Chapter 149 148. Paris Peace Conference

The First World War was essentially a war in which powerful countries monopolized the world and the interests were unevenly distributed.Although there was US President Wilson's 14-point peace plan at the end of the war, after the First World War, the center of gravity of world problems was still in the hands of powerful countries, and weak countries that were defeated were still treated unfairly, like China at that time. proof.China joined the Allied Powers and became a victorious country, but Japan was also an Allied Power, but it fought the Germans on Chinese territory, occupied the Chinese land occupied by Germany——Qingdao, and expanded to the Shandong Peninsula.China asked Japan to return it, but Japan ignored it, so China pinned its hopes on the Paris Peace Conference.Because the Paris Peace Conference is still subject to powerful countries.Self-interest is the most important thing, and a fair judgment cannot be made. The Chinese delegation's hard work at the Paris Peace Conference ended in failure.

As early as the end of the First World War, US President Wilson announced in the US Congress fourteen principles for the protection of human rights, namely: (1) The diplomacy of all countries is open, and secret international agreements are prohibited. (2) Respect for freedom of the seas both in peacetime and in wartime. (3) Remove the economic barriers of various countries. (4) Reduction of the armaments of various countries. (5) Fair settlement of the distribution of colonies. (6) Return of territories occupied by Russia. (7) Return of Belgian occupied territories. (8) Withdraw the Allied forces in France, solve the problems of Alsace and Lorraine, and return to France. (9) According to the principle of national self-determination, the borders of Italy will be redrawn. (10) According to the principle of national self-determination, the territory of Austria-Hungary will be redrawn. (11) In accordance with the principle of national self-determination, redraw the borders of the Balkan countries and restore the territories of Romania, Serbia, Mendego and other countries. (12) Turkey's self-government and the opening of the Dardenier Strait. (13) Restoration of Poland's independence. (14) Agree on the charter, organize the League of Nations, guarantee the political independence and territorial integrity of all countries, and enjoy the same rights regardless of the size of the country.

After the war, countries held a peace conference in Paris, and Wilson's fourteen-point principles were recognized by all countries as the principles for rebuilding the post-war world peace. China decided to participate in the Paris Peace Conference for four purposes: (1) To recover all the rights and interests of the Germans in Shandong Province before the war, but these rights and interests have now been invaded by force by Japan. (2) With the help of international conferences to uphold justice, cancel all or part of the Sino-Japanese Treaty in the 4th year of the Republic of China. (3) Cancel all privileges enjoyed by foreigners in China, such as consular jurisdiction, concessions, customs agreements, etc. (4) End the political and economic interests of Germany and Austria in China.

The Beijing government selected Lu Zhengxiang, Gu Weijun, Shi Zhaoji, Wei Chengui, and Wang Zhengting as representatives of China to form a delegation of 52 members, including 17 experts and five foreign consultants.Among the five representatives, only Lu Zhengxiang was the person who signed the secret agreement between China and Japan in the 4th year of the Republic of China, and most of the other representatives were emerging diplomats.The Paris Peace Conference only required two Chinese representatives, so Lu Zhengxiang and Gu Weijun were the full representatives, and the other three were the deputy representatives.

The Paris Peace Conference was an extremely important event at the time, and it was also of great importance to China.The organization of the peace conference is roughly as follows: Five representatives from the UK Five delegates from Italy Five representatives from Japan Three representatives from Belgium Three representatives from Brazil Three representatives from Serbia Two representatives from China Two representatives from Greece Two Arab representatives present Portugal is represented by two Siam attended by two representatives Two representatives from the Czech Republic One representative each from Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Liberia, Panama, Poland and Uruguay.

