Evening star., 1932-10-03

Chairman of the League Of Nations
commission which recently completed a
lengthy investigation of the Manchurian
situation, whose report On the findings
of the committee was presented to the
League at Geneva yesterday. Lord
Lytton was the British representative
on the commission. "A. +. Pnoto'
depends. 1t is opposed to the interests
of China. It disregards the wishes OF
the people of Manchuria, and 1t Is at
least questionable whether it would
ultimately serve the permanent inter-
ests of Japan.
About the feelings Of the people OF
Manchuria toward the present regime
there can really be no doubt, and
China would not voluntarily accept as
a lasting solution the complete separa-
ton Of her three eastern provinces.
The analogy of the distant province OF
Outer Mongolia is not an entirely per-
tinent one, as Outer Mongolia Is bound
to China by no strong economic or
social ties, and is sparcely inhabited
by population which Is mainly non
Chinese. The situation in Manchurla
is radically different from that IN outer
Mongolia. The millions of Chinese
farmers now settled permanently on the
land have made Manchuria in many
respects a simple extension OF emma
south Of the wall The three eastern
provinces have become almost as Chi-
nese in race culture and national sentl-
ment as the neighboring provinces OF
Hopei and Shantung. from which most
of the immigrants came.
Apart from this, past experience mas
- hot fhnSa Uhn control MAN.
churia have exercised a considerably.
influence on the affairs OF the rest OF
China-at least of North China-and
possess unquestionable strategic and
political advantages. To cut of these
provinces from the rest Of China, either
legally or actually, would be to create
for the future a serious lrredentst
problem which would endanger peace
by keeping alive the hostility OF CHINA
and rendering probable the continued
boycott Of japanese goods.
Japanese Statement.
The commission received from the
.Japanese Government clear and val
uable statement of the vital interests
of their country in Manchuria. With
out exaggerating the economic depend
ence of Japan on Manchuria beyond
the limits ascribed to it in previous
chapter, and certainly without suggest
ing that economic relationship entities
japan to control the economic, stlli
less the political development OF those
provinces, we recognize the great I'M
portance of Manchuria in the economic
development of Japan. Nor do we con-
slider unreasonable her demand for the
establishment Of stable government
which would be capable OF maintaining
the order necessary for the economic
development of the country. But sucn
conditions can only be securely and
EFFECTIVELY guaranteed by an admins
tration which is in conformity with the
wishes Of the population and which
takes full account of their feelings and
aspirations. And equally Is it only IN
an atmosphere Of external confidence
and internal peace. very different from
that now existing in the Far East, that
the capital which Is necessary Tor the
rapid economic development OF Man
churia will be forthcoming.
In spite of the pressure OF mcreaS-
ing overpopulation. the Japanese have
not as yet fully utilized their existing
facilities for emigration. and the Japa-
nese Government has not hitherto con-
templated a large emigration OF their
people to Manchuria. But the Japa-
nese do lock to further industrialzatlon
as a means to cope with the agrarlan
crisis and with the population problem
Such indllstrialization would require
further economic outlets, and the only
large and relatively sure markets that
Japan can find are in Asia and par
ticularly in China. Japan requires not
only the Manchurian but the whole
Chinese market, and the rise in the
standard of living which will certainly
follow the consolidation and modern
ization of China should stimulate trade
and raise the purchasing power OF the
Chinese market.
This economic rapprochement be-
tween Japan and China, which Is OF
vital interest to Japan, is of equal in
terest to China for China would find
that a closer economic and technical
collaboration with Japan would assist
her in her primary task OF national
reconstruction. China could assist this
by restraining the more
intolerant tendencies of her national
ism end by giving effective guarantees
that as soon as cordial relations were
established the practice of organized
boycotts would not be revived. Japan,
on her side, could facilitate this rap
prochement by renouncing any attempt
to solve the Manchuria problem by tso-
lating it from the problem Of her re-
lations with China as whole in such
a way as to make impossible the friend
ship and collaboration Of China.
Lifeline Of Japan"
It may, however, be less economic
considerations than anxiety for her own
security which has determined the
actions and policy Of Japan in Man
churia. 1t is especially in this con-
nection that her statesmen and military
authorities are accustomed to speak OF
Manchuria as "the lifeline Of Japan.
One can sympathize with such anxieties
and try to appreciate the actions and
motives Of those who have to bear
the heavy responsibility of securing the
defense of their country against all
eventualities. While acknowledging the
interest of Japan in preventing Man
churia from serving as base of
operations directed against her own
territory, and even her wish to be able
to take all appropriate military measures
If in certain circumstances the frontiers
Of Manchuria should be crossed by the
forces of a foreign power, it may still
be questioned whether the military
occupation of Manchuria for an in
definite period, involving, as it must
heavy financial burden, IS really the
most effective way of insuring against
this external danger: and whether. in
the event of aggression having to be
resisted in this way, the Japanese
troops in Manchuria would not be
seriously embarrassed if they were sur
rounded by restive or rebellious popu-
lation backed by hostile China. 1t
is. surely in the interest Of Japan to
consider also other possible solutions
of the problem Of security, which
would be more in keeping with the
principles on which rests the present
peace organization of the world, and
analogous to arrangements concluded
by other great powers in various parts
of the world She might even find it
possible, with the sympathy and good
will Of the rest Of the world, and at
no cost to herself. to obtain better Sc
curity than she will obtain by the
costly method she Is at present adopt