Description:

HENRY CABOT LODGE
(1850 – 1924) American politician and statesman. A Republican, he served in the Senate from 1893 to 1924 and is best known for his positions on foreign policy. His successful crusade against Wilson's Treaty of Versailles ensured that the United States never joined the League of Nations. LODGE AND THE SHANDONG PROBLEM Fine content T.L.S. on his Senate 'Chairman of the Minority' letterhead, 2pp. 4to., Washington, May 20, 1919 to HENRY P. WALCOTT (1838-1932), former president of Harvard University. In the midst of negotiations over the terms over what would become the Treaty of Versailles, Lodge sets forth reasons for his vigorous opposition to the 'Shandong Problem'. In part: '...I am very glad to hear that the Japanese degree was not proposed...The object was to use the Harvard degree to conciliate and please Japan. At this juncture that does not seem to me the true purpose of a degree. The provision about Shantung...is quite on a level with the partition of Poland and nothing quite so wrong was ever done by the Congress of Vienna which produced the Holy Alliance. To put it briefly, we have taken the territory of a faithful ally and used it to secure Japan's signature to the League. Considering all we hear about the lofty views I think this is one of the most unpleasant things that ever was done and I cannot believe the American people will like it overmuch when it is explained. It is not the sort of thing Americans ever like. I heard the President was going to start out on another tour and I hope he will explain how the so-called amendments meet the amendments which have been pro-posed. I do not think they meet one of them and I think in many respects such as immigration and the Monroe Doctrine they leave us much worse off than we were before...[Wilson] he wants to get some sort of a League through and I quite understand that desire, which if not judicious is certainly human...' Folds, else very good. The 'Shandong Problem' was a dispute over Article 156 of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, which dealt with the concession of the Shandong Peninsula. In essence, Wilson reluctantly agreed to give Shantung Province in China, formerly held by Germany, to Japan in exchange for the latter country signing on to the League of Nations. The Chinese, allies of the victorious powers, angrily pushed back. As a compromise, the great powers agreed to a mandate system for administering former colonies, which ostensibly avoided formal annexation, but provided Japan de facto control of the German colonies in the Pacific.

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April 2, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $999,999 $10,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $50,000
$2,000,000 + $100,000