The chairman of the Paris Peace Conference was Clemenceau, head of the French delegation.The vice presidents are Lansing, the head of the American delegation, Lloyd George, the head of the British delegation, Orlando, the head of the Italian delegation, and Marquis Saionji, the head of the Japanese delegation. The decision-making body of the Paris Peace Conference is the Supreme Conference, similar to the Security Council in the United Nations General Assembly today. The Supreme Conference has a speaker, who is concurrently served by French Prime Minister Clemenceau. The members are US President Wilson, Secretary of State Lansing, and British Prime Minister. Lloyd George, Foreign Minister Balfort, French Prime Minister Clemenceau, Foreign Minister Bixon, Italian Prime Minister Orlando, Foreign Minister Sanino, Japanese Marquis Nishizono and Baron Makino.

Chinese students studying in Europe once organized groups and sent representatives to urge Chinese representatives to use the Paris Peace Conference to cancel the 21st Treaty between China and Japan.The Chinese representative accepted the suggestion of the students who stayed in Europe and sent a statement to the highest meeting of the Paris Peace Conference, requesting that the Peace Conference cancel the Sino-Japanese agreement and exchange of letters on May 25, 1915. The full text of the speaker's reply is as follows: "Thanks to the two messages sent by the Chinese delegation, the first is China's request for the peace conference to abolish the Sino-Japanese Treaty of May 25, 1915 and the exchange of documents: the first sets out various important issues: such as the withdrawal of foreign countries The military and police, the abolition of foreign post offices, the abolition of consular jurisdiction, etc., please ask the peace conference to propose corrections. The above two items have been received. On behalf of the highest conference of the leaders of the alliance, the speaker hereby declares: the highest conference of the leaders of the alliance fully recognizes this The issue is important, but it cannot be considered within the purview of the Peace Conference. I would like to ask the Administrative Department of the Federation of Nations to exercise its powers, and ask it to pay attention. I ask the speaker to answer as follows.”

From the organization of the Paris Peace Conference, it can be seen that the real power of the Peace Conference was completely controlled by the five countries of France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan. These five countries were later called the Big Five.The so-called congress of the Paris Peace Conference is just an embellishment for the opening and closing of the conference.Among the five major powers, France, Britain, Italy, and Japan all plan for their own interests, ignoring justice and humanity, Wilson's proposition, so they suffer from high standards and low numbers.What is especially unreasonable is that the highest meeting of the Paris Peace Conference is not only closed to the public, but also not held at the Palace of Versailles, where the official venue is located, nor at the Paris Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the highest meeting is located, but at the private residence of French Prime Minister Clemenceau, or the United States. President Wilson, or British Prime Minister Lloyd George's temporary residence in Paris, is decided by the Big Five or the Big Three through private discussions.This is simply power politics among major powers, which is neither fair nor reasonable.

On January 18, the 8th year of the Republic of China, the Paris Peace Conference officially opened at the Palace of Versailles. On the 25th, the first general meeting of peace envoys was held, and the proposal to organize the League of Nations was proposed. On the 27th, the highest meeting of the top five powers of France, the United States, Britain, Italy, and Japan was held to discuss how to deal with the German colonies and the occupied territories of Eastern Turkey.Of course, Germany's colonies include Qingdao in China.U.S. President Wilson proposed that all German colonies and Eastern Turkey be managed jointly by the international community, but France, Britain, Italy, and Japan opposed it. After a week of compromise discussions, they finally decided to use the mandate system, organized by the League of Nations. The level of education and the duration of the rule of each colony, and according to the needs of each colony, appoint an appropriate country to rule on its behalf.This is tantamount to the five powers carve up the German colonies.There is only one Qingdao that needs to be discussed, because Qingdao is a land leased by Germany to China. Strictly speaking, it is not a real territory of Germany. Therefore, when the Qingdao issue was discussed at the highest meeting of the five powers on the 27th, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs notified the Chinese delegation to attend. , Wang Zhengting attended.The representative of Japan submitted a letter of request from the Japanese government, the contents of which are as follows:

"The Japanese government believes that Germany should unconditionally cede to Japan the leased land in Jiaozhou Bay, the railway, and all other rights of the Germans in Shandong. Since the beginning of the European War, Germany has used Jiaozhou Bay as its naval base, which has greatly hindered international trade and navigation. For the sake of peace in the Far East, Japan sent an ultimatum to Germany according to the 1911 Japan-British Alliance Treaty, demanding that Jiaozhou Bay be handed over so that it could be returned to China in the future. And the Jiaoji Railway. Since Germany’s rights in Shandong were all occupied by Japan. Germany’s military and political base in the Far East was destroyed. Commercial traffic was restored unimpeded. Japan sacrificed to eliminate this German influence. Quite a few, the German forces cannot be allowed to revive, so Japan’s demands on Germany are legitimate and fair.”

