Senator Joussos of California. Will you state whether or not in prostatee of the req jest of the United States China did enter the war! Mr. FERGUSON. It was at the req jest and on the contin ani

02

the United States oficials in Peking mat China entered thuết Senator 46gxsox of Calfora. Do you know whether or not any protesentations were made to China sy the United States (drop, then, h that the Canned States would waigast Chinese interests at ble peace

SPOILT OF JOENSOs of Califorma. Za you know whether or not any of the Camese in Shantung Province ven at the war ii ary capWTY* MY FERGUSON. Great brain and France both approaches Carese Government eary in 1955 for the purpose of recruiting adorers and annougi Cuma hac not declared war against Germany her POSITIOL reitive to the allies was well known, and the glues were ETEL permission open to send officers into Shantung and other ICOVINCE 10 regrun Cumese inborers. as a result of that stations were establishec for the shipment of these laborers at Wel-hai-we anc

Ismgao, anc from those two stations about 175,000 Chinese laborers were sent via Canada and the Atlantic Ocean to France and Engiand where they aug trenches, worked in munition factories, and ac mary oiner forms of labor.

I might say that the work that was done by these Cinnese laborers s well known to the Young Men's Christian Association organization of America, wiiei organized a band of Chinese secretaties to work among those men, and they have the full details of what they dic in France and England.

Senator JOHNSON of Califorma. Did a large part of those laborers rome from the Frovmee of Shantung?

Mr. FERGUSON. Fractically all those that were recruited by the Britist Government came from the Shantung Province. About 20,000 of them went from a southern Province via the Suez Canal, but they were not as strong, able-bodied men as those from. Shantung Frovince.

Senator JOHNSON of California. Do you know whether any of them were killed over there!

MY FERGUSON. A great many of them were killed: and I might say from my personal knowledge in crossing the Pacific with one boatload of them. consisting of 2,300 men, and talking with them. that they all hoped they were going into the war, and not simply to go there a laborers, and were anxious to be in the war.

Senator JOHNSON of California. Has Japan since 1914 secured any rights in addition to those which Germany had formerly in the Shantung Province ?

Mr. FERGUSON. Oh, yes; great rights.

Senator JOHNSON of California. State briefly and generally what they are.

Mr. FERGUSON. The 1915 treaty and notes referred to four geographical groups, of which Shantung was only one; and by that same treaty and by those same notes Japan acquired in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia new rights of residence, rights of purchasing agricultural lands, rights to construct five railroads which I could indicate on the map if it was any benefit

Senator JOHNSON of California. It will not be necessary to do that. Mr. FERGUSON. Rights over six mining districts in Manchuria and three mining districts in the Province of Kirin, the right to connect the Kirin-Changchun Railway with the Korean border, the right to extend the railway westward into Chao-yang, the great mart of eastern Inner Mongolia, and greatly strengthening her claim upon Manchuria and eastern Mongolia. In one way those claims were extended most markedly by the extension of the lease of Port Arthur and Kiaochow for 99 years, the extension of the lease of the Southern Manchurian Railway for 99 years, and the extension of the Antung-Mukden Railway to 99 years, so that those leases do not expire until the twentyfirst century. She acquired in addition certain rights in the Yangtse Valley, chiefly those in reference to the Han-yeh-ping Iron & Steel Co., which she obtained the right to make a joint concern between Japanese and Chinese. Under this company is owned the Ta-yeh iron mine from which Japan obtains nearly all of her supply

of iron ore for the use of her iron factories.

She obtained also the promise from China in reference to the Province of Fu-kien, opposite Formosa, that no docks or harbors should be leased to any power, or that China would not borrow money from any power for developing docks there but herself.

I might state that in reference to the railways which Japan acquired in Manchuria and Eastern Mongolia, they are nearly all strategic military railroads and not needed for present commercial purposes.

Senator MOSES. Mr. Chairman, I move that the committee adjourn until 10 o'clock to-morrow morning.

Senator HITCHCOCK. We would like to ask the witness some more questions.

Senator HARDING. I think the testimony of this witness is interesting to all of the committee, and we would like to hear it.

Senator HITCHсосK. The examination has been almost wholly on one side of the table.

Senator HARDING. I want to continue it to-morrow morinng. I move that we adjourn.

Whereupon (at 12 o'clock noon) the committee adjourned until Thursday, August 21, 1919, at 10 o'clock a. m.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 1919.

UNITED STATES SENATE.

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS.

Washington D. C

The committee met. pursuant to adjournment. at 10 o'clock a to, in roera 426 Senate Office Building, Senator Henry Cabot Lodge presiding

Present Senators Lodge chairman MeCamber Brandegen Knox, Haring. Johnson. Moses, and Swanson.

ernment sanctions the construction of Germany," headed in the Rockhill translation "sections 2 and 3." This is the footnote:

The following sections of the German-Chinese agreement of March 6, 1898, have never been made public by the German Government, but have been privately communicated to persons interested in the development of the protectorate. See Proceedings before the Budget Commission of the Reichstag April 29, 1898, in Brit Blue Book, China No. 1 (1899), p. 67. See also Precis of these sections of the agree ment, Brit. Blue Book, China No. 1 (1899) p. 152. The text as given here of these sections of the agreement is based on unofficial publications, but is, it is believed. substantially correct.

