Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-23
The Manchurian Crisis.

Il
Not since the nations of the world
became so universally psace-minded-
at least in their official protestations
have they had presented to themselves
harder nut to crack than the contro-
versy wh<.h has suddenly flared up in
Manchuria. Crops Of China and Japan
have met ia sanglin-ry clashes. All
the external manifestations of war
are evident The Japanese Army has
occupied Mukden. seizsd Changchun
and some ne!ghboring towns, apparent
~ entered Kirin, and is reported to have
sent a force to Hardin. In other words,
practically everj important center in
China's greatest province has been
taken over by Japanese soldiery,
already in control of the South
Manchurian railway. Accepting the
gage of battle, President Chang Kali
Sick thunders the Nationalist China,s
readiness for "a final and supreme
struggle" with Japan.
What are the peace-loving powers
going to DO about it all? They are in
a confessed state of quandary and per-
plexity, including the United States.
Secretary Stimson is studying the situ-
alton from the standpoint Of the In
complete and confusing data at his
disposal Because flour Intervention
In the Sino-Russian imbroglio over the
Chinese Eastern Railway in 1929, there
has been a not unnatural expectation
that the United States would move to
extinguish g. confagration which has
already exceeded in extent and menace
the warlike incident of two years ago.
While the State Department looks
before leaping, the League of Nations
Council, jealous Of GeneVa's peace
keeping reputation, Is moving. It is
rightly conscious that an outbreak of
genuine war between the two Asiatic
peoples could, and almost inevitably
would, sooner or later embroil the Oc-
cident. The League authorities yester-
day ID called upon China and Japan
to withdraw troops from the disputed
area and 90 ordered the minutes of
the Councils action transmitted to
the United States Government. Here,
of course, Is tacit invitation to this
country to join the League in such
preventive measures as may eventually
be taken by 1t in the Manchurian crisis.
League Intervention is one of three
separate avenues Of approach to an
amicable adjustment of the Sino-
japanese quarrel 1t is the one with
which this country is not already con-
tfactuany associated. The two others
are the nine-power pact of Washington
and the Kellogg pact. The nine-power
treaty, negotiated during the Arms
Conference Of 1922, pledges all Of
its signatories, including China and
Japan, to common respect Of one an
others territorial integrity The KEEL
logg pact obligates It's adherents to re-
nounce war as an instrument Of ma
tional policy.
The world at large viii place sorry
estimate upon the capacity Of modern
statesmanship If none OF these three
sets Of peace-preserving machinery Is
or can Be invoked to avoid catas-
trcphe in the Far East. Irritated al
most to the point OF unendurability by
their oppressive economic burdens, the
peoples Of the earth viii be satisfied
with nothing less than exhaustive eff
forts to hold the Oriental dogs of war
in leash. Obviously before success in
that direction can be achieved, it will
have to be determined which of the
two, China or Japan, Is the "agsressor, "
rs that term is commonly defined, and
which Of them has resorted to war, .
If at all, as IAN instrument of national
policy" That is not going to be easy.