Unfortunately, the Chinese representative did not prepare an instruction manual on the Qingdao issue. Therefore, when Japan proposed to occupy Qingdao, the Chinese representative felt very embarrassed. Gu Weijun stood up and issued a statement saying: The Qingdao issue is of great importance to China. I hope this meeting will give Chinese representatives Group for a period of time in order to put forward specific opinions for further discussion.The meeting agreed that the representatives would put forward detailed opinions on the next day and submit them for discussion. When the Chinese delegation returned to the regiment headquarters, it took a whole night to prepare a detailed post on the Qingdao issue, which was China's request for the direct return of the Jiaoji leased land, Jiaoji railway and other German rights in Shandong Province to China. proposal. The remarks submitted by the Chinese delegation to the highest meeting of the Paris Peace Conference are divided into four items: A, B, C, and D.Item A describes the origin and scope of Germany’s lease rights and other rights related to Shandong Province; Item B describes the origin and scope of Japan’s military occupation in Shandong; Item C explains China’s reasons for requesting the return of Jiao’ao; Item D explains that Jiao’ao should be directly returned to China reason.Except for the two items of A and B, because they are past facts, they are omitted.The Bing and Ding items should be as follows: 1. The leased land of Jiaozhou is an inseparable part of China's territory.There has never been a question as to which country the land belongs to.Moreover, in the Jiao-Ao Lease Treaty, it is expressly stated that the original sovereignty still belongs to China. In 1898, it was leased to Germany.All German rights to road mines in Shandong Province are part of this treaty.Therefore, the return of this right and the leased land to China is in fact based on the generally recognized principle of territorial integrity and is a just move.If it is still used to give virtue or transfer it to other countries, it will not give China justice and justice. 2. The leased land of Jiaozhou is a part of Shandong Province.The railway built by the Germans in the past and now occupied by the Japanese stretches for more than 254 miles from Tsingtao to the hinterland of the province.The province has a population of 38 million. All of them are high-spirited, enthusiastic and patriotic people, and they are of pure Chinese race.Its language and writing, and respect for Confucianism, are the same as those of other provinces.There is nothing lacking in the principle of non-nationality, and it is within the scope of this principle, and there is no doubt that he is eager to escape from the oppression of Germany or other countries. 3. In terms of history, Shandong is the birthplace of the two holy places of Confucius and Mencius in China, and it is the birthplace of Chinese culture.A holy city for the people.There are thousands of Confucianists who believe in Confucianism and trek to this province every year to pay homage to the holy relics in Qufu.The eyes of the people of the whole country are gathered here.To cover the development of China, this province has a lot of power, and it still does today. 4. Shandong is densely populated, so economic competition is quite intense.With a population of 38,247,000, gathered in an area of ​​359,760,000 miles, it is not easy to make a living.Its population is as large as that of France.And the area is wide, but only a quarter.It is also clear that it cannot accommodate the remaining people of other countries. If a special sphere of influence or special interest relationship is established in another country here, there will be no other result except that the residents will be cut down. 5. Shandong Province, which has the essential principles of economic centralization in northern China.The masses of the people can increase the sales of foreign goods, and the abundance of minerals is conducive to the development of industries.And Jiaozhou Yiwan is the most important route for the import of foreign goods and the export of native goods in northern China.For hundreds of years, Jiaozhou has long been an important commercial port in Shandong Province.The goods in this province are routed through the Lianhe River built in the twelfth century, and here they are connected with Weixian County, which is the most commercially prosperous.Although the northern part of Jiao'ao is blocked by accumulation, Jiaozhou no longer faces the sea, but Qingdao is now Haikou in Shandong Province, and its status is exactly the same as that of Jiaozhou.It is a newly opened commercial channel, with the Qingjiao Weiji Railway connecting Beijing, Tianjin, Ninghu, and Shanghai, and it is located on the coast of Jiaoao, which is