Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-01
LEAGUE IS SECOND
TO PACT IN CHINA
Kellogg instrument Is Chief
Force, Though Geneva
May Debate Question.
BY WILLIAM RUFUS SCOTT.

victory Tor the kellogg pact IN the
dispute between Russia and China. in
so far as any outside influence for peace
affected the situation, comes just as
the League of Nations was about to
try its hands at pacification.
China paid $4,000 in back dues to
the League yesterday, and had sent DR..
c. C. WI, Minister to the United
States. to Geneva to be its leading
spokesman in the expected League de-
haateS on the Manchurian railroad
crisis. The total arrears of China to
the League exceed $1,500,00o.
There still IS a likelihood that the
whole issue will be discussed in the
meeting beginning tomorrow, but as
the Kellogg pact was the only actively
asserted international force during the
acute phases Of the dispute, it is GER
tain to receive large credit as a sta
bilizing factor.
Williamstown Statement.
During last week the United States
policy regarding the dispute was re-
stated so that In any debates arising
at Geneva there can be no misappre-
hension of Washington's efforts at medi-
alton. Stanley K. Hornbeck, chief of
the division of Far Eastern affairs in
WllllamStoWn Institute of Politics,
which has just adjourned as the place
for redefining the American position.
Taking up the kellogg pact's appli-
cability to the dispute, and the charges
in the Moscow press that the United
States had plotted" with other powers
against Russian interests in the Chinese
Eastern Railroad, Mr.. Hornbeck made
two significant statements.
On the first point he declared last
Tuesday that, China and Russia having
signed the Kellogg pact, and having
been reminded of their signatures, 1.-The
governments of the world would unan-
imously deprecate the resort to hos
tilities by either China or Russia"
Charges of plot"
AS for the charges of plot" Mr.
Hornbeck handled them as follows:
1T has been reported in various places
in the past that the Secretary of State
has offered suggestion of a possible
way in which China and Russia might
themselves solve their difficulty. I am
not in position to make any statement
on that point. l can, however, affirm
that If any such suggestion has been
made 1t has been based upon no thought
of any special interest or any possible
advantage to the United States. 1t
would contain no provision for the pro-
motion of special interests or advan-
tages. 1t would have nothing to do with
the general question Of international
rivalrieS in Manchuria"
The significance of this explicit denial
of Moscow press charges is better under
stood when those charges are recalled.
For instance, five-column headline in
Pravda, chief Communist organ in Mos
COW, declared, American and French
ImperialistS Want to Seize the Chinese
Eastern Railroad" and smaller head
line spoke of "StimSon'S Secret Note
It alleged that confidential proposal
to Britain, Japan, France, Germany and
Italy that they, with the United States,
should institute SiX-poWer control over
the railroad" had been made by WASH
ington.
Denies Selfish Motive.
The alleged secret note" was an aide
memoire handed to the ENJOYS of the
five powers in Washington on July rs,
in which the discussions for peaceful
solution of the dispute were recapltu-
lated. The State Department made no
formal reply then, though It was init
mated that Moscow had taken dis
torted view of the American course.
Now Mr.. Hornbeck has categorically de-
MED a selfish motive in any American
efforts and not only the Soviet and Chi
neSe governments, but League Of Ma
tons debaters, have this clarified posi-
ton of Washington before them.
The actual text of the aide memoire
has not been published, but Mr.. Horn
beck clearly forecasts that if, and when,
it is made public it will be found free of
secret or open suggestions hostile to
either Russia or China and. free from
an intention to promote the special in
terests of the United States in Man.
churia or of any other outside powers.