Evening star., 1937-11-07
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.


by the Chinese centuries ago,
has become popular with chill
dren in every corner Of the
world. They shrek with Joy when,
opening the first Grandma" they
find second one concealed therein;
then a third one, and so on.
Whether the diplomats attending
the Nine-Power Conference in Brus-
sells will show the same surprised Joy
when they discover there are at least
three other conferences concealed un-
der the cloak Of the original one is
different question.
Neither Rowing Ambassador Norman
H. Davis nor his two immediate su-
periors have the slightest illusion
about the success Of the Brussels meet
ing. They know that mediation will
not be accepted by the Japanese and
an armistice can be concluded only
on Tokio's terms. And these terms
already have been given to the world:
The complete surrender of the Chinese
government to the Japanese demands
the fulfillment of the Tanaka plan.
Japan wants a buffer state to pre-
vent the communication of China. In
order to achieve this, Northern China,
down to the Yangtze River, must be-
come Japanese protectorate; Toxic
is willing, for the time being, to make
a concession to the Western powers
not to add that large slice of China
to the puppet empire Manchukuo,
created in 1882. But the TOXIC gov
eminent cannot guarantee that public
opinion in the provinces will not
clamor for the return of the boy
Emperor to Peiping. The Manchu
dynasty has ruled over the Chinese
Empire for three centuries. There is
no reason, If the Toxic politicians find
it convenient. why 1t shall not be the
ruling house of China from now on
provided the rulers are obedient serv-
ants of Japan.
Aim Of Farley Already Doomed.
Thus the principal aim of the
Brussels conference was doomed be-
fore the meeting opened. The authori-
tartan states have little reverence for
treaties and care still less for the
territorial integrity of nations which
cannot defend themselves against ag-
gression. The Italian government has
announced that it would go to Brus-
! sells solely to act as attorney for the
defense for the absent power-Japan.
Germany is not interested in the ter
ritorial integrity of China and has
already given her blessing to anything
Japan may want to do in the Far
East.
But from the point Of view Of the
governments which have brought the
Brussels conference into being, that
gathering has additional Importance.
1t will enable them to explain to their
people, by all means of publicity, that
they have full comprehension of the
true conditions not only in the Far
East, but in other parts of the world,
too. The Brussels parley will be
long one. 1t will have many recesses
and many adjournments. 1t will lose
breath occasionally in order to enable
the representatives of the four prin-
cipal powers to discuss among them
selves the best ways and means of
solving the trouble in China, and
maybe elsewhere.
Parallel with the sessions in the
Belgian capital, there will be another
meeting where practical means for
curbing Japan will be discussed.
Whether those conversations will take
place in Paris or in London has not
yet been disclosed. They will be at
tended either by Norman Davis or by
the Presidents other trusted diplo-
matte adviser, Ambassador William
Bullitt, jr. In any event. it is certain
that the United States, Great Britain,
France and Russia will gather in
formally at some smaller green table
to discuss practical means of prevent
ing Japan's chewing up the richest and
most important part of China. There
is little likelihood that representatives
of the dictators will be asked to offer
any suggestions at the little CONFER
ence." It would be neither useful nor
logical.
Coercion Not In Picture.
The subject to be discussed by the
four powers behind closed doors is how
to induce-not coerce-Japan to re-
spect the nine-power treaty.
For the time being Washington does
not go so far as to think officially in
terms of coercion. But developments
at the Paris or London meeting may
alter that attitude. That the repre-
sentatives of the four powers will be
able to find peaceful solution seems
doubtful at this writing. The State
Department, of course, is outwardly
optimistic. Despite the totally unac-
ceptable suggestion from the Toxic
foreign off1ce-that peace can be at
tanned if Japan Is allowed to protect
herself against the Communist men,
ace by gulping up an important Sec
ton of China-Washington sees indi-
cations that the Japanese may even
tually yield. The State Department