not frozen for many years, which is not the ratio of Tianjin Baihe.Therefore, the establishment of a new shopping mall is enough to attract business from the whole northern part of China. The establishment of a sphere of influence in this country will greatly harm the international industry and commerce. If the door is to be kept open and the principle of equal opportunity is to be maintained, Shandong cannot be retained by the Chinese. Not all land. 6. In terms of situation, Jiao'ao is one of the gateways to northern China.The Jiao-Ao railway connects Jinpu directly to Beijing, which is actually the fastest way from the sea to Beijing.Another route is the railway from Lushun, Dalian to Fengtian, and then to Beijing.In order to consolidate the national defense plan, the Chinese government is very willing to prevent the Germans from occupying Qingdao. Fortunately, the British and Japanese allied forces have driven them away. China is deeply willing to keep this important place in its own hands. 7. From various observations, there cannot be two solutions to the leased land and subsidiary rights in Jiaozhou.Gou Hehui will return the land and railway rights to China, which will not only correct the crimes committed by Germany, but also protect the public interests of all countries in the Far East.The people of Shandong are always resentful and ashamed of the intrusion of foreigners into their homes. They hate the Germans for their invasion. That is to say, this time Japan temporarily occupied the leased land and railways. Resentment can be seen.That is to say, the people of other provinces also feel the same way.It is not easy for the government to prevent the people from expressing their opposition, to stop protesting and not to take more drastic actions.It can be seen that the people are deeply distressed by this problem.Set not to return.Not only will there be discord between China and the country that will control the leased land in the future, but the conflict between the people of Shandong and the people of that country will be even more serious.It is incompatible with the intention of consolidating the permanent peace of East Asia declared when attacking Qingdao, and also inconsistent with the principle of preserving China's independence, territorial integrity, and equal commercial and industrial opportunities in the Anglo-Japanese alliance. The Chinese government stated that the leased land of Jiaozhou, the Jiaozhou-Jinan Railway, and the subsidiary rights should be completely returned to China. It is not suspected that Japan will not return these rights to China after claiming such rights from Germany. Those who focus on the complete return of a section are just trying to draw people's attention to the fundamental justice of this move. There are two methods of repatriation: one is direct restitution by Germany, and the other is indirect restitution by Japan.The Chinese government is willing to take it back directly.If the procedure is simple and does not cause unnecessary complications, if it can be achieved in one step, it is easier to divide it into two steps.The victory of the honor of the Allied Powers and the Joint Warring States, China is also proud of it. If Germany directly returns it, the Chinese country will be greatly enhanced. . 2. China's request for direct return is because it does not know the sacrifices Japan suffered when it expelled the Germans, as well as the loss of life and property. The Chinese government and people, in the Japanese navy and army, have acted heroically and generously to help neighboring countries. I am deeply impressed.Although grateful, China's territory cannot be affected by other countries' wars.Moreover, Japan has firmly declared its goal of war, peace in the Far East, and will not be endangered by the Germans.Now that the goal has been fully achieved, even though some sacrifices have been made, the food rewards have been plentiful. 3. The Chinese government does not know that Japan has been in the position of a military occupier for the leased land and railway rights for the past four years.However, occupation due to war cannot be regarded as the acquisition of sovereignty over land and property.However, it is a temporary measure that must be ratified or abolished by the Peace Conference after taking into account the general interests of all countries.Since China declared war on Germany and Austria, it is also a country participating in the war. Japan seized Jiaozhou and the railway by force in order to violate the rights of the countries participating in the war. 4. On May 25, 1915, China and Japan concluded a treaty concerning Shandong Province.Its first cloud: The Chinese government promises that the Japanese government will agree with Germany in the future that all German disposals such as the assignment of all