ovember 2, 1917, in which the United
States recognized the "special interests" of Japan in China.

The secret treaties of the Allies relating to the Japanese claims were
not revealed until the disposition of the German islands in the Pacific
was under discussion at the Peace Conference. When informed by Baron
Makino that the islands north of the equator had been pledged to Japan
by agreements signed two years before, President Wilson inquired
whether there were other secret agreements, and was informed that the
German rights in Shantung had also been promised to Japan. As the
other powers were pledged to support Japan's claims, President Wilson
found himself in a very embarrassing situation, especially as he had
also to oppose Japan's demand that a clause recognizing racial equality
be inserted in the Covenant of the League. This was a moral claim that
Japan urged with great strategic effect. In pushing her claims to
Shantung she ignored all moral considerations and relied entirely upon
her legal status, secured (1) by the secret treaties with the Allies,
(2) by the treaty of 1915 with China, and (3) by right of conquest.
When charged with having coerced China into signing the treaty of 1915,
Japan replied with truth that most of the important treaties with China
had been extorted by force. Japan declared, however, that she had no
intention of holding Shantung permanently, but that she would restore
the province in full sovereignty to China, retaining only the economic
privileges transferred from Germany. In view of this oral promise,
President Wilson finally acquiesced in the recognition of Japan's legal
status in Shantung.

On May 7 the completed treaty was presented to the German delegates who
had been summoned to Versailles to receive it. When the text was made
public in Berlin there was an indignant outcry against the alleged
injustice of certain provisions which were held to be inconsistent with
the pledges given by President Wilson in the pre-Armistice
negotiations, and the Germans made repeated efforts to draw the Allies
into a general discussion of principles. They were, however, finally
given to understand that they must accept or reject the treaty as it
stood, and on June 28 it was signed in the Hall of Mirrors at
Versailles--the same hall in which William I had been crowned Emperor
of Germany forty-eight years before.

The next day President Wilson sailed for the United States, and on July
10 pers