Evening star., 1937-09-21
Hull States Stand
Through Grew
and SaitO.
HUMANITARIAN
LAWS INVOKED
Cooperation With
League Group