rights and interests to China by Shandong Province in accordance with the treaty or other relations will be fully recognized. However, it should be recalled that this covenant, and other covenants concerning eastern Manchuria and Inner Mongolia, and most of the exchanges of letters took place on January 18, 1915. Japan made 21 demands on China without reason, and the Chinese government’s office If you don't want to, send an ultimatum via Japan, within forty-eight hours. If you are satisfied with the answer, you will reluctantly agree. However, in the mind of the Chinese government, this is only a temporary solution.The right of final amendment should be in the peace conference.Since the important terms requested by Japan are actually problems arising from the war, they cannot be resolved satisfactorily except for the final peace conference.China also holds the same view on the recent contract on the Jiaoji Railway and the other two railways. Not to mention this, but a careful examination of the above clauses shows that China did not grant Japan the German leased land in Shandong, the railway and other rights.According to the meaning of the article, China only has this guarantee for Japan.In the future, if Japan proposes to Germany the disposal of Germany's leased land and other rights, and Germany agrees, then China will only agree with it.This kind of guarantee is based on the assumption that China has always been neutral in the European War and cannot participate in the post-war peace conference. Since China has participated in the war, the situation envisaged in the treaty has fundamentally changed. Therefore, based on the principle of changing events and circumstances, This covenant is no longer valid. 5. In particular, China declared war on Germany, declaring that all treaties, contracts, agreements, etc. between China and Germany shall be abolished.The agreement of March 6, 1898, for Germany's possession of leased land, railways and other rights, is of course annulled.The leasehold rights enjoyed by the Germans have been returned to the sovereign state of the territory according to the laws.In other words, the Germans have already lost their leasehold rights, so they absolutely cannot have the right to delegate them to other countries.Although it is said that the lease agreement is not abolished due to war, but there is an express clause in the agreement that sublease is not allowed, so Deyou has no right to sublease to a third country.As for the railway, according to the regulations of the Sino-German Jiaoji Railway on March 21, 1900, there is a provision that the Chinese state can take it back, which means that it is not allowed to be transferred to other countries. For all these reasons, the Chinese government firmly believes that the Peace Council will consider the Jiao-Ao leased land, the Jiao-Ji railway, and all the rights of the Germans in Shandong to be returned to China directly as a legitimate and fair move.If He Huigou fully recognizes it, the Chinese government and people will be grateful to Wuya for the spirit of justice and righteousness in all countries!And for Japan, and especially so!Not only is the name of the allies maintaining China's political independence and territorial integrity well-founded, but the permanent peace of the Far East will also be strengthened by this new guarantee. In addition to making remarks, the Chinese delegation also expressed opinions at the meeting table by Gu Weijun. Gu Weijun said: You have done so much to deal with the issue of the Pacific islands that only concerns millions of people. As for the big issue of Qingdao that concerns 400 million people, the responsibility of this authority is also extremely heavy. Let me try to outline the principles: Jiaozhou leased land, Jiaozhou The railway and all other rights should be directly returned to China.Qingdao is entirely Chinese territory, and no loss should be tolerated.The 36 million Shandong people have been the Chinese nation throughout history, speak the Chinese language, and believe in the Chinese religion.Jiaozhou was leased to Germany due to the issue of teaching plans.It is well known in the world that Germany has resorted to coercion and coercion by force.As far as the terrain is concerned, Kiaochow is the gateway to northern China, and also the shortest route from the coast to the capital.The Jiaoji Railway connects with the Jinpu Railway, which can directly reach the capital. In terms of national defense, China absolutely does not tolerate disputes between other countries.In terms of culture, Shandong is the holy place where Confucius and Mencius were born and Chinese culture originated.In terms of economy, Shandong has a narrow area of ​​25,000 square miles and can accommodate 36 million residents. The people are already dense, and it is not easy