Evening star., 1933-01-13
Japan Presses On.


In temperature Of forty below zero
and over frozen ground that facilitates
the transport Of her heavy artillery,
tanks and other mobile forces, Japan
proceeds to round out" the borders Of
Manchukuo by solidifying her military
position in the Province of Jehol. Since
the occupation of Shanhaikwan en- New
Year day and this weeks capture of the
Chumen Gate in the Great Wall. ten
miles distant from Shanhaikwan, there
appears to have been no fighting worthy
of the name between Japanese and
Chinese forces.
The seizure of the Chumen Gate was
described at the State Department yes
terday by Ambassador Debuchi as "a
small affair made necessary to protect
the position Of the Japanese at Shan
haikwan." Asked whether Japanese
troops are preparing to absorb all Jehol
at this time, Mr.. Debuchi said that de-
pended on the activities Of Marshal
Chang HSao-liang, Chinese military
commander in the north, and the mill
tary forces China might send into the
area. In other words, there will be no
war in Jehol If Japan is allowed to take
the province without molestation.
Chinese spokesmen, ever since the
Great Wall was penetrated, have
signaled stout resistance to an invasion
of Jehol. Canton's expressed readiness
to join wholeheartedly with Marking in
resisting Japan's further pretensions
lends credence to reports that an "all-
China" front would be presented against
the aggressor. Events at Shanghai
year ago recall to the world. that the
Chinese, properly led and adequately
equipped, could indeed offer q defense
Of respect-compelling vigor in the
north. But it is patent that sooner or
later 1t would crumble in the face of
the vastly greater power Japan could
and would hurl against 1t.
Meantime the latest news from Geneva
Is that the League Of Nations Is about
to throw up its hands in the Far East
ern mess. The Cancellation Commit
tee of Nineteen" Is scheduled to resume
its sessions on January Is, but only for
the purpose, it is reported, Of winding
up its abortive activities with a reso-
luton which will neither condemn
Japan nor identify itself with the
Hoover Stin1son doctrine Of non-recog-
milton Of Manchukuo. Any action short
Of definite condemnation would obviate
the possibility OF subjecting the Japa-
nese to the sanctions penalties of
Article XVI Of the covenant. Such a
denouement would be tantamount to
Japan's complete victory at Geneva, at
the end Of sixteen months of adroit
fencing to escape conviction before that
bar of world opinion, and enable her to
remain a member In good standing of
the League.
Geneva dispatches picture the League
powers as demonstrating over the "un-
certainty" of the United States atti-
tude and limiting that 1t deters them
from adopting firmer policy, espe-
cially in the form Of outlawing aggres-
sions committed In violation of treaties
and covenants. There is talk Of the
lack Of American initiative" That is
another way of saying that Geneva
would like this country to pull the
Leagues chestnuts out Of the fire.
The fact Is that the solitary "initia-
tive" taken in the whole Manchurian
business Is Of American origin, namely,
the non-recognition doctrine, to which
the League Assembly last March feebly
assented.
If fms were to be written today to
the sorry history OF the Sino-Japanese
episode, 1t would be the League OF
Nations, not the United States, which
posterity would blame for as bungling.
timorous and cynical an exhibition Of
craftsmanship as contemporary man
kind has ever witnessed.