Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-21
The Impotent League.

ING IupObCAb 4<SS6 NV
Az the world today notes with chagrin
the collapse Of the League OF Nations
latest effort to compose the Mancnu-
Ran controversy, men everywhere VIII
be forced to the conclusion that the or
1anization,s impotence has at last been
fuzzy. and probably finally, demon
strated. The Council of the League AZ
paris. In q last desperate attempt TO
save what remains of its prestige IN the
sino- Japanese affair, proposed an ar
r,istace in the Manchurian war zone.
During its continuance, an international
commission would examine into the
military and political issues Immediately
involved, and according to one version
of the suggestion. survey the Wnole
"Chinese problem" The projected ar
rnistice did not provide for evacuation
If Chinese territory by the japanese
army. On that account Geneva
promptly hailed the scheme as a victory
for the Toxic government.
In its zeal to convince the eartns
yeoples that the League has not loS1
its peace preserving punch, the Geneva
secretariat yesterday feverishly broad
eaSt that both Japan and China nao
accented the arnistice and the inter-
national commission. Before the night
mas over. Japan and China haStened
IN announce that the exact contrary Is
ths case. They have rejected the whole
rronosition. Matters are left precisely
where they were and left, from the
.Tapanese standpoint, where TOXIC eH-
meets them to stay-with Japan In m
.+,snutable control of Manchuria ana
With a mortified world helpless to say
her nay.
tits a grim and gloomy outlook that
Vs,rope and America face in the pres
.rcs NJ the accomplished fact with
which Japan confronts them through
1er unchecked military advance across
Manchuria. If the League OF Nations
possessing punitive powers unoer It's
Covenant In the form Of sanctions
which NAV be applied against breaker
- tte faith. cannot or win not actually
,rvoka them-an economic boycott
AGAINST Japan is the sanction mosI
<siscussed-what Is now to De oone
Vr41are remain the nine-power treaty OF
washington and the Kellogg pact Tor
remuneration Of war. To both agree
uents Japan Is a signatory In deiying
the Leagues ''ultimatum" to eVacuaoe
Manchurian territory by November TO-
the Japanese by the same token violate
tI,e provisions of the nine-power treaty
snecincally guaranteeing the integrity
of China. BY their invasion OF Man
cnuria the japanese. by that overt act'
offend against the Kellogg pact, because
II is a resort to war as an instrument
oY national policy. despite Tokio's prot
estation of the invasions defensive
nature.
The perturbation Of Occidental
craftsmanship in the midst OF al TINS
triaing with international good fai1n
is entirely comprehensive. Amnas-
sador Dawes at Paris yesterday re-
iterated that the United States, not
being a member of the League. cannot
participate in discussions bearing upon
application of League machinery IN
Manchuria. He emphasized that this
country must preserve full freedom o.
judgment as to its course" THIS re-
animation Of our boycott OF League
sanctions oficially absolves the uniteo
states Of responsibility for Genevas
hunnfliating failure in the Far Eastern
crisis. But it by no means. relieves
us of the obligation of doing something
to meet it. America was the moving
spirit in the negotiation and conciu-
sion of both the nine-power treaty and
the Kellogg pact. They would haroiy
have been conceived-they would GER
tainly never have materialized-except
fer our zeal in promoting them.
The cold truth is that unless the
United States has the wit and the
courage to move in the sino-Japanese
affair within the frameworks OF cove
11anted international agreements 70
which it Is a party, the verdict OF
history on this sorry Manchurian mess
will fall upon it as pitilessly as 1t
deecends upon the League OF Nations