s," and Secretary Hughes in
closing the discussion declared that it would probably not be possible
to find in all history "an international document couched in more
simple or even briefer terms," but he added, "we are again reminded
that the great things are the simple ones." In view of these
statements the members of the Conference and the public generally were
completely flabbergasted some days later when Secretary Hughes and the
President gave out contradictory statements as to whether the treaty
included the Japanese homeland. Hughes stated to the correspondents
that it did, the President said it did not. Whereupon some wag
remarked that at Paris President Wilson did not let the American
delegation know what he did, while at Washington the delegates did not
let President Harding know what they were doing. In deference to the
President's views and to criticisms of the treaty in the Japanese press
a supplementary treaty was later signed expressly declaring that the
term "insular possessions and insular dominions" did not include the
Japanese homeland.

Meanwhile the Shantung question was being discussed by China and Japan
outside of the Conference, but with representatives of the British and
American governments sitting as observers ready to use their good
offices if called on. The reason for not bringing the question before
the Conference was that Great Britain, France, and Italy were parties
to the Treaty of Versailles, which gave Japan a legal title to the
German leases in Shantung. The restoration of the province to China
was vital to a satisfactory adjustment of Chinese affairs generally.
Japan, however, was in no hurry to reach an agreement with China,
wishing for strategical purposes to keep the matter in suspense to the
last, if not to avoid a settlement until after the adjournment of the
Conference and continue negotiations under more favorable conditions at
Peking or Tokio.

By Christmas it seemed that the Conference had accomplished about all
that was possible, and that it would adjourn as soon as the agreements
already reached could be put into treaty form and signed. At the end
of the first week in January it looked as if the Chinese and Japanese
had reached a deadlock, and that the Conference would adjourn without a
satisfactory adjustment of any of the Chinese problems. Mr. Balfour
and other important delegates had engaged return passage, and all
indications pointed to an early dissolution of