The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-03-31
Manchurisn Contention With
China Not Submitted TO
Arbitration.
Recourse TO Diplomacy Not
Yet Exhausted.
QUESTIONS TO BE DISCUSSED

Ithlos MtiCu ihN 'ePo"N1'
government has asserted In the most
positive terms that II Is unable to
accede 10 the suggestion OF China
that pending questions with regard
10 Manchuria be deferred 10 the
Hague for arbitration. II maintains
that this suggestion shows a lack OF
courtesy and II attributes the Chi
nese change OF attitude In this mat
ter to "malign influences"
Answering a request for an express
sion OF the views OF the government
concerning China's proposal that The
Manchurian questions be referred TO
The Hague In connection with special
dispatches saw that China has on
cially requested the United states to
use It's influence to persuade Japan
TO accept. the foreign Office gave ont
the following carefully worded state
ment:
Several questions between japan
and China OF more or less Importance
with reference 20 Manchurla still re-
main unadjusted. Some are comph-
Gated. but al readily could be made
TO yield 90 the diplomatic process or
give and take. Japan, fully appre-
ciating advantages Of removing all
causes for misundersiandlngs from
her relations with her neighbors.
made proposals to China looking 10
the final settlement OF outstanding
differences. These proposals were
framed in a spirit OF consideration
and Cancellation. and were in no
sense an ultimatum representing he
ifreducible minimum Japan expect |
Ell that the terms offered would serve
a. a basis OF negotiations or as points
OF departure for reciprocal concss-
slons and accommodations. China at
first apparently accepted Japan's
friendly overtures In the spirit IN |
which they were rendered. even went |
so far as TO express approval OF some
OF the projected solutions. But ma
Ign Influences ultimately were pee
miited to prevail. and without dis
cnssing the questions or making any |
counter proposals. China categoricslly |
rejected Japan's offer and suggested |
recourse to the permanent cour- OF
arbitration at The Hague.
China's Course Unusual.
'ln adopting this extraordinary |
course China Is guilty not only OF
slight courtesy TO japan, but she has
disregarded one OF the expressed pro-
visions OF The Hague convention and
has completely reversed the usual
course OF procedure. Article al OF
The Hague convention declares that
the court Is maintained for the object
OF facilitating recourse 60 arbitration
OF International difference impossible |
20 settle by diplomacy thus unsuc-
cessfui diplomatic effort Is male an
essential prerequisite 90 arbitration.
In the present case the resources OF
diplomacy have not only not been
exhausted. but they have not yet
even been appealed 70. The ques-
tons In dispute have not been made
the subject OF full detailed discussion
and negotiation between the two gov
ernments and no attempt has been
made 20 compose the differences or
ascertain how far they are irrecon-
cllable.
Even II the differences in this
case could at any time appropriately
be referred to The Hague, that time
has not arrived The questions are
not ripe for such references; d5plo-
matte effort would first have to be
exhausted and the exact point at
issue ascertained and specified. To
invoke at this time an arhitral soln-
ton would be 10 request the perma-
nent court at The Hague to under
take duties which necessarily apper-
tain exclusively to the foreign Offices
of Toxic and Picking.
But these differences are not OF
nature to admit of arbitral determi-
nation. which Is limited necessarily
to the questions actually at issue.
The controversy covers a wide range
OF interests and calls for a CORE
sponiingly wide range OF accommo-
dalton. The powers Immediately con-
cerned, having plenty OF authority 70
pool all issues II necessary are alone
competent to settle the questions In
satisfactory manner. and no solu-
ton not satisfactory TO all concerned
viii stand the test OF time and the
stress OF competing interests.
at Is therefore extremely unfortu-
nate" the foreign ONCE statement
sets forth in conclusion, chat China.
falling to take advantage Of Japan's
complaisant mood. has allowed her
self to be persuaded 90 make the
wholly impracticable suggestion OF
arbitration"