Evening star., 1931-12-23

The position Of the League of Nations
at time OF military aggression is made
the subject Of DEBATE while fighting goes
on in ManChuria Some comments en-
phasizs the inability Of the League TO
enforce DEGREES but it is the opinion OF
many that gains have been made in the
recognition OF world opinion. and that
there has been a restraining influence
! in the Far East. despite the weakness of
the Chinese defenses The existence of
a depression is declared to have been a
factor in the meagerness Of results
! The difficulties presented are pointed
/ out BY the San Jose Mercury Herald,
which recognizes some acute problems
involving the interests of three nations
China, Japan and Russia" Summing
I'D the history of the situation. the
Mercury Herald records that up 10 the
| fall Of the Manchu dynasty in 1912, no
Chimes were permitted to settle in
Manchuria" that the need of an ice
free port in the Pacific brought Russia
| into the Manchurian picture: that
while the japanese were not coloniStS
and the land did not attract them. they
did develop transportation. mines and
industries on large scale and thus laid
the foundation to support dense popu-
lation." and that after the fall of the
Manchu government in 1912, which re-
moved the ban against the Chinese. a
food Of immigration inundated the
country. and the land passed into Chi
nese hands. In few years the popula-
ton was Chinese by large ma jority"
This paper holds that the interests of
the three nations lie in peaceful set
tlement of their differences, but recon-
Cling them is real diplomatic problem
as the League Of Nations and the Hoover
administration found"
Progress seems to have been made, "
thinks the Salt Lake Deseret News. "by
the agreement with reservations Of
Japan and China to accept the plan
of the League Of Nations. This in
wolves the appointment of neutral in
vestigating commission, which will help
establish, it is to be hoped, under
standing and peace" But the Charles
ton IS. c. Evening Post. declaring
that the League has signed off in its
resolution" remarks: Both Japan and
China have accepted the resolution,
but Japan proposes to drive the Chinese
army out Of Manchuria. That is the
step the Japanese will take to carry
out the Leagues prescription
Leading British papers" says the
Toronto (Ontario) Daily Star, ARE
finding their voices now and berating
the League. 1t would be more to the
purpose If they were condemning the
government Of Britain. The peoples Of
other countries have equal reason for
criticizing their governments. For the
League. after all. is only an association
of governments and not superstate.
If the influences that have suddenly
become vocal had been as outspoken in
demanding a strong, firm policy on the
part Of the League the outlook might
be brighter"
The f, ct appears to be-" states the
Springfield (Mass) Union, that Japan
recognized that the powers dominating
the League Council would not attempt
to enforce League action for the good
reason that TO question the validity of
Japanese treaty claims in Manchuria
would be to open Pandora's box in
Western Europe. Japan proceeded
to establish new political status quo
In Manchuria, and neither the League
covenant nor the Kellogg pact provides
the means of restoring the status quo
ante" Asserting that the Chinese
"have an effective weapon in the boy
colt. for Japan can i'll afford to lose
her amicable trade relations with
China" the Union concludes: Nov
that the impotence Of the League Coun-
Gil has been clearly revealed to China
the prospects of peaceful settlement
NAV be better than at any time, pro-
yided the cooler and wiser heads of
China recognize their economic strength
and political weakness"
Japan took advantage Of her op-
portunity when the rest of the world
was in the throes of depression" de-
clares the youngstown Vindicator, while
the St. Louis Times states that she
took into consideration the unrest in
Europe and the lack of q stable Chinese