During the war period， assurances were made by the rulers ofthe Allied Powers， and especially by President Woodrow Wilson， ofthe beginning of a new era after victory had been secured. Among thebenefits promised would be the right of self-determination for small orweak nations， and the doing away with all racial discrimination.
After the signing of the Versailles Treaty， there was a great feelingof disappointment throughout the world at the non-fulfilment of manyof these promises.
At the same time， as the result of this disillusionment， there grewup a determination on the part of peoples， who considered they wereoppressed， to secure complete independence and to remove racialinequality.
This has been especially evident in Oriental countries， and inorder to understand recent movements in China， this new desire forcomplete independence， and the regaining of full sovereign rights mustbe borne in mind.
Political Conditions in ChinaPolitical conditions in China 1919 became more and morechaotic， and the split between North and South more stronglyaccentuated. The attempt to bring about reconciliation led to theholding of a Peace Conference in Shanghai between representatives ofboth sections in the spring.
Mr. Tang Shao-Yi was the delegate from the South， and Mr. ChuChi-chien from the North. The Conference had a stormy career， andaccomplished nothing. Another attempt was made later in the year，when Mr. Wang I-tang was appointed in place of Mr. Chu Chi-chien.
He arrived in Shanghai on September 17th， but as Mr. Tang Shao-Yirefused to meet him， and resigned， negotiations came to an end.
Burning of the OpiumIn the spring of the year， there was another opium holocaust. TheChinese Government purchased from the opium combine all the stocksin Shanghai， consisting of 1，200 cases of prepared opium， valued at Tls.
25，000，000， and committed them to the flames in the specially erectedfurnaces in Pootung， At about that time， the International Anti-OpiumSociety renewed its activities and appointed representatives to witnessthe examination and destruction of the opium.
This expensive bonfire， however， did not accomplish a greatdeal in the way of freeing China from the opium evil， inasmuch asthe cultivation of the poppy had been resumed in many provinces.
Furthermore， a more insidious form of the drug was having direfulresults， due to the smuggling of morphine into the country， and to itsillicit sale.
There was another large seizure of opium in 1921， and onOctober 12th of that year more than one and a quarter million dollarsworth of opium and other drugs went up in flames at the Pootungfurnaces.
Deportation of Enemy AliensOne of the immediate effects of the defeatof the “Entente” washer complete humiliation in the eyes of the world. During the war theAllies had brought pressure to bear on the Chinese Government， afterthe latter joined the Allied cause， to repatriate the Germans. China hadshown reluctance to take this step， and the mandate for the deportationof the Germans and Austrians was not issued until two days before thesigning of the Armistice. Although the war was over， the Allied Powersinsisted that the mandate should be enforced， on the ground that theGermans might still carry on baneful propaganda， Throughout thewhole of China there were about 3，500 Germans and Austrians. InShanghai， the numbers were 673 men， 404 women， and 383 children.
There was considerable discussion as to who should be exemptedfrom deportation on account of health or advanced age， but thesharpest controversy arose over the desire expressed by a few influentialmembers of the community that some German doctors should beallowed to remain in the Settlement， because of their professional skill.
These were days when feeling ran high， and when， if anyone venturedto say a good word for a German， he was looked upon as a traitor tohis own country.
In order that China might finance the deportation of this largenumber of aliens， she was obliged to raise a loan of ＄500，000 from thebanks of the Allies. After considerable delay， the embarkation of theGermans and Austrians was successfully carried out between March 6thand 10th， 1919.
Connected with it there was necessarily a good deal of hardship，but on the whole it was accomplished in a humane manner.
There will always be doubt as to whether such an extreme measurewas justifiable after the war was over， or whether any real harm wouldhave resulted in allowing the Germans to remain.
Connected with the deportation of enemy aliens there wasthe question of the liquidation of alien property， and the ChineseGovernment appointed a special commission for this purpose.
Student Movement and Japanese BoycottIn the year 1919 the Student Movement， which had played a largepart in arousing public opinion at the time of the American boycott，became more articulate.
When it was known that Kiaochow was to revert to Japan by thedecision of the Great Powers at the Versailles Peace Conference， thestudents and the people generally expressed great indignation.
During the latter years of the Great War， the ChineseGovernment， in order to obtain funds， contracted large Japaneseloans. Tsao Ju-lin， Lu Chung-yu and Chang Chung-hsiang， who wereinstrumental in the negotiations， became very unpopular with thestudents and were accused of selling their country. Tsao Ju-lin"s housein Peking was attacked and burnt. The attempt to curb the studentsby imprisonment only resulted in causing the agitation to spreadthroughout the whole country. A Students Union was organized，with branches at various centres， and in a short time a student strikewas declared， that is， students abandoned their studies and gavethemselves up to political propaganda. The people were called upon toboycott Japanese goods， and Japanese trade for a time was entirely at astandstill.
