Evening star., 1932-04-15
PARLEY COLLAPSE
LAID TO JAPANESE
Shanghai Statement Blamed
on Desire to 0emiItarize
Five Large Ports.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

ACCORDING 10 olSpatcheS from Shang-
hal, another resolution of the League
OF Nations seems TO have gone over
board
Mamoru Shigemitsu, japanese Min
lSter at Shanghai announced Thurs
oay that the action of the Chinese in
referring the peace proposals of the
japanese back to the League of Nations
Slgnlned the collapse of the peace par-
leys at Shanghai and left the wav omen
lot Japan to take any action she might
deem necessary TO protect her interests
IN that area. The Minister added that
the way was open for Japan to resort
to military actions. if the situation war.
ranted such a step.
Thls statement is considered in
washington full Of most serious i'm
plcatlonS. The japanese and the
chinese have been discussing a local
peace at Shanghai since March 7. These
conversations between the japanese
ana the Chinese took place in the pres
ence OF the Ministers of the United
states, Great Britain, France and Italy.
me League suggested that the repre-
Sehtatlves of the four powers directly
interested in the Far East might
facilitate an understanding between the
japanese and the Chinese.
Willing to Let Farley Drag.
In spite of the sincere efforts of the
four Western Ministers. the peace
parleys were soon deadlocked. The
Japanese stubbOrnly refused to indicate
definite date when they would be
willing to withdraw their forces from
the Shanghai area. They refused to
nX any schedule. as was requested in
the resolution of the League Further
more. neutral observers reported the
japanese army was digging trenches
ana erecting pill boxes on the japanese
lines, some IA miles outside Shanghai.
The powers we're willing however. to
let the negotiations drag as long as
possible on the theory nothing is more
helpful in diplomacy than temporizing
difficult issue
The japanese government. however,
does not always believe in temporiza-
ton.
The Toxic foreign Office was watching
carefully the developments in London
and at Geneva and as soon as il be-
came evident the principal Western
powers were in complete disagreement
over the most vital economic and DO
lltlcal issues which they had agreed to
discuss among themselves, Toxic in
structed Minister Shigemltsu to make
the statement that the peace negotia-
tlons at Shanghai had collapsed.
This decision of the Japanese govern
ment is full of meaning and is likely
to increase the tension between this
country and Japan.
Would Demilitarize Ports.
1t is generally interpreted here that
the japanese have wilfully torpedoed
the Shanghai peace negotiations be-
cause the Toxic government wants to
proceed with the demilitarfzation of the
five principal Chinese ports and de-
slreS to begin with Shanghai The
Japanese government several times has
sent out feelers about this important
step they want TO take and has always
met stern opposition rrom the United
States.
There is no indication the admin
lstratlon has changed its point of view
regarding the American stand in the
Far East as expressed in the note Sec
retary Stimson sent to Toxic January
and in the letter addressed to SEN
ator William Borah early in Febru-
ary. In official circles in Washington
the attempt to demilitarize Chinese
ports Is regarded as a beginning of
the partitioning of China and the
United States is strongly determined
never to become a party to such a
step nor to recognize any such action.
The situation appears still more diff
seems to have a desire to pass the
buck" The secretary general of the
League, Sir Eric Drummond, informed
the Chinese representative at Geneva,
Or. Yen. that the League will not give
any consideration to Chinas request
that the peace negotiations between
Japan and China should be discussed
by the Council, but advised the Chinese
o seek a direct compromise with the
japanese.
While Sir Eric's suggestion is in full
keeping with the resolution of March 4.
there is a feeling here that the League
does not want to become more entangled
than is necessary in the bargaining.
League Action Doubtful.
The dissensions between the principal
world powers regarding the question of
disarmament and the economic reha-
bilitation of Central and Southeastern
Europe make any positive action Of the
League in the Far Eastern question
somewhat doubtful.
Secretary Stimson will reach Geneva
tomorrow Although on leaving Wash
ington he stated he did not intend to
take up the question of the Sino-
japanese conflict with the other powers,
II is possible that under these new cir
cumstances he may be compelled to dis
cuss with the premiers of France. Great
Britain, Italy and Germany what steps
should be taken to bring to an end the
chaotic situation in the Far East.
Such discussion may be more neces-
sary at present than ever before, be-
cause the conflict between China and
Japan involves a disregard of the in
ternational pacts which were at one
time considered the mainst3ys of any
move toward real disarn ament.
Toxic is evidently foreseeing such a
move, as can be gathered from state
ment made by the official spokesman OF
the Japanese foreign Office. who said
Japan will not participate in any dis
cussion at Geneva regarding the Shan
hal imbroglio.
Japan appears to have taken def
nitely the stand that her activities in
Manchuria and other parts of China
are entirely outside the jurisdiction Of
any international body.