Directory_and_Chronicle_1941 — Page 365

TSINGTAO

州膠

Kiáu-chow

Tsingtao, situated at the entrance to Kiaochow Bay in Shantung, was occupied by a German squadron on November 14th, 1897, in consequence of the murder of two German missionaries, and Germany obtained from China a lease of the territory for the term of 99 years. When the great war in Europe broke out in 1914, Japan, under the terms of her treaty of alliance with Great Britain, intervened because the peace of the Far East was menaced by the German occupation of Kiaochow, inasmuch as the Colony constituted a naval base for operations in the East against the shipping and territories of the countries with whom Germany was at war. Shortly after the out- break of the war Japan advised Germany to disarm all her armed vessels in Chinese and Japanese waters, and to hand Kiaochow over to Japan with a view to its eventual restoration to China. Germany returned no reply to this communication. Consequently, on August 23rd, Japan declared war against Germany, and took measures at once, in co-operation with the British, to blockade and invest the German territory of Kiaochow. The bombardment of the place by land and sea began on September 27th, and the garrison capitulated on November 7th after all the forts had been taken by a final night attack, in which the South Wales Borderers co-operated with the Japanese H.M.S. Triumph and the destroyers Usk and Kennett assisted in the naval operations. Upwards of 5,000 prisoners were taken and conveyed to Japan for internment until the end of the war.

By the Sino-Japanese Treaty of 1915, China engaged herself to recognise all matters that might be agreed upon between the Japanese Government and the German Government respecting the disposition, of all the rights, interests and concessions, which, in virtue of treaties or

or otherwise, Germany possessed vis-a-vis China in relation to the province of Shantung. This instrument was recognised at the time by Great Britain, and France. At the Conference of the Allies at Paris, the Chinese delegates contended that any rights which Germany possessed should revert to their Government, in accordance with Japan's original undertaking, especially as, since that undertaking was given, China had become one of the Allies. As they failed to obtain satisfaction, they declined to sign the Peace Treaty with Germany, which provided that Germany's rights in Shantung should be transferred to Japan. The matter came before the Washington Conference in 1921, and the result was the Shan- tung Treaty, under which it was provided that the territory should be restored to China. A Sino-Japanese Commission was subsequently appointed to give effect to the provisions of the Treaty, and this body met in 1922 and arranged terms which are set forth in the Treaty section of this volume.

While Kiaochau was in German occupation, the special attention of the Administration was devoted to agricultural, commercial and mining deve lopment in the Protectorate and Shantung. The local administration con- sisted of a Council, composed of all the heads of the several administrative departments under the personal supervision of the Governor and four mem- bers chosen from the civil population and appointed for two years. The Pro- tectorate developed to an unlooked-for extent under this system of admini- stration, which enabled all the vital questions at issue, such as legal rights, landed properties, land-tax assessment, school and church matters, to be sat- isfactorily settled. The object of the Administration in dealing with the land question was to secure for every settler the lasting possession of his plot, thereby opposing unhealthy land speculation. Tsingtao, on the 2nd, Septem- ber, 1898, was declared a free port. The harbour had all the advantages of