to compete for survival. There is really no room for discussion. .Therefore, in terms of the principle of national and territorial integrity recognized by this association, Jiaozhou should be returned to China, which is China's due claim.Ben Quanquan believes that the return of Qingdao is one of the conditions for justice and consummation. If we abandon this and adopt other methods, then Ben Quanquan has to think it is a fallacy.Japan expelled Germany from Shandong for China, Britain spared no effort to aid despite the danger of the European War, and other United Nations that confronted Germany and made Germany unable to send troops to the East to aid, all of which are due to China's sincere thanks.However, ceding the natural rights of the Chinese people as a reward, and leaving the seeds of future disputes, is also the one who has to fight for the fundamental power.This is not only the sincerity to China, but also the sincerity to all countries in the world.This full power absolutely advocates that the General Assembly should consider the disposition of the Jiaozhou leased land and other rights, respect China's fundamental rights of political independence and territorial integrity, and believe in China and have the sincerity of peace. Makino said: The reason for Japan's proposal was explained in detail yesterday. After Japan occupied Jiaozhou Bay, until today, it has in fact been its possession.However, between China and Japan, there has been an agreement to exchange and return Jiaozhou Bay, and there is also an agreement on the railway.These official documents are also considered worthy of attention among the four countries. Wilson said: Does the representative of Japan have any intention to present the aforementioned official document at the meeting? Makino said: The Japanese government will never object to this matter, but it has to wait for instructions. Gu Weijun said: The Chinese government is very willing to propose. Clemenceau said: China and Japan must declare to the General Assembly the conditions for the return of Qingdao. Makino said: If the government of this country allows it, the official document must be submitted.However, the land related to this case is actually in the hands of Japan, and Japan is willing to obtain the right to freely dispose of it from Germany before returning it.As for the method of obtaining Jiaozhou Bay, it has already been agreed between China and Japan. Gu Weijun said: China has a different view of the Jiaoji Railway from Baron Makino.This plenipotentiary statement states that China did not say at the time that Japan was unwilling to return the leased land and other rights in Shandong from Germany to China. Japan had made a categorical statement to China and the world that it did not want to keep it for itself. China has firmly believed this. .I am very pleased to hear that Baron Makino has re-declared his power at the meeting, but China is willing to adopt a direct method for the return procedure. Since this matter can be achieved in one step, it is better to divide it into two steps.The method of agreement proposed by the representative of Japan refers to the treaty and the exchange of letters required by the 21st Article of 1915. I hope you can still remember the situation at that time, and China is in a very difficult position. The treaty was exchanged, and after Japan sent an ultimatum, China had no choice but to agree.That is to say, considering the circumstances of its establishment at that time, since this charter is a problem arising from the war, China regards it as a temporary measure at best, and still needs to be finally reviewed and resolved by the peace conference.Even if the exchange of notes of this treaty is all valid, and China has declared war on Germany, the situation is very different. According to the jurisprudence of Rebus Sic Stautibus, it cannot be enforced today.At that time, although China was compelled to agree to the measures Japan and Germany made to deal with Germany's various rights in Shandong in the future, they all recognized them.However, this condition does not prevent China from joining the war, nor does it prevent China from joining the peace conference as a belligerent. Therefore, it cannot prevent China from asking Germany to directly return China's inherent rights to China.Moreover, China's declaration of war against Germany clearly states that all the treaties between China and Germany will be annihilated due to the status of the declaration of war. After the annihilation of the treaties, China is originally the master of the territory, and the Jiaozhou Lease and other rights enjoyed by Germany in Shandong are Legally, it has already belonged to China.Assuming that the lease agreement will not be abolished because China declares war on Germany, but since there is an express