The Twenty-One Demands; Japan Versus China (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1921. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... rx A UNILATERAL NEGOTIATION WHILE these demands were obviously not proper subjects for international negotiation, the Chinese Government, it is curious to say, consented, "in deference to the wishes of the Japanese Government," to open negotiations "on those articles which it was possible for China to consider." The Japanese Minister in Peking, owing to his eagerness to bring the whole matter to a successful conclusion before the world at large could have any knowledge of it, pressed the Chinese Government to agree to a daily conference. This the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs could not agree to, as it would not give him sufficient time to study the demands in entirety. And it was later mutually agreed upon that two conferences were to be held every week. "China approached the pending conferences in a spirit of utmost friendliness," to quote the Chinese official statement, "and with a determination to deal with all questions frankly and sincerely. Before negotiations were actually commenced, the Japanese Minister raised many questions with regard to the number of delegates proposed to represent China, and the number of conferences to be held in each week, and the method of discussion. The Chinese Government, though its views differed from those of the Japanese Minister, yielded in all these respects to his contentions, in the hope of avoiding any delay in the negotiations. The objections of the Japanese Minister to the customary recording and signing of the minutes of each conference, which the Chinese Government suggested as a necessary and advisable precaution, as well as one calculated to facilitate future reference, were also accepted. Nor did the Chinese Government retaliate in any way when in the course of negotiations the Japanese Minister twice susp...