Evening star., 1932-10-02
Japan IS BLAMED
IN LYTT0N REPORT
Drastic Manchurian Step
Scored as Result of Inquiry
Is Awaited.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.
The League OF Nations will make pub
lie today the much awaited Lytton re-
port which Is the work of four impair
tial observers, Lord Lytton representing
Great Britain, Gen. Claudel represent
ing France. Herr Won Schnee represent
the United States and Count Aldro-
vandr representing Italy.
These men have made q thorough
| investigation Of the causes of the Sino-
Japanese conflict on the battlefieldS OF
Manchuria and have reached the con-
clusion that Japan was not justified in
any way to take the drastic military
measures which have led to the con-
quest Of large section of Chinese ter
ritory and to the setting up Of new
puppet Observation-Disclosures the
nominal leadership of the former Chi
| nese boy emperor Pu-Yi, but actually
vision Of the Japanese government
through its military representatives in
that province.
It Is natural, consequently, that the
commission sent to the Far East, not
by any individual government which
| might have been suspected as being
| either partial or opposed to the Japa-
| nese aims, but by body OF which
| Japan is a member, should have made
report criticizing Japans activities in
the Far East.
Report Worry to Geneva.
Geneva is reported to be worried
about the report That Is to say, that
| the big powers. especially Great Britain,
| are in quandery not knowing what
attitude to take in case the League in
| special session determines to censure
| Japan, while the smaller powers are
| distinctly in favor of taking sanctions
| against Japan. The attitude of the
small nations is explained by the fear
/ that fate similar to China's might
be awaiting them If the League of Ma
tions is incapable Of forcing the re-
spect Of treaties signed by its own
| members.
The groups Of powers are conse-
| quently facing each other at Geneva
today-the big nations, led by Britain,
who favor mild measures, If any at all,
against Japan; the small nations, which
have a powerful advocate In the person
of the president of the council, E. de
Valera, who want action.
Between these two stands the United
| States. which on account of its vital
interests in the Far East and on
| account of its desire to promote friend
| ship and good will among nations on
the basis of the respect Of signed trea-
ties and agreements, is sympathetic to
the point of view of the minor nations
The eyes Of the world are focused
at present on Geneva. In that city are
at this moment gathered the repre-
sentatives Of all the nations of the
world, minus Germany, trying to dis
entangle the knotty reduction Of arma-
ment question But they all realize
that there can be no question of dis
| armament or even slight reduction OF
arms in spite of the financial situation
Of all the countries in the world, unless
all nations, big and small, can rely or
the efficiency and inviolability Of the
signed agreement and pacts.
/ Danger to Conference.
Consequently. the opinion OF the
statesmen of the world Is that unless
Japan can be brought to reason and
If necessary, forced to understand that
| there can be no excuse in violating in.
ternational agreements, one might just
as well postpone indefinitely the reduc-
ton of arms conference. A continua-
ton of such a conference, it is said ir
responsible quarters, with one of the
major nations flagrantly violating the
treaties which are supposed to be the
foundation Of peace, would be waste
of time
With a more tractable nation thar
Japan, is today. the problem which is
facing the League of Nations would not
be difficult. But Japan seems deter.
mined to f1aunt the authority Of the
report of the Lytton Commission mol
| IN tho ovepf,,o1 decisions If fhe I1o7is
Of Nations.
Japan maintains that she has acted
in self-defense in Manchuria, conse-
quently she has not violated the spirit
OF the Kellogg pact. She also main
tains that on account of the troubled
situation in China, she has not violated
the nine-power pact either Further
more, her leaders have expressed the
thought that if the League of Nations
does not like her actions in the Fal
East, this would be a matter of regret
for the Japanese government, but
Japan could not possibly sarifice hel
in order to satisfy what Is described ir
Toxic to be the platonic viewpoint Of
those nations which live in an entirely
different hemisphere OF the globe.
Difficulty Of Situation.
Under these circumstances it is nat
urally difficult for the members Of the
League to know what to do.
The Japanese government has re-
peatedly stated. unofficially. that If the
League proposes to take positive stand
in the dispute between Japan ano
China Japan will be compelled to leave
the League.
| Such resignation from that body
- ktA ny,k xx,I,a Nfh ~.
tries like Germany intend to take a
similar step in case their grievances are
not satisfied, would be serious blow
to the League of Nations. Consequently
the Council of the League is being urged
by those nations which are vttally in
terested in the preservation Of the or
ganization to proceed cautiously.
On the other hand, If the League
shows itself incapable Of protecting 9
weaker nation against country which
has a well organized military machine
the confidence of its members will be
shaken and the League will, to all In
tents and purposes. cease to exist.
But to take drastic measures as advo-
Gated in some quarters, such as an eco
nomic boycott, is a step which neither
Great Britain nor France nor Italy
nor the United States are willing tc
undertake at the present time. 1t Is
fraught with too many dangers and
furthermore is bound to have serious
effects on the commerce Of these in
dustrial countries.
Since such a boycott appears i'm
practicable, other suggestions have beer
put forth and are reported to be given
full consideration by the governments
of the principal powers. These sug-
gestions are:
% All League members In conjunc-
tion with the United States should
agree not to lend money to Japan. Such
measure while not containing the
same hostile elements as a boycott, il
believed to be even more effective thar
an economic or diplomatic boycott
The yen is not in a very healthy con-
dition and Manchukuo, it is believed
will be drain on Japanese resources
for many years-so much SO that polio
| s-~ ant r,pny>ar1xy