The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-08-21
While War Threatens

The American public has been very patient IN
waiting on the state department to take effective
action in connection with the threatened Chinese
Russian
The state department does not rule the world
II can not snap it's fingers and make two foreign
nations lump 1t can not prevent a war II Marking
and Moscow are determined to tight at all costs
Nevertheless, the United States has great power
which can and should be thrown completely and
openly on the side Of peace.
The question is not whether the state department
ran prevent war, but whether it is representing
American public opinion by doing all in It's power
to preserve peace in Asia.
Apart from general humanitarian considerations
the United States has direct interests which are
4eopardized First it has large economic interests
IN China Second the Kellogg peace pact is at stake
If the Kellogg pact can not be used by the United
states and other powers to prevent war between
relatively weaker nations like China and Russia Ger
tainly it never be depended upon as guarantee
of peace in war crisis between the powers themselves
What the state department is doing, if anything
no one knows And that is the difficulty.
This is no time for secret diplomacy II secret
diplomacy has been practced during the last Re"
weeks it has failed prevent the dispute from grow
sng into war crisis today That this is war Crisis
no one can doubt who knows the meaning OF general
mobilization by two nations and continuous frontier
nghtng.
month ago the state department notified the
two disputants that war would violate the Kellogg
treaty to which they we're parties. month ago the
state department made secret proposal to Britain
France Italy Germany and Japan for joint conclia-
ton The exact terms of that proposal not known
II is reported that Japan and Germany rejected the
n-onosal and that France and Italy agreed to it.
In the last month apparently the state depart
ment has done nothing more, while the Manchurlan
situation has gone from bad to worse.
Secret negotiations having failed. the state depart
ment should bring any proposals it has into the open
so they may the support of world peace opinion
If Cancellation proves impossible the United States
alone has very powerful peace weapons it can use.
For several years the United States government
has followed an avowed policy of blocking all Amer
lean foreign loans for military purposes Now 1t hap
mems that the nationalist Chinese government can
not carry on its general program without large foreign
loans. which it seeks in the United States. The
American Kemmerer mission is in China trying to
sraghten out her finances preparatory to such loans
At the same time the Chinese finance minister re-
GENTLY resigned (and then returned to Office because
of his governments large military activities and ex-
penditures.
Would the Chinese government be so intent on
Russian war as seems to be today If it realized
that the United States would refuse to give dplo-
matte and financial support to nation violating the
Kellogg pact?
The Chinese nationalist government to an unusual
extent is dependent upon the good will and active
support of the United States government and people
The state department has had plenty of time to
determine its policy toward Chinese war With
Russia.
In Justice to China, the United States and to the
cause Of peace, the state department frankly and
openly should warn the Marking government that
the United States no longer will help China If she
persists in her seizure of the railroad in violation of
her Russian treaty, she refuses arbitration or con-
citation, If she makes war and destroys the KEEL
logg pact.