In a telegram despatched to the Governments of North and South, Dr. G. T. Wang, ons of the Chinese delegates to the World Peace Conference at Versailles, deplores the general weakening of China's national vitality as a result of the long-continued internal strife between North and South, much to the disappointment of China's friends, but to the great satisfaction of the proverbial "fisherman."
Then, he says, to translate freely, that during his fight for the ease of China at the Peace Conference in Paris, he was often confronted with certain embarrassing questions put by foreign delegates:—'Why is the Chinese foreign policy so changeable? Why should the same Government make a most harmful international agreement with great pleasure,' and then send delegates to ask for its cancellation three months later? What a strange inconsistency there is from the international viewpoint, when we remember that in all international dealings China is always supposed to represent an indivisible entity, internal parties such being internationally unknown.
"From this inconsistent attitude," Dr. Wang continues, "foreigners naturally inferred that we Chinese had not yet fully awakened to national consciousness besides lacking ce-operative spirit and self-governing capacity. In view' of these bad impressions, rightly or wrongly formed, it was difficult to expect foreign friends to give strong support to our case. After all, we ourselves are to blame.
"Recently, the question of direct negotiation with Japan on the Shantung question constituted a very important point of controversy between North and South, and presented a great obstacle to the reopening of the peace parley at Shanghai. Now, fortunately, the Northern Government has withheld its consent to direct negotiation, and has been making preparations for bringing "up the Bhantung question and other questions before the League of Nations. With the removal of that great obstacle, the North has come nearer than ever to the South in regard to foreign policy.
"The time, therefore, has come for re-opening the peace parley. It is now imperative to stop further quarrels. North ang South are after all in the same boat.
Nothing short of a united front will show strength. Diplomatic success largely, if not entirely, depends upon domestic tranquillity. In short, we must put our house in order first."
In conclusion, Dr. Wang says: "Tt hurts me to reflect on our bitter experience at Paris; it is, therefore, my earnest hope that in the coming International Conferences our delegates will never again experience the same embarrassment that I have mentioned."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.