Evening star., 1937-10-31
Nv CRESTON r. MULLINS.


- since the World War have met
amid more ciscouraging pros
q poets for successful issue and
greater need for material achievement
than the session of the signatorles
and adherents of the nine-poWer
treaty at Brussels Wednesday.
What will constitute a successful
conference will be matter of opin-
ion. For those chronic denunciators
Of consultation as path to peace
failure will be anything short OF sum-
mary termination of Japan's invasion
of China.
Those who are more grateful for
short steps toward cooperative peace
will consider the conference failure
only II 1t reaches deadlock which
forces adjournment without def1nitive
result. They will welcome even moral
sanctions against Japan aimed at
marshaling world opinion in con-
den1nation of the invasion of China
as another step in formulating that
united front of "peace-loving peoples
which must necessarily precede more
effective measures, perhaps utilizing
force.
Mediation Is Keynote.
Mediation is the keynote with which
the delegates assemble. At least the
United States, Great Britain and
France aim at nothing more drastic
China, no doubt, will be ready to pro-
mote a trade boycott in line with the
quarantine" proposal of President
Roosevelt and with the appeals OF
china's spokesmen in America, but
Ii Is not likely that she will even sug-
gest armed action by the treaty sig
natories in view of her careful avoid
ance of any such recommendation
70 the League of Nations.
The direction of China's foreign re-
ations during the present crisis has
shown itself far too intelligent fol
such naive requests, for nothing Il
more certain than that the three
powers who hold the fate of the
Brussels consultation-the United
States, Britain and France-are mo-
going to use armed force agains
Japan, at least in the present STATE
VI affairs
Accordingly, China is refrainint
from weakening her position among
nations sympathetic to her by max,
ing impractical demands. When DR.
v. x. Wellington Koo appealed to ths
League for condemnation of Japan:
invasion, he carefully avoided any re-
quest for action which might imply
use of sanctions. He recalled. M
doubt, the damage done to the Leagues
prestige by the imperfect operation
Of sanctions against Italy.
The avowed aim of mediation rule!
out any immediate attempt to condemn
Japan anew as the aggressor agains
China. and makes still more remote
the prospect of forceful action to in
duce Japan to desist. That Japar
would not be adverse to the inaugura-
ton of some kind of mediatory process
by the individual nations interested In
the Far East rather than by the
Brussels conference as whole, was in
dicated by the trial balloon sent ur
in Paris Thursday of last week.
The two-point basis suggested by
the high Japanese authority appears
far too mild to be consonant with the
aims of the Japanese military, who
after all, will decide whether the CAM
paign in China continues. Temporary
occupation by Japan of the five north
ern Chinese provinces and the crea-
tion Of q neutral zone around Shang-
hal with an international police force
to maintain order, comes nowhere
near accomplishing the three-point
Hirota program given to the japanese
Diet early last year:
1. Suppression Of the anti-Japanese
campaign in China;
2. Recognition of Manchukuo and
of Japan's economic primacy in North
China; and
g. Cooperation OF China with Japan
h1 suppressing Communism.
Japan's initiative in Paris, If Ii
represents q sincere overture for an
armistice, paves the way for concilia-
tory action at Brussels, perhaps in
the form of a committee of nations
substantially interestedrin the fate OF
China-the United States, Great Brit
ain, France, Russia and Italy.
Peace Structure Upset.
These could undertake not merely
4 mediation of the present conflict,
but drastic reform of the Far East
ern political system based upon the
present status. The situation upon
which the present Far Eastern
peace structure exists-including the
nine-power and four-power pacts-
has been outmoded by the japanese
conquest of Manchuria, the present in
vasion of North China and Shanghai,
the denunciation and expiration of the
Washington and London naval treaties
respectively, the continued presence
of Russia in the Far East and the end
OF Belgian interest there.
With prospects for mediation of the
Gino-Japanese War frightening, the
wisdom of not having invoked the
Neutrality Act becomes more apparent
At this moment, when Japan may be
growing receptive to attempts of the
powers to restore peace, the existence
Of American arms and loan embargoe:
on Japan and China could only prove
an obstacle, leading to the demand by
Japan that they be revoked before
mediation be accepted.
The ability of President Roosevelt tx
Withstand the pressure of the peace
societies for use of the Neutrality Ac
leaves the United States remarkabl,
free to undertake the leadership II
mediatory measures.