That is the whole of Mr. Rockhill's footnote.

Senator BRANDEGEE. Excuse me. Was that publication that you speak of as having been printed in the Government Printing Office in 1905, with the title which you gave it, printed as an executive document or as a State Department paper?

Mr. FERGUSON. As a State Department paper, as I remember. I speak of that simply from memory.

Senator BRANDEGEE. It is easy to identify that, I think.

Mr. FERGUSON. Yes.

Senator BRANDEGEE. You read some provision there from Mr. Rockhill's statement, as I recall it, stating that China had objected to the German interpretation of the treaty?

Mr. FERGUSON. No, sir.

Senator BRANDEGEE. Did you not read something about China not agreeing to an interpretation?

Mr. FERGUSON. No, sir.

Senator BRANDEGEE. I have a memory that you said something about the German interpretation of the treaty, did

Mr. FERGUSON. No, sír.

you not?

Senator BRANDEGEE. Then I am mistaken about that.

Mr. FERGUSON. I might say that the official text of the treaty, in German, was published by the Imperial Maritime Customs as volume 2 of "Treaties, Conventions, etc., between China and Foreign States." Senator BRANDEGEE. As of what date?

Mr. FERGUSON. In 1908. I have a photographic copy of the original convention in the German language and in Chinese, which I will hand over to the committee for any future reference, although it may not be, I suppose, convenient to incorporate it in my testimony. I will hand it over so that the committee will always have it.

I would say that in reference to this paragraph 2 of article 5, the provision in the German text of the treaty is

Deutschland verplichtet sich das von China gepachtete Gebiet niemals an andere Macht weiter zu verpachten.

A literal translation of these words would seem to be-

Germany obligates itself never to extend farther the leasing process, as respects the territory leased from China, to any other State.

Senator MCCUMBER. That is substantially the same that he has given here.

Mr. FERGUSON. The expression "weiter zu verpachten" in the Rockhill translation, which is the English translation, is translated "sublease." Taking the literal meaning of the German words, however, this provision seems clearly to cut off all privilege of transfer of the territory, whether by assignment or sublease.

Senator BRANDEGEE. You will put the German text into the record. Mr. FERGUSON. I will later put the original German text into the record if I may be allowed to do so. I will state also that the translation of the Chinese text of the treaty explicitly states that Germany promises forever-the two Chinese characters are yung yuan, which mean forever promises forever never to transfer this lease to any other power. That is the text as it occurs in Chinese.

Senator McCUMBER. And that agrees with the English translation. as set forth in the treaty; namely, that Germany engages at no time. to sublet the territory leased from China to any other power.

Mr. FERGUSON. Yes. If it is agreeable to the committee I would like also to put into your record the full text of this convention between China and Germany respecting the lease of Kiaochow to Germany, which was concluded March 6, 1898. It can easily be found in the State Department document, or I can furnish another copy of it to be included in my testimony if you so desire.

Senator BRANDEGEE. I would like to have it in the record.

Mr. FERGUSON. Yes.

(The convention here referred to, and three others referred to in this day's hearing, are here printed in full as follows:)

No. 1. CONVENTION BETWEEN CHINA AND GERMANY RESPECTING THE LEASE OF KIAOCHOW TO GERMANY MARCH 6, 1898.

The incidents connected with the Mision in the Prefecture of Teac-chow-in, in Shantung, being now cleed, the Imperial Chinese Goverment consider it adviarle to give a special proof of their grateful appreciation of the axistance rendered to them by Germany. The Imperial German and the Imperial Chinese Governments, there fore, inspired by the equal and mutual wish to strengthen the bondte of inendam.p which unite the two countries, and to develop the commercial relations between the subjects of the two States, have concluded the following separate Convention

SECTION L-LEASE OF KIAOCHOW.

ART. 1. His Majesty the Encerr of China, ruded by the intention so arrangchen the friendly relations between China and Germany, and at the same time to increase the military readiness of the Chinese Empire, engages, while rerning sa himasif all rights of sovereignty in a one of 50 clcm. 30 Chinese i arandi ng the Bay of Kiaochow at high water, to permit he repassage of Gernan rone within this zone at any time, and is in taking my measures or Deuing any selinances neroin %% previously consult and secure the agreement of the German Government and woma cially to place to shetarie in the way of my regulation si che vuazenimse chich may prove to be pensary. Es Majesty the Emperor of China the ame time seri to himself the ment a taton 2008 within his wine in reement with The German Government and to take other military measures.

ART. 2. With me fasentoa vi meeting the legitimate degro of Ta Wajpaty tha German Empe that German" ike ther Power should hold & plars on The Thincan coast for the repair and equsment of her shine for he aumon Fnatamgle and soundsons for the same and keither arrangementenentest here th f. Empered Jeans Jeases 11 man mali" er viner nine toge of the entrare at de Bay Karno mement in