioned by any foreign representative, and should state-merits be made as to what the American government would, or would not, admit, demand or insist upon, the Chinese government would be more than justified in taking up such a matter directly with the representative of the United States, through whom alone authoritative statements as to the action of his government could be made...
...I had a long interview with President Yuan Shih-kai on Mar...
...Mr...
...Everywhere the Chinese were in a state of deep concern over the action of Japan—and Japan had taken quick action...
...It is now quite generally recognized in Japan that the disingenuous denials and the misrepresentation of the demands as well as the use of an ultimatum threatening force, were serious mistakes...
...I am prepared to make all possible concessions...
...the ultimatum had been presented...
...The Japanese demands respecting Manchuria were subsequently complied with during early April...
...On Feb...
...but the Chinese government was now pointedly warned by the Japanese that the transfer would not be permitted...
...For the Japanese ambassador had offered a supplementary memorandum, which substantially gave the proposals of Group V as "requests for friendly consideration...
...The Japanese minister complained on Mar...
...nevertheless, the Japanese were moving their troops...
...For over two months the negotiations had now gone on, with two or three long conferences every week...
...He could only say: "You cannot expect me to make such concessions...
...It was not until Jan...
...I am informed," he said, "that they are ready to let loose large numbers of bandits and other irresponsible persons to co-operate with revolutionary elements in an attempt to create widespread uprisings...
...Yet they were astonished at this omission, and annoyed at unnecessarily committing themselves the day before...
...Unless Japan was in want of some reason for making special demands with respect to Fukien, no need was apparent for bringing up alleged machinations of a "certain power...
...Tsingtao had been taken on Nov...
...Lu, the minister for foreign affairs, said to me, "All that China hopes is that America and the world may know this whole situation and judge...
...Thus was admitted as a matter of course what was originally denied categorically upon "the highest authority...
...Juggling Terms a Mistake THE Chinese might have foreseen that the demands of Group V would not be included in tho ultimatum...
...Liang Tun-yen, minister of communications, called on me on Oct...
...Lu pointed out that the railway grants sought conflicted with the concessions already given to British interests...
...On May 1, the minister for foreign affairs handed his answer to the Japanese minister...
...I communicated this request to the president through the state department...
...the Chinese thought this phase of the negotiations should be closed...
...You cannot expect me to say anything tonight...
...Forthwith the Japanese minister replied that the expression of opinion by Minister Lu was unsatisfactory...
...The furnishing of war materials, Fukien province, and pointed references to a "certain power"—meaning the United States—occupied the Japanese part of the conference on Apr...
...With respect to the other demands, a specific answer was given very closely approaching acceptance of the demands as revised by Japan...
...On Aug...
...Because of their origin in compulsion, and of this lack of proper ratification, the Chinese people look upon the agreement of 1915 as invalid...
...It was urged that submission would mean national disintegration...
...But when the foreign office emissary came to the Japanese legation with these additional proposals and the Japanese minister saw how far the Chinese could be driven, he stated calmly that the last instructions of his government left no alternative...
...The blow fell on Jan...
...The only safe course was to exclude this power from any possibility of getting such a foothold...
...In these words President Yuan Shih-kai summed up the situation when I made my first call on him after returning from a brief trip to Europe, in September, 1914...
...The military leaders thought that even in case of an invasion the advance of Japan might be obstructed until the end of the great war...
...This was done on May 7 at 3 o'clock in the afternoon...
...President Yuan Shih-kai sent for me on Oct...
...then European help would come...
...What form," I asked, "has the Chinese answer taken...
...The Chinese took decided exception...
...Violent scenes took place in the council...
...With a mien of great mystery and importance the minister opened the discussion...
...The blow stunned him...
...The employment of effective Japanese advisers in political, financial and military affairs, the joint Chino-Japanese organization of the police forces in important places, the purchase from Japan of a fixed quantity of munitions of war, and the establishment of Chino-Japanese jointly worked arsenals, were embraced in these demands...
...Point by point the demands on Shantung and Manchuria were sifted...
...None of these was ever ratified by the parliamentary body, as the constitution requires...
...The Japanese added to their military forces in Manchuria and Shantung during the second half of March...
...Similarly, from the Fukien sphere, railway concessions would carry Japanese power into the provinces of Kiangsi, Hupeh and Kwangtung...
...Scope of Plan Revealed BY the end of September the Japanese had invested Tsingtao...
...but what if they should be resumed in the future...
...From the Shantung sphere, influence could be made to radiate to the interior by means of railway extensions to Honan and Shansi...
...The advice was needed by Japan, but the instruction came too late...
...11 that a Japanese fleet had sailed, under sealed orders, for ports in China...
...Japan's acts may force upon me a different policy...
