Evening star., 1933-02-07
Geneva Indicts Japan.


practice emerge as the League ol
Nations long-delayed verdict in the
Sino-Japanese controversy. With even
the British and French, hitherto luke
warm toward any drastic attitude
eondemnatory of Japan, revealing un-
usual firmness, the Committee OF Nine
teen Yesterday unanimously decided
against her.
The Leagues verdict remains yet to
be rendered formally. The Committee
of Nineteens communications, de-
scribad as O minimum are being
whipped into final shape by drafting
subcommittee today. Geneva dispatches
suggest there may be supplementary
action. such as an invitation to the
United States and Russia to consult
with the League on an arms embargo
against Japan and Manchukuo and
financial cooperation with the
puppet state.
Details aside, the League of Nations
has now put the seal of approval OF the
whole organized world upon the policy
first enunciated by the American Secre-
tary of State. Promulgated more than
a wear ago. the "Stimson doctrine" has
found full, if belated, support, taking
its worthy place thereby alongside that
other bedrock Of Far Eastern policy
cuarried at Washington-John Hays
enunciation of the open door in China.
The Committee of Nineteen even did
Col. Stimson the honor of adopting his
own words, when it declared that the
present situation in Manchuria is in
compatible with the pact of Paris and
the nine-power treaty. The committee
then decreed that settlement of the
Sino-Japanese conflict must be based
on the ten conditions listed in Chapter
TX of the Lytton report. Primarily,
these include Manchurian autonomy
under Chinese sovereignty, withdrawal
of ali japanese forces, due consideration
for Russian Soviet interests and inter-
national cooperation in the recon-
struction of China.
The international implications of all
this are nothing short of tremendous.
The world will wait with bated breath
for Japan's reaction to them. On the
face of things, Nippon is isolated, as
she has never yet been during the year
and five months of stress and tension
which hal their inception with the
Mukden incident of September 18, 1881.
Toxic must envision with something
like CONSERVATION the resolute stand
taken by Great Britain and France.
Britain's representative at Geneva
said his government considered 1t
essential that the Committee of Nine
teen recommend non-recognition OF
AIanchukuc. France went even further.
NJ Rene Massigli asserted that the
Pnris government not only wanted
strong declaration for non--ecognition,
according to law, but desired to make
this effective in practice through non
cooperation with Manchukuo. Thus,
the two European powers, which are
the backbone Of the League, identified
themselves unreservedly with the posi-
ton of the smaller members, which
consistently have termed Manchukuo
an acid test for the Leagues worth or
worthlessness as a defender OF the
rights of weaker nations.
Japan has threatened to withdraw
from the League, if her action in Man
churia should meet with the censure
now imminent. One of Tokio'S spokes-
men said last week that If there were
any effort to efectuate such verdict
by Subjecting Japan to trade and flnan-
cial embargoes, that would mean an
other world war" The United States
to date has lent no countenance to
punitive measures. This country is not
a member of the League of Nations, and,
though Washington has reinforced
Geneva's attempts to regulate the Man
churian question-"acting ndepend-
emily through its diplomatic representa-
tiveS," as a memorandum by Secretary
Stinson In October, 1881, set forth
the United States is under no obligation
to resort to extremes against Japan
ANY proposals to that end would, it is
certain, encounter little support among
the American people.
Rather does this country fervently
hope that Japan herself will obviate the
Aecessity of extreme measures from any
quarter She is thoroughly conscious
Of American disapproval of her Man
ohurian adventure. She knows that it
has sorely strained the bond Of friend
ship which America has for her. She
must realize that if the traditional re-
latiops of mutual esteem and trust are
to be restored, Japan cannot afford, in
enlightened self-interest, to be branded
by the rest CT mankind as the destroyer
of all its hopes for liberty under law
and en ordered peace On earth.