Evening star., 1932-12-10
The League as Faee-Saver.

At Geneva the expected has hap
pened-the League Of Nations has put
things OF again. 1t has referred the
Sino-Japanese dispute to the Commit
tee of Nineteen, including in particular
a resolution of the Little Four
Sweden, Spain, C1schosloyakia and the
Irish Free State-which called for con-
demnation of Japan on the basis of the
Lytton report. The Committee of Nine
te-- =; .ne body set up by the League
Assembly last March to deal with the
Manchurian iHbroglio after the Coun-
Gil and the Assembly had vented their
full conversational desires on the sub
ject. The reference to this so-called
coneiliation agency is species of
that procfastination which characterizes
Geneva's attitude nearly every time 1t
tackles a major international issue. 1t
is what is known in this country as
passing the buck"
In diplomacy time is everything. In
Oriental diplomacy 1t has the added
virtue of accomplishing that all-im-
portant thing known as saving of face.
Fer nearly a year and quarter, fol-
lowing the inception of the Manchurian
affair on September Is, 1881, Japan has
been under fire at Geneva on the
ground that its action constituted ag-
gression against China within the
meaning Of the covenant. In that
indictment the United States, though
not League member, has joined, tax
ing its stand on the pine-power treaty
and the Kellogg BRAND pact. Amid
the welter of a full year of futile diplo-
matte hemning and having the one
positive development which ensued has
been the proclamation of the Stimson
doctrine, enunciating the principle that
the United States will not recognize
any international situation brought
about by treaty violation. In March,
1882, the League Assembly in essence
identified itself with the American pro-
gram of non-recognition, with respect,
of course. to the creation of the in
dependent" State OF Manchukuo under
japanese guns.
Then came the appointment of the
Lytton commission and, recently, its
report, which found Japan guilty on all
important counts. The smaller powers
OF the League, discussing the report in
the Assembly this week, demanded that
the League take the only action justified
under the circumstances and pass upon
Japan a verdict which would register
the worlds protest against her conduct
i'm Manchuria, even II such protest
would not cause the evacuation of that
territory and its restoration to China.
Yesterday, more or less openly at the
instigation OF the stronger powers, in
cluding Great Britain, France, Italy
and Germany, Japan's face ut Geneva
was saved, as it has been continually
and consistently saved on each occa-
sion when the sands seemed to be run
hAlS nkdAAnb Ai6i- iAc iuu-feSOSui-
ton doctrine, which nine months ago
enlisted the Leagues adhesion, was not
mentioned. although the bafied Little
Four powers laborsd increasingly for its
incorporation in the resolution con-
dennatory of Japan. The United States
and Russia, both montague members.
are to be invited, Geneva dispatches
state, to participate in the forthcom-
ing deliberations of the Commit
tee OF Nineteen. But whether the
Washington Government viii generate
any emotional enthus asm for partner
ship in the game WHICH the League OF
Nations is playing in the Manchurian
sgsiness is very seriously to be doubted.