Evening star., 1932-02-12

- 1t Is Impossible 10 altShu SIS
n sion of the Council without
- gaining an impression OF the
Leagues practical usefulness.
TIE Council CORE ponds to the ooaro
Of directors of a corporation. II Sis
at regular intervals, but can be con-
vened by the Secretary General OF the
League on emergency occasions.
Tne Council was winding up It's MID
Winter session at the END OF January
when the japanese occupation OF
shanghai occurred and caused the
body to prolong its meeting INTO What
amounted to an emergency meeting. M.
Paul Boncour of France, president OF
the Council. and his colleagues had
planned to clear the decks at Geneva
for the World Disarmament Conference
only three or four days distant. But
japan willed otherwise The Council
was still convened, for investigation and
possible action in the Shanghai AFFAIR,
when the Disarmament Conference was
called to order on February 2.
To a Washington observer, the Coun-
Gil is for all the world like meeting
Of the Senate Committee on Foreign
Relations. Imagine Senator Borah in
M. Paul Boncours place at the center
d
is other Senators grouped on either
side of him, and you have very home
like picture of what goes on at the
Council in Geneva 1t would be more
appropriate to compare Representative
Henry T. Rainey of Illinois to M. Paul
Boncour, for they resemble each other
to a remarkable degree, with their
smooth-shaven countenances and busny
heads of long, wavy snoW-whlte hair.
Though Is different nations are repre-
sented ON the Council, its members
night easily be mistaken for members
of the American Congress. For
moment thought l saw former Re
publican House Majority Leader Frank
T. Mondell of wyoming at the Council
table 1t turned out to be the dis
tinguished-looking member from
Guatemala, Senor Don Matos. Foreign
Minister MaIinkovitch of Jugoslavia
rem in6ed me of Lon CLANCY, without a
makeup. Herr Weizsacker, Germany S
Council member, might be twin
brother of Senator Gore of Oklahoma.
Several faces around the blue horse
shoe were familiar to WaShlngtonlan.
To begin with, there was DR.. w. w.
Yen, China'S astute spokesman, newly
arrived IN Geneva after bare month
on his new job as Chinese minister to
the United States On the side lines,
back of Dr. Yen, while the Sino-
japanese melee was under discussion.
sat Col. Robert E. Olds of Minnesota,
former Undersecretary of State. who
was in Geneva as special legal counsel
to the Chinese delegation during the
Far Eastern crisis. Ever and anon Olds
would put an advisory flea in DR.. Yen S
ear, though Markings spokesman "a
graduate of the University of Virginia)
seems fully capable Of padding his own
canoe in the Stormiest Council weather.
Signor Augusta Rosso. Council mem
ber for Italy, spent five years at the
Italian Embassy in Washington. He is
head of the League of Nations Depart
ment in the Rore foreign Office, and
accompanied Signor Grandi to the
United States last Fall. Senor Den
Salvador de Madariaga, another Coun-
Gil member, was the Spanish Republic S
first Ambassador to Washington, al
though he served there only few
weeks.
Another picture that instantly and
impressively photographed itself upon
my memory at the Sino-Japanese
Council sessions was the amazing
change that has taken place in world
organization, as symbolized by Geneva
Here was a handful of the smallest
nations on the face of the globe
Guatemala, the Irish Free State, Nor
way, Panama, Peru and Jugoslavia-
sitting in full and equal judgment
alongside the British Empire, France,
Italy, Germany. Poland and Spain on
questions affecting the fate of the
Eastern Hemisphere and the future re-
lations of Japan and China. How il,
have scoffed at the suggestion that
Panama-let us say-should dare tc
claim hand and voice in the settle
China! Yet that is what happened at
Geneva IN the closing hours of Janu-
ary and the earliest hours of this
month. Verify, Mother Earth has
moved far since Versailles. It has as
Suredly not reached its appointed and
anointed Destinations hard and fast
organization of the world for peace
6sgP1ng Keep t Purposes- eu' 1t Is as mo
This observer was in the press gallery
of the United States Senate on that
memorable day. when the Upper
House enacted the Japanese immi-
grafton exclusion law. 1t acted al
most instanter after-and, as many
thought, directly because Of the
hectoring note sent Secretary Hughes
by Ambassador Hanihara. threatening
grave consequences" if Congress dared
to place the ban on Japanese immi'
grants I had reminder Of that his
toric episode when Mr.. Sato, Nippon's
sphinX-faced spokesman on the League
Council. spoke of the serious discon,
tent" which would be aroused in Japan
if the Council persisted in subjectine
japanese action at Shanghai to IN
ouiry and eventual censure-or more
The Council refused to succumb to Mr.
sato,a bluff. lust a the Senate, under