Evening star., 1932-02-08
Neutral Zones Propcsed.

neutral zones Proposed.
Under the new proposal made to the
diplomats, the spokesman said today
each large commercial center in China
would be surrounded by a neutral zone
IS to 20 miles wide, policed under in
ternational supervision. Chinese soldiers
would be excluded from these zones.
Such an agreement, he said: would
recognize that some measure of inter
| national intervention is necessary to
give China peace and stable govern
ment, whereas the nine-power pact is
DaSed on the principle of avoiding
foreign interference in China.
Before Japan can formally propose
such a change" he said. lit is highly
desirable that the public abroad have
Tune and opportunity to consider it.
Ihls is a moral rather than a political.
problem and if the plan succeeds it
must enlist the support of world
opinion. 1t must be emphasized that
the principal benefciaries would be the
Chinese themselves.
The centers it would be proposed to
demllltarlze are Shanghai, Canton.
Hankow, TSingtao and TientSin. All of
Manchurla would be excluded from the
proposal.
SouhttT 10 1879 fdTIeN.
The Scheme, he sad, would run
counter to the spirit of the Washington
Naval Conference of 1922, but this he
attempted to justify The Washington
treaties, signed a decade ago last Satur-
Gay. hao a lO-year test and were found
wanting" he said
The Chinese revolution had been
given 20 years and has failed to
nTnHtlRn c&ol
tlme the powers did something Japan,
as a foreign power, is suffering most
from the Chinese turmoil It is right
That she take the initiative"
Japan, he said, intended definitely
and permanently to demilitarize Man
churia herself
Mancnurla is our frontier" he said.
ana we can keep that clean ourselves.
We can handle that problem single
hanoed, but the cooperation of the
other powers is necessary in dealing
with the problem of China proper. we
are going to dispose of all Chinese
soldiers in Manchuria. Chinese generals
and forces showing sincere WILLINGNESS
10 cooperate with us in the establish
ment of peace and order there will be
utlllzed as police-all others will be
treated as bandits
Under the proposed plan we are sug-
geStlng similar demilitarization of the
principal commercial centers of China
proper. giving them peace and pros
perlty such as we intend to give Man
churia."
Assumption Declared False.
The spokesman said the Washington
treaties were predicated on the aSsump-
tlon that China was able to work out
her own problems and achieve peace
and stability if the powers kept hands
OIL. Japan Is convinced now, he said.
that this assumption was false and that
the powers must intervene. The plan,
he added, would be due to fail unless
the powers, especially the United States
and other signatories of the nine-power
pact, supported it,
II the United States declined to par
tlc1pate directly, he said, the League of
Nations might take the primary respon-
s1bllity, with the United States lend
Ing support, as it did in the League
Councils recent decisions The foreign
Office he said, had reason to believe
the plan would be supported by the
foreign communities in Shanghai, espe-
cially by the British, who are most
anxious he said to retain extrater-
ritoriality, at least in treaty ports
If the principal newspapers of the
world lend support" he said, the thing
is as good as done"
China, he said he thought, might be
induced to agree if the powers offered
to give up eXtraterritoriality in all parts
OF the country except in the demili-
tarized cities