prohibition in the agreement that transfers to other countries, Germany has no right to transfer to other countries. At the conference in Paris, Japan did not expect China to be so tough on the Qingdao issue. Japan deliberately planned to swallow Qingdao, but unexpectedly encountered great resistance, so it was very annoyed.The Chinese representative did not flinch from Japan's domineering attitude at all. Wang Zhengting, the Chinese representative, threatened to journalists outside the peace meeting: Regarding the secret treaty between China and Japan in September 1918, the Chinese representative can disclose it at any time.The secret agreement between China and Japan that Wang Zhengting refers to is the note from Zhang Zongxiang, the Chinese Minister to Japan, who replied to the Japanese Foreign Minister Goto Shinpei on September 24, 1972. The Japanese note is that the Japanese government believes that the rights of Shandong should be returned to Japan. Exceeding the twenty-one, it is stipulated that the Jiaoji Railway should be jointly run by China and Japan, the police along the road should employ Japanese, and both Jinan and Qingdao should live with Japanese soldiers.Japan asked the Chinese government to "gracefully agree", and the Chinese government "graciously agreed" by Zhang Zongxiang according to Japan's note.Therefore, Makino, the representative of Japan attending the peace conference, asked the Supreme Council to pay attention to this exchange of notes at the conference.Outsiders don't know the content of this exchange of letters, so journalists of course inquired about the content, and representative Wang Zhengting answered the reporter in this way. Wang Zhengting’s remarks angered the Japanese government. On February 2, 1988, the Japanese Minister to Beijing Kohata presented the Japanese government’s protest to China’s Acting Foreign Minister Chen Lu. The full text is as follows: "According to a call from the Japanese representative in Paris, the Chinese representative in Paris did not contact the Japanese representative, but instead told the journalists that the 1918 Sino-Japanese Secret Treaty on Shandong could be published at any time. This act violated diplomatic practice. , quite displeased the Japanese government, and made it impossible for Japan to maintain a considerable international status. In accordance with the order of my own government, I hereby draw the attention of the Chinese government and call the attention of the Chinese representative. The Japanese government does not object to the publication, but the Chinese representative’s action Why doesn't it fit." In fact, the representatives of Japan attending the peace conference had long told U.S. President Wilson: The Japanese government has no objection to publishing this secret treaty.However, they used Wang Zhengting's speech to threaten the Chinese government. The intention was to force the Chinese government to replace several representatives. Japan believed that none of the Chinese representatives attending the peace conference was pro-Japanese, and this diplomatic war would be difficult to fight. Japan's protest was not announced, but the news had been leaked. At that time, the public was outraged and public opinion was boiling. The Southwest, the Shanghai Peace Conference, provincial officials, and civil organizations all telegraphed the Beijing government, demanding that they not be subjected to Japan's unreasonable intimidation.U.S. Minister to China Reinsch and British Minister to China Jurdian both went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to question the content of the Japanese protest.After repeated discussions, the Beijing government, on the one hand, called the Chinese representative in Paris to investigate the facts;At the same time, the statement said: It is a correct proposition that the representatives of various countries take care of their own interests in Paris and at the meeting. It is an independent country's due right for its own survival. There is absolutely no reason for other countries to interfere. , and justice. The Japanese representative was forced to submit the 1918 Sino-Japanese secret treaty to the highest meeting of the peace conference. At the same time, he issued a statement to the press, using strong words to cover up the act of aggression. "Based on the Japan-British alliance and the purpose of maintaining peace in East Asia, Japan declared war on Germany. It cost tens of millions of war expenses and killed three to four thousand people before it was able to capture Qingdao. And the Japanese fleet cruised the Pacific, Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, about 100 During the distance of 200,000 miles, the merchant ships of the Allied countries were protected and sailed safely, and they were not controlled by