顧維鈞在1919年巴黎和會上拒簽對德和約(7)

　　The territories question were an integral part of China. They were a part of a province containing 36 million inhabi?tants, of Chinese in race, language and religion. The history of the lease to Germany was doubtless familiar to all. The lease had been wrung out of China by force. The German fleet had occupied the coast of Shantung and landing parties had penetrated into the interior. The lease had been extorted as a price for the withdrawal of the expedition. The pretext for this proceeding was the accidental killing of two missionaries in the interior of the country in a manner quite beyond the control of the Chinese Government. On the principles of nationality and of territorial integrity, principles accepted by the Conference, China had a right to the restoration of those territories. The Chinese Delegation would feel that this was one of the conditions of a just peace. If, on the other hand, the Congress were to take a different view and were to transfer these territories to any the power, it would, in the eyes of the Chinese Delegation, be adding one wrong to another.

　　The Shantung Province, in which Kiaochow and the railway to Chinanfu were situated, was the cradle of Chinese civilization, the birthplace of Confucius and Mencius and a Holy Land for the Chinese. All eyes of the people in China were centered on this Province which had always taken an important part in the development of China.

　　Economically, it was a densely populated country, with 36 million people in an area of only 35 000 square miles. The density of the population produced an intense competition and rendered the country quite unsuitable for colonization. The introduction of a foreign Power would only lead to the exploitation of the inhabitants, and not to genuine colonization.

　　Strategically, Kiaochow commanded one of the main gateways of North China. It controlled one of the shortest approaches from the sea to Peking namely the railway to Chinanfu which, at its junction with the railway from Tientsin, led straight to the Capital. In the interest of Chinese national defense which in time would be organized, the Chinese Delegation would be unable to admit that any foreign Power had claims to so vital a point.

　　China was fully cognizant of the services rendered to her by the heroic army and navy of Japan in rooting out German power from Shantung. China was also deeply indebted to Great Britain for helping in this task at time of great peril to herself in Europe. China also was not forgetful of the services rendered her by the troops of the other Allies in Europe, which had held in check an enemy who might otherwise have easily sent reinforcement to the Far East and thereby prolonged hostilities there. China appreciated these services all the more because her people in Shantung had also suffered and sacrificed in connection with the military operations for the capture of Kiaochow, especially in regard to requisition for labor and supplies of all kinds.

　　But, grateful as they were, the Chinese Delegation felt that they would be false to their duty to China and to the world if they did not object to paying their lots of gratitude by selling the birthright of their countrymen, and thereby sowing the seeds of discord for future. The Chinese Delegation therefore trusted that the conference, in considering the disposal of the leased territory and other rights held by Germany in Shantung, would give weight to the fundamental and transcendent rights of China, the rights of political sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as to her earnest desire to serve the cause of universal peace.

　　Baron Makinmo said that he had listened with great attention to what had fallen from his Chinese colleague concerning the direct restitution of Kiaochow to China. In the statement put forward on the previous day, he had explained the reason for which the Japanese Government had undertaken the reduction of this German stronghold.

　　As the question to the restitution of the fortress had been raised, he thought it useful to read the words of the Japanese ultimatum to Germany, because it had a bearing on the purpose in hand:

本文摘自《錢其琛作序推薦》

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　　 世界發生了重大而又深刻的變化，我們的時代已經從戰爭與革命的時代進入了以和平與發展為主題的時代。在以和平與發展為主題的時代里，外交的作用上升，事實上中國的外交已經迎來了一個黃金時期。吳建民同志這本《外交案例》用作教材我認為是一件好事。