Evening star., 1932-09-25
JUS. IN new LINEUP
|0F WORLD POWERS
Stand on Manchukuo and
Arms Equality Plea Rated
Factor in Re-grouping.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

IucIJS Ol CIlSu OWN pI6Sl0euGlal CaH-
paign. the American people generally
are unaware Of momentous moves now
taking place on the international chess
board.
What Is unmistakably In progress Is
new grouping Of world powers. the
direct consequences of the two situa-
tions provoked by Japan and Germany
respectively, the creation Of the State
of Manchukuo out Of the former Chinese
Province of Manchuria, and Germany's
insistent demand for equality in arma-
ments.
The United States has taken q def
mite position on both issues This Gov
ernment will refuse recognition of Man.
chukuo on the ground that 1t has come
into being in violation of International
| treaties. President Hoover has notified
Germany that her attitude throws de-
plorable barrier across the path to dis
armament, and he inferentially rejects
the German claim.
Reeds Tour Significant.
In Washington diplomatic quarters
the prolonged presence In Europe OF
Senator David A. Reed OF Pennsylvania
Is linked with certain concrete develop
ments in both the Manchukuo and Ger
man arms affairs. Reed Is chairman oi
the Senate Military Affairs Committee
and an influential Republican member
of the Foreign Relations Committee He
is a staunch Hoover administration sup
porter and was one of Americas dele
gates at the London Naval Conference
of 1880.
Ostensibly in Europe this Summer and
Fall with Mrs. Reed on pleasure trip
the Senator has devoted practically al
his time to conferences with the lead
ers of the British and French govern
ments. including Premier Macdonald
and Foreign Minister Sir John Simon
in London and Premier Herriot and
other French government officials In
Paris. These conversations between
Senator Reed and European statesmen
continued up TO the end Of the week
just closed
While they were in progress. the FOL
lowing events occurred, In the order
named:
/. Germany oficially submitted to
France the Reichs demand for equality
in arms and abrogation OF part OF the
Versailles treaty imposing military and
naval restrictions upon the Germans.
Manchukuo Is Recognized.
2. Japan tremendously proclaimed
a treaty OF. alliance with the "lnde-
pendent" state Of Manchukuo and for
mally acknowledged its status as a
sovereign nation.
3. France sternly rejected Germany s
claim for arms equality and referred
the Reich to the League OF Nations.
4. Great Britain, in consonance with
the Lausanne pact restoring the old
Anglo French entente cordiale. joined
France in rejecting the German de-
mand on arms.
s. President Hoover In White House
statement appealed to Germany not TO
boycott the Geneva Disarmament Con-
ference, and pilloried her proposed ac-
ton as a blow to the cause of disarma-
ment at moment progress seems
assured.
Russia Plans Recognition.
g. Russia announces that the Soviet
government has agreed TO recognize the
independence of Manchukuo. thereby
easing the long-existing tension be-
tween Japan and Russia and creating
semi-entente between the traditional
rivals in the Far East.
T. Russia simultaneously, through
Foreign Affairs Commissar Litvinoff at
Gevena, identifies itself with the Ger
man viewpoint on arms equality, and.
like the Reich, threatens 20 boycott fur
ther disarmament negotiations unless
the strongly armed powers proceed
forthwith to practical disarmament
steps.
g. Japan lets it be xnown at Geneva
that If the League of Nations 1nvestl-
eating Commission reports adversely to
Japan on the Manchurian business, and
any League attempt to punish the
Japanese is undertaken. the Toxic
government will quit the League.
France Shares U. S. View.
8. France announces that it fully
shares the American position regarding
Manchukuo and also will withhold
recognition from the new state.
! The net of all these closely inter
locking developments is that the United
States. Great Britain and France stano
shoulder to shoulder against Germany's
demand for arms equality In defiance
of the Versailles treaty, and that the
United States and France have adopted
an identical position toward the recog-
milton of Manchukuo.
The circumstance that PRONUNCIATION
of Americas attitude toward German
arms was followed within a few days
by proclamation Of Frances attitude
toward Manchukuo causes international
observers at washington to conclude
that they are correlated developments
Opinion on this score is strengthened
by the additional circumstance that
Washington and Paris acted while SEN
ator Reed, in cooperation with Am
bassador Edge, was in intimate con-
sultation with Premier Herriot and the
French foreign Office at Paris.
Grouping on Equality.
On the, German arms proposition, the
Franco British grouping is
opposed by the German Russian COM
| bination, with italian official sentiment
| less officially siding with the German
| and Russian viewpoints. On the Man
chukuo issue, the Americana French
| alignment, confined thus far to those
two countries, but believed to have the
sympathetic support Of Great Britain
is confronted by the Japanese Russian
| bloc.
Germany and Italy are not yet or
record about the Manchukuo question
but their predictions are accounted
more pro-Japanese than anti-Japanese
Japan, on her part, has not yet mixee
| in on the German arms equality stu.
| ton, but probably would trade supper,
of the Reich's claims Tor German rec
ognition Of Manchukuo.
| There are unconfirmed reports thai
Senator Reed went the length of tell
| ing the British and the French thai
! American concern over the Manchuriar
situation is such that the United State.
would cooperate in whatever thu
League of Nations decides to do aftel
hearing its commissions report.
The first punitive weapon at thu
Leagues command would be economic
sanctions-in other words, a trade boy
| colt of Japan. When this was pro-
| jected at Geneva last Winter, during
the height of the Manchuria anc
| Shanghai excitement, the impression
which League officials gave was thai
economic sanctions might have beer
decreed then, except for the belief that
| the United States would not join ir
them. Britain and France were hardly
less lukewarm., The British position
about Manchukuo remains to be dis
closed. But the non-recognition state.