The Inside Story of the Peace ConferenceDillon, Emile Joseph
History
The Inside Story of the Peace Conference
Dillon, Emile Joseph
Paris Peace Conference (1919-1920)
At the Conference the policy of the Japanese delegates was clear-cut and
coherent. It may be summarized as follows: the Japanese delegation
decided to give its entire support to the Allies in all matters
concerning the future relations of Germany and Russia, western Europe,
the Balkans, the African colonies, as well as financial indemnities and
reparations. The fate of the Samoan Archipelago must be determined in
accord with Britain and the United States. New Guinea should be allotted
to Australia. As the Marshall, Caroline, and Ladrone Islands, although
of no intrinsic value, would constitute a danger in Germany's hands,
they should be taken over by Japan. Tsingtao and the port of Kiaochow
should belong to Japan, as well as the Tainan railway. Japan would
co-operate with the Allies in maintaining order in Siberia, but no Power
should arrogate to itself a preponderant voice in the matter of
obtaining concessions or other interests there. Lastly, the principle of
the open door was to be upheld in China, Japan being admittedly the
Power which is the most interested in the establishment and maintenance
of peace in the Far East.
At the Conference, when the Kiaochow dispute came up for discussion, the
Japanese attitude, according to their Anglo-Saxon and French colleagues,
was calm and dignified, their language courteous, their arguments were
put with studied moderation, and their resolve to have their treaty
rights recognized was inflexible. Their case was simple enough, and
under the old ordering unanswerable. The only question was whether it
would be invalidated by the new dispensation. But as the United States
had obtained recognition for its Monroe Doctrine, Britain for the
supremacy of the sea, and France for the occupation of the Saar Valley
and the suspension of the right of self-determination in the case of
Austria, it was obvious that Japan had abundant and cogent arguments for
her demands, which were that the Chinese territory once held by Germany,
and since wrested from that Power by Japan, be formally retroceded to
Japan, whose claim to it rested upon the right of conquest and also
upon the faith of treaties which she had concluded with China. At the
same time she expressly and spontaneously disclaimed the intention of
keeping that territory for herself. Baron Makino said at the Peace
Table:
"The acquisition of territory belonging to one nation which it is the
intention of the country acquiring it to exploit to its sole advantage
is not conducive to amity or good-will." Japan, although by the fortune
of war Germany's heir to Kiaochow, did not purpose retaining it for the
remaining term of the lease; she had, in fact, already promised to
restore it to China. She maintained, however, that the conditions of
retrocession should form the subject of a general settlement between
Tokio and Peking.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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