The Indianapolis times., 1932-07-02
JAPANESE SNUB
LEAGUE GROUP
IN MANCHURIA
Treatment of Commission
Borders on Insulting in
New State.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIMMS
Scripps-Howard Foreign Editor

WASHINGTON, July 2.-The re-
buff given the League of Nations
commission of inquiry in Manchuria
bordered dangerously on insult. a
report from a Mukden observer re-
ceived by the writer revealed today.
Manchukuo officials openly made
the amazing insinuation that the
commission, charged with getting at
the bottom of the Chinese-J Japanese
war, was siding with the rebels"
and encouraging revolt against the
Japanese-inspired state.
The situation already had been
given decidedly unpleasant turn
before the commission arrived,
thanks to Manchukuo's stupid but
determined opposition to DR.. Well
ington Koo, China's assessor, &C
companying the party.
But when Earl Lytton, head of
the mission, asked to be allowed to
talk with General Ma Chan-S Shan,
leader of a pro- Chinese faction, a
storm broke about his head.
Ma Interview Banned
Earl Lytton, representing Britain;
General Frank Mccoy, American
member; General Claudel of France,
Count Aldrovani of Italy and DR..
Schnee, Germany's delegate, were
given to understand they were not
to try to see or get in touch with
Ma in any way, shape or form, not
even through third party.
1T should be plain to any ra-
tional mind" Foreign Minister
Hsieh Chieh-shih of the Manchu
state, publicity stated, that meet
ing with Ma would encourage rebels
and abet treason"
He strongly intimated that the
commissions stand "cast ridicule
on Manchukuo, ignored its exist
ence, and could not be complied
with under any circumstances"
Some members of the commits
sion, he went on to suggest, ap-
peared determined to remain in
Harbin until they saw Ma, whether
it affected the stand of the rebels"
or not. If that was so, he warned,
with something that almost sound
ed like threat, "the Manchukuo
government would be compelled to
consider some course Of action to
meet the occasion"
Wild RumOrs Spread
Harbin is notoriously the widest
rumor center in all Asia, if not in
the world. And while the COM
mission was there, the city simply
outdid itself. 1t was rumored that
the commission intended to meet Ma
at a small place north of Harbin,
and that Ma palnned to seize upon
the occasion to rally wavering
troops to his side.
Another report was that Ma
planned big battle in the very
presence of the commission, to con-
vice it that the country was not
united behind the JapaneSe-c con-
trolled regime.
DR.. Wellington Koo, the rumor-
mongers said, was behind these
plots" Accordingly, his every move
was watched, day and night. Spies
reported even on alleged conver-
sations they said took place in his
rooms at the hotel.
Taken in Good HumOr
While seriously handicapped by
the attitude of the authorities, Earl
Lytton and his party accepted the
hamstringing with patience and
good humor. Before they left, how
ever, it became necessary to issue
formal statement to clear the air
of misunderstanding.
"We came" the statement said in
effect. "at the beheSt of the League
of Nations, to investigate the true
state of affairs in this country. To
do so, we naturally felt we should
talk with all sides, General Ma
among others.
In view of the position taken by
the Manchukuo authorities, how
ever, we will not press the matter.
We had expected some difficulty in
carrying out our wishes at Harbin,
but we certainly never looked for
our intentions to be misunderstood"
The commission arrived in Toxic
the first of July for a second visit,
coming from Pieping. 1t expects
to begin drafting the awaited
report to the league in August.