...To the friendly treaty powers it might immediately have given notice of the demands, which affected their equal rights in China, as well as the administrative independence of the Chinese government...
...With respect to Fukien, China was to state, in an exchange of notes, that no foreign nation might build dockyards or naval bases there, and that no foreign capital might be borrowed for that purpose...
...This was most conciliatory...
...The people of China have as yet not consented, —Asia...
...Why, when the Chinese were virtually ready to agree to all the demands actually included in the ultimatum, should the Japanese not have accepted the concessions, oven if they fell slightly short of what was asked...
...A virtual deadlock developed toward the end of April...
...But they must not diminish Chinese independence...
...Calling on one of the Chinese ministers, on current business, I found him greatly perturbed...
...He seemed greatly worried but he was still good-humored...
...Lu, Chinese minister for foreign affairs...
...The majority of the Japanese people, he continued, were opposed to President Yuan Shih-kai...
...for a time the movement stopped the ordinary traffic on the Shantung railway...
...Admiral Tsai said: "Here are the beginnings of another Manchuria...
...The heads of the government, the chief state counselors and leading military men were there...
...It was published in the Peking papers on May 24, together with a telegram from Tokio, asserting on "the highest authority" that the report of such a note was only another machination designed to cause political friction...
...On Aug...
...1, in English, the full text of the Japanese demands...
...Yuan went on to explain that if America would only say, gently but firmly, "Such matters concerning foreign rights in China, in which we have an interest by treaties, policy and tradition, cannot be discussed without our participation," the danger would largely dissolve itself...
...From this time on I felt it my duty to secure the fullest information and to watch the negotiations with great care...
...Japan had gained from the unrepresentative authorities at Peking certain far-reaching concessions...
...Thereupon Yuan Shih-kai requested that I ask President Wilson to use his good offices in conferring with the British government, in order to prevail upon Japan to restrict her action in Shantung to the military necessities involved in the capture of Tsingtao, according to the original assurances given the Chinese government...
...Full Text of Demands FINALLY The Japan Mail, a semi-official Tokio paper, published on Apr...
...That would furnish a pretext for military interference...
...I pointed out that any rights of residence granted to the Japanese would, by operation of the most-favored-nation clause, accrue in like terms to all other nations having treaties with China...
...Control, direct or indirect, of any naval base in Fukien must be frustrated, for the sake both of China and of Japan...
...They were panic-stricken at thought of an ultimatum...
...Towards evening, on May 9, a member of the foreign office came to me, quite agitated, saying that the Japanese legation insisted that the demands of Group V be specifically reserved for future discussion...
...The ultimatum gave the Chinese government a little over forty-eight hours, that is, until 6 p. m. on May 9, for an answer...
...In the first sense of their relief from a long strain, the Chinese understood when the ultimatum stipulated that the demands of Group V should "be detached from the present negotiations and discussed separately in the future," it was adroitly abandoning these troublesome questions...
...On May 15 the department confirmed this view by cabled instructions, which I followed with a formal note to Minister Lu...
...21 that I learned the astonishing nature of the Japanese proposals...
...When the Japanese asked him to express a general opinion on each proposal, he readily indicated which of them the Chinese government considered possible subjects for negotiation...
...This method of disarming foreign opposition imposed one disadvantage—it would hereafter hardly do actually to use military force to coerce China into accepting the "friendly suggestions" contained in Group V. The only chance of getting these concessions was to keep the other governments in uncertainty as to the actual demands, that they might not take them seriously, and meanwhile to bring pressure to bear, to force Peking to accept these very proposals...
...The latter involved effective control over the armament and military organization of China...
...Japan's reservists in Mukden had been ordered to their station...
...The ultimatum to Germany demanded the delivery not later than Sept...
...Then President Yuan Shih-kai and the foreign office made their mistake...
...On Aug...
...In the conversation the Japanese minister dropped several significant hints...
...3. In stronger terms than Minister Liang had used, he set forth his apprehensions...
...they maneuvered to keep open the Man-churian question on points of detail...
...Lu that the negotiations could not be confined to the first four groups—the whole 21 demands must be negotiated upon...
...the ultimatum would have to be presented...
...Just here the American government gave the Japanese ambassador at Washington its opinion that certain clauses in the demands contravened existing treaty provisions...
...The Japanese would not agree to anything definite without including the demands under Group V. As a prelude to an ultimatum, the Japanese minister on Apr...
...Mere Suggestions" to China THE Chinese were informed on Mar...
...This note I delivered to the minister for foreign affairs on May 13...
...After agreeing to important concessions in Manchuria and Shantung, the Chinese determined to resist further demands...
