ties with the League. The United States was not a member of the League of Nations, but its Constitution necessitated wide publicity in regard to treaties. That was the real protection for China. The whole world would become the judge of future treaties. C. MR. HUGHES' STATEMENT AT THE SAME MEETING The Chairman, Mr. Hughes, desired to offer a few suggestions in order to find a point upon which the committee might agree. . . . The committee had agreed in the second paragraph of the Root resolution "to provide the fullest and most unembarrassed opportunity to China to develop and maintain for herself an effective and stable government"; that was not only a pledge, but, he believed, a recognition of the fundamental fact that China alone could develop and maintain an effective and stable government. This could not be done by othersChina must do it herself, but other Governments could afford her the opportunity and possibility of doing so. But there must be patience; development in China is an age-long process. The hurrying peoples must be patient, for the matter could never be worked out by coercion or by rousing the passive resistance of the Chinese people against interference in their public affairs. There was no wish to interfere while waiting, but there was a wish to aid. This, he said, was the spirit of the Conference. The Powers concerned were most anxious to help and to assist this legitimate aspiration. And the opportunity was one which could not be conserved by any action that took advantage of China's plight. It had been agreed, he said, to respect the integrity and sovereignty of China, and this naturally implied agreement by China to respect the integrity of other Powers. Each Power should be free to make the agreements necessary for the preservation of its proper interests; any general proposition going so far as to derogate or limit the right to make agreements relative to fundamental legitimate interests would be one not easily defended. . . . There might be treaties affecting China not adverse to China, but it could be said that there would be no secret agreements. More than that could be done, however; there could be recorded an expression of a desire to be helpful to China in the preservation of the legitimate field of her administrative autonomy, and a reassertion, in connection with Paragraph I of the Root resolution, of the determination to do nothing in derogation of the sovereignty, independence and territorial and administrative integrity of China. . . . If there were embodied in the resolution relating to treaties the principles underlying the Chinese proposal, and an expression of the intention to do nothing in derogation of those principles, and to make no treaties or engagements in derogation of the sovereignty and administrative integrity of China, all that China desired would be attained. D. RESOLUTION ADOPTED That the Powers attending this Conference, hereinafter mentioned, to wit, the United States of America, Belgium, the British Empire, China, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and Portugal, declare that it is their intention not to enter into any treaty, agreement, arrangement, or understanding, either with one another or individually or collectively with any Power or Powers, which would infringe or impair the principles which have been declared by the resolution adopted Nov. 21 by this committee (i.e., the Root resolution). Appendix XII CHINESE RAILWAYS A. HUGHES RESOLUTION FOR THE UNIFICATION OF The Powers represented in this Conference record their hope that, to the utmost degree consistent with legitimate existing rights, the future development of railways in China shall be so conducted as to enable the Chinese Government to effect the unification of railways into a railway system under Chinese control, with such foreign financial and technical assistance as may prove necessary in the interests of that system. B. CHINESE DELEGATION'S STATEMENT CONCERNING "The Chinese delegation notes with sympathetic appreciation the expression of the hope of the Powers that the existing and future railways of China may be unified under the control and operation of the Chinese Government with such foreign financial and technical assistance as may be needed. It is our intention as speedily as possible to bring about this result. It is our purpose to develop existing and future railways in accordance with a general program that will meet the economic, industrial and commercial requirements of China. It will be our policy to obtain such foreign financial and technical assistance as may be needed from the Powers in accordance with the principles of the open door or equal opportunity; and the friendly support of these Powers will be asked for the effort of the Chinese Government to bring all the railways of China now existing, or to be built, under its effective and unified control and operation." C. RESOLUTIONS ON CHINESE EASTERN RAILWAY [NOTE: Properly speaking, these resolutions should be regarded as resolutions on the Siberian or Russian question. This railway is Russian property which the Powers have obligated themselves to safeguard in the interest of Russia until she shall have established a stable government capable of taking care of her interests in the Far East.THE AUTHOR.] a. ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE, FEBRUARY 4, 1922 Resolved, That the preservation of the Chinese Eastern Railway for those in interest requires that better protection be given to the railway and the persons engaged in its operation and use, a more careful selection of personnel to secure efficiency of service, and a more economical use of funds to prevent waste of the property. That the subject should immediately be dealt with through the proper diplomatic channels. b. ADOPTED BY THE CONFERENCE, EXCEPT CHINA, FEBRUARY 4, 1922 The Powers other than China, in agreeing to the resolution regarding the Chinese Eastern Railway, reserve the right to insist hereafter upon the responsibility of China for performance or nonperformance of the obligations toward the foreign stockholders, bondholders and creditors of the Chinese Eastern Railway Company which the Powers deem to result from the contracts under which the railroad was built, and the action of China thereunder and the obligations which they deem to be in the nature of a trust resulting from the exercise of power by the Chinese Government over the possession and administration of the railroad. Appendix XIII SIBERIA A. BARON SHIDEHARA'S STATEMENT BEFORE THE "The military expedition of Japan to Siberia was originally undertaken in common accord and in cooperation with the United States in 1918. It was primarily intended to render assistance to the Czecho-Slovak troops who, in their homeward journey across Siberia from European Russia, found themselves in grave and pressing danger at the hands of hostile forces under German command. The Japanese and American expeditionary forces, together with other allied troops, fought their way from Vladivostok far into the region of the Amur and the Trans-Baikal Provinces to protect the railway lines which afforded the sole means of transportation of the Czecho-Slovak troops from the interior of Siberia to the port of Vladivostok. Difficulties which the allied forces had to encounter in their operations in the severe cold weather of Siberia were immense. "In January, 1920, the United States decided to terminate its military undertaking in Siberia, and ordered the withdrawal of its forces. For some time thereafter Japanese troops continued alone to carry out the duty of guarding several points along the Trans-Siberian Railways in fulfillment of interallied arrangements and of affording facilities to the returning Czecho-Slovaks. "The last column of Czecho-Slovak troops safely embarked from Vladivostok in September, 1920. Ever since then, Japan has been looking forward to an early moment for the withdrawal of her troops from Siberia. The maintenance of such troops in a foreign land is for her a costly and thankless undertaking, and she will be only too happy to be relieved of such |