Evening star., 1934-05-06

thing of lath-and-plaster. erected
by amiable idealists. whose structure
will 60 down before a Whit Of realis-
tic grapeshot.
1t cannot be denied that there Is
ground for these calculations. The
present challenge Is the natural Sc
quence to the impotent handling OF
the Manchurian situation by the
countries assembled at Geneva in 1881,
and after that humiliating collapse
Japan may be excused for supposing
that there are no lengths to which
she cannot go in flouting world
opinion.
1t is pointed out that by the nine
power treaty, to which Japan Is a
signatory. it is agreed:
"I. (2) To provide the fullest and
most unembarrassed opportunity to
China to develop and maintain for
herself effective and stable govern
ment"
But. as the Manchester Guardian
remarks, the Japanese "spokeSman's"
argument comes to this: Japan desires
strong China. no man more so;
China must. however, become strong
solely by her own efforts; Joint op-
erations" Of foreign powers Gas of the
League) to assist China. either tech
nically or financially must at this
moment, after the Manchurian and
Shanghai incidents" have a political
significance, or, in palmer terms. be
anti-Japanese in their results; there
fore, Japan will resist them.
There is a shorter way Of saying
the same thing: Japan having failed
so far to COW China, strong China
will be anti-Japanese, and therefore
Japan will prevent China at all costs
from becoming strong. Japan seized
Manchuria through China's weakness
and will hold it as long as China re-
mains weak and no longer: therefore
Japan would resist the idea that
China should invite and receive assist
ance from the League that will make
her stronger to face her future.
This audacious reputation of the
central principle of the nine-power
treaty is accompanied by implied
threats to the powers and very spe-
cific threats to China herself. In a
word. China can only be permitted to
be strong in proportion to the meas
ure in which she is an obedient satel-
lite of the japanese system. AS to
other powers signatory to the nine
power treaty, they are warned of the
grass, or. as the Japanese Ambassa-
Cor at Washington modestly phrases
it. can only be allowed to conclude
any transactions with China after first
consulting with Japan.
What in the face of this despotic
gesture will be the attitude of the
League and of the powers? Will the
bluff be sternly called or will the his
tory of 1881 be repeated? The omens
are not good, for with that instinct
for the moment to strike that Japan
always shows, she has issued her
challenge when the disarmament ques-
ton in Europe is at its most critical
phase, with France and Germany
more remote from agreement than
they have been since the Autumn.
1.-The Spectator" calls for a united
front" of the world i'll face of the
menace, and urges the Fastening OF
steps for the inclusion of Russia in
the League. But that, though help
full, will not spell unit. and there are
those observers who are disturbed by
the probable reactions of Germany to
the new Japanese challenge. She has
disowned the League as Japan has
done, has no more passion for Russia
than Japan has, and might easily as
sumo that troubled waters in the
Pacific made good fishing for herself.
+ r y
On one point there is general agree
ment. It is that there should be
more effective Anglo-American CO.
operation than was the case in 1881.
THE sane course for this country in
what is admittedly a delicate and
difficult field of policy lies in the
closest possible cooperation with the
United States" says the London News
Chronicle. Both countries have a
common concern to assure that their
complete freedom Of action in the Far
East shall not be challenged"
(copyrisht. 1884,