...When Minister Lu received the note, he asserted that he had tried throughout to safeguard the treaty rights of other nations, with which China's own rights were bound up...
...Losing sight of the advantage held by China in opposing the demands of Group V, they offered concessions on points contained therein, particularly regarding advisers...
...This," he replied: "The Chinese government hereby accepts, with the exception of the five articles of Group V, all, etc...
...They were ready to throw tactical advantages to the winds...
...This was declined by Mr...
...it was made the excuse for presentation of the "twenty-one demands...
...From Japanese sources he had information to the effect that the Japanese militarists were not satisfied with the reduction of Tsingtao, but wished to take advantage of this opportunity to secure a solid footing—political and military—within the interior of China...
...The Chinese government then also seriously considered the policy of declaring war on Germany...
...Hioki then calmly proposed that China grant these same concessions to Japan, letting Japan settle it with Great Britain...
...Use New Lever I wondered whether he was actually contemplating a show of armed resistance...
...This annoyed the Japanese press, apparently not so much because its government had been caught in the act of trying to mislead its own allies, as because timely publicity and strong public opinion abroad were defeating its attempt to impose its demands on the Chinese...
...Shantung was first taken up in the negotiations...
...He spoke of the Chinese revolutionists "who have very close relations with many Japanese outside of the government, and have means and influence...
...So stunned was the Chinese government by the Japanese stroke that it missed its first opportunity...
...20, that the Kiaochow matter no longer concerned the Chinese government, which he trusted, would remain absolutely passive in regard to it...
...He said further, "It may not be possible for the Japanese government to restrain such "people from stirring up trouble in China unless the Chinese government shall give some positive proof of friendship...
...8, Japanese war vessels appeared near Tsingtao...
...But in the existing circumstances of the World war, the cooler heads feared that to defy Japan would mean dismemberment of China...
...Even with Yuan Shih-kai, man of authority though he was, this hope existed...
...He then told me in general terms their na-ture, saying: "Control of natural resources, finances, army, police...
...The demands under Group V could not possibly be accepted by a sovereign power...
...10, Japan suggested that the British government might call for the co-operation of Japan under the terms of the Anglo-Japanese alliance...
...They believe that the president is strongly anti-Japanese, and that his government befriends the distant countries (of Europe and America) and antagonizes the neighbor...
...Yuan sat silent throughout this ominous conversation...
...War Lords of Island Empire Misled World By PAUL S. REINSCH JAPAN is going to take advantage of this war to get control in China...
...The scope of Japan's plans was more fully revealed on Sept...
...By the preamble to Group II in the original version, Japan claimed a "special position" in south Manchuria and in eastern inner Mongolia...
...Japan, therefore, abandoned her attempt to secure preferential rights in Fukien province...
...He stated his conviction that, in departing from the necessary military operations around Tsingtao, Japan planned to stir up trouble in the interior of China with a view to more extensive occupation of Chinese territory...
...Sweeping Demands Are Made THERE would be three centers from which Japanese influence would be exercised— Manchuria, Shantung and Fukien...
...If China has further proposals to make," a member of the Japanese legation suggested to Minister Lu, on May 6, "perhaps the legation could intercede...
...But if Group V had not been mentioned at all, the Japanese would have found it difficult to insist upon its being kept open...
...29, when the Chinese government was informed that "military necessity" required the Japanese government to place troops along the entire railway in Shantung province...
...The Chinese desired to dispose of the grants concerning Manchuria...
...The German representative at Peking Lad discussed informally with the foreign office the possibility of immediately returning Kiaochow directly to China...
...Everything indicated extreme measures...
...Claim Special Position THE Japanese minister had at first demanded acceptance in principle of the entire 21 proposals...
...15 of the entire leased territory of Kiaochow to the Japanese government, "with a view to the eventual restoration to China...
...The talk of "pretensions" related to the Bethlehem Steel Co.'s contract, made five years earlier, which did not, however, touch Fukien, although a spurious version of the contract, circulated in Peking shortly before, gave this impression...
...Looked to America NO cause for such apprehension existed...
...Not so the Japanese...
...The American government had filed with the Japanese strong objections to any special preference or exclusive concessions in favor of any one nation in Fukien...
...The newly acquired privileges of the Japanese in Manchuria were touched on in the conversation...
...he informed Mr...
...They were "mere suggestions" to the Chinese...
...Aggressive Japan in Shantung is different from any European tenant...
...If the president will now grant these demands, the Japanese people will be convinced that his feeling is friendly, and it will then be possible for the Japanese government to give assistance to President Yuan's government and policies...
...Military compulsion was clearly foreshadowed...
...6 of slow progress, giving thenceforward frequent hints that force might be resorted to...
Vol. 13 • November 1921 • No. 11