enemy submarines. Such feats should be remembered by the great powers. Japan has never had territorial ambitions for China, and China is a country rich in raw materials. , Japan is a country that seeks raw materials, but Japan wants to share equal opportunities with other countries and develop China's rich resources. No matter whether it has Shandong or Manchuria, Japan has absolutely no unreasonable demands. " On February 2, when Japanese Minister Kohata visited China’s Acting Foreign Minister Chen Lu, in addition to delivering a letter of protest, he also raised oral questions that must be directly negotiated between China and Japan. The Chinese government should immediately order the Chinese delegation to resolve all issues without going through Japan Agreed, not to be raised at the Paris Peace Conference.Chen Lu replied: "The Chinese President has always attached great importance to the diplomatic relations between China and Japan. He had earlier asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to order the Chinese delegation to avoid using extreme words at the peace conference. The government should pay close attention to the points raised by your minister." Xiao Ban continued All kinds of threats: "The Japanese army has millions of elite soldiers, and the navy has 500,000 tons. Now there is no place to use force. China and Japan are close neighbors. Disputes should be resolved by themselves. We cannot rely on the European and Western powers, because the European and Western powers are separated by oceans. If you want to intervene in the Far East issue, it is beyond your capabilities. Isn’t there a Chinese saying: Although the length of the whip is not as long as the belly of the horse!” Xiao Banan's threatening talk was exposed by the American-run "North China Star Newspaper", and then the British-run "English Herald" also published an article demanding that the Japanese government remove this rude envoy to China.The US envoy to China also officially issued a statement: abide by President Wilson's 14 principles, decide to support China, and encourage the Chinese government not to be discouraged.The Chinese ruling and opposition parties also stated that Japan interfered with the speech of the Chinese representative when the Paris Peace Conference was held, and the Chinese people could not tolerate this. Amidst the besieged songs, Xiao Ban couldn't help feeling timid, and stammered and said: He was not ordered by the Japanese government to oppress China, and he should be personally responsible for what he said to Chen Lu.On the other hand, he complained to Chen Lu that he shouldn't have leaked the content of the conversation between the two of them, because the conversation that day was only between the two of them, and there was no third person. Man cannot know. Under pressure from all quarters, the Beijing government released the content of this conversation, but the content of the announcement concealed the truth and denied that Japan had ever made threats. The ruling and opposition parties across the country were unanimously indignant at Japan's arrogance, and the United States, Britain, and France also condemned the Beijing government's cowardly and incompetent diplomacy towards Japan. After Xiaofan protested, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Beijing ordered the Chinese representatives not to publish the secret treaty between China and Japan. Later, after receiving pressure from home and abroad, they issued another telegram, instructing the Chinese representatives whether to publish the secret treaty or not.When will it be published?The objective situation can be considered to make a decision nearby. On February 12, 8, the Chinese representative announced the Sino-Japanese secret treaty at the Paris Peace Conference. The Paris Peace Conference turned to a low ebb, because US President Wilson returned to the United States, and French Tiger Prime Minister Clemenceau was assassinated again, so the summit meeting was suspended. However, the Chinese representative still made various efforts. On February 15, he proposed to abolish the Sino-Japanese secret treaty in the 4th year of the Republic of China and the Shandong issue. In the first ten days of March, he continued to put forward talks about the peace treaty with Germany. In mid-April, he proposed to abolish the privileges of various countries in China, including abandoning the spheres of influence of various countries in China, withdrawing foreign military police, abolishing foreign postal and telecommunications agencies, revoking consular jurisdiction, returning concessions and leased land, and amending customs agreements. The giant suddenly lacked two, and the countries were busy drafting a peace treaty with Germany, so the efforts of the Chinese representative were fruitless.