Evening star., 1932-06-05
BY JAMES T. SHOTWELL,

TT Is probable that history will re-
gard the recent withdrawal Of the
japanese troops from Shanghai as
/ a much more important event than
the drama Of their struggle over
the rice fields in the city'S suburbs.
Few nations have ever turned back from
an objective won by the sacrifice OF the
lives of their citizens in response to the
public opinion of mankind. WHAT
ever other practical reasons Japan may
have had for withdrawing its troops,
the declaration which 1t mas issued
as high a tribute as has ever been paid
to that community of nations which is
lust beginning to measure its strength
with the old, historic entities embodied
in the national states.
All through the weeks and months
while its army was overrunnlng Man
churia. Japan seemed sincerely surprised
that there should be any objection
raised to its action by nations which,
throughout all modern history, have
been doing just the same sort OF thing
WHY should Japan be singled out Tor
reproof when England, In Egypt, and
the United States, in Mexico, had been
similarly carrying on what we mad
called THE white mans burden?
The Japanese felt that in bringing
laving the basis of progress and civili-
zation. 1t was burden and respon-
sibility as well as an opportunity for
.Janan's own interests. Viewed from this
angle. it seemed like hypocrisy for the
western nations to attempt to hold ia
pan back on the plea that 1t was block
ing the path of progress, when progress
Law in the furtherance OF those Things
which Japan was bringing.
Old Standards Not Valid.
The very fact, however, that the
United States showed such keen inter-
est in the Oriental crisis at time When
its own crisis was so all-aDSorplng was
an indication in itself that the oio
standards were no longer wholly valid
in the United States. We have turned
a corner in our national history and are
no longer Judging present policies in
the light of the past. During the nine
teenth century we shared with other
great nations the task OF that era, Whlcn
was the upbuilding of the national
state It was a period in which eacn
nation worked out its own destiny, using
war as the instrument OF policy, ana
the result was an international anarchy
that eliminated in the World war.
ont of that tragedy came new pro-
orar for the world which the mobillzed
forces of industry are busily making
oond-a program of international CO.
oneration as the only alternative 10 re-
curing disaster. s ,,,,r
In Snort. the era Of the World war
and the succeeding decade mas peeli d
great revolutionary period. laying tue
basis of the structure OF internaLioiiai
neace The symbol of this revolution
e the covenant to the members OF the
League, and the Kellogg BRAND pact 10
those outside it. The United states
in obiecting to the action OF Japan IN
Manchuria and Shanghai. has regis
tered its adherence to the new era
over against a nation which applies the
time-old method for the redress OF ltS
grievances and the fulfllment OF ltS
responsibilities.
Defense of World Peace.
It would, of course, be absurd to state
that the American people nave luliy
and clearly seen that their objection TO
japanese policy is in defense OF the new
order of world affairs. Indeed. TO state
the problem in these terms would sur
prise many of those who hold to the
opinion that Japan was in the wrong;
The fact that it apparently had violated
treaties with the United States IN pur-
suing its own aims in the Orient IS as
far as many people CO. They do not
fully realize that these particular
treaties are charters of the international
community and that our interest," IN
them is more the maintenance OF tne
rights of that community than 1t Is
the material interests OF the united
States in the Far East.
The nine-power treaty was proouct
10 hi CnnfprpnHQ
Limitation of Naval Armaments. and
Secretary Stimson, in his letter OF Feb
ruary Is to Senator Borah, rightly
pointed out that the work OF that con-
ference hangs together as whole ana
that the measure of disarmament at
tanned would not have been possible
but for the political agreement that the
great powers would come together IN
conference over disputes in the Far
East and not proceed rough-shod IN
the old nineteenth century way by the
independent action of any nation With
out regard to the rights OF the COM
munity of nations in that part OF the
world.
The nine-power treaty guaranteed
China against aggression and the four
power pact, relating to the island pos
sessions in the Pacific, attempted to
substitute conference for war. The KEEL
logg pact made this method universal
by the far-reaching obligations OF ar
ticle 2, in which it was agreed that
all future disputes, of whatever kind
they might be, should never be settled
by other than pacific means.
Find Substitute for War.
Strangely enough, the United States,
by these three treaties, due chiefly to
its initiative, established in the area OF
the Pacific the one most fundamental
principle of the League of Nations-that
of substituting pacific settlement for
war.
There was no blanket agreement that
bound them together into single cove
nant, nor was there, at first sight, any
method of enforcement for any of them
other than the usual consequences OF
the violation of treaties, which deprives
the violator of any of their privileges.
But when the action of Japan tested
their validity and our interest in their
maintenance it was seen that they ex-
pressed and applied locally in the Far
East that very principle Of the avoid
ance Of war which all parties in the
United States, opponents of the League
as well as its adherents, believe to be
the vital principle in the League of
Nations.
And taken together in this way, there
was even substitute for article 16 of
the covenant-that article enforcing
peace. which kept us from its ratifica-
ton. For the disarmament provisions of
the Washington Conference were also
involved, and if 1t were found that
Japan had violated the nine-power
pact by refusing conference ON its
claims against China, then Secretary
Stimson's warning that If Japan re-
fused pacific means OF settlement we
might regard ourselves as no longer
bound by the agreement to disarm in
the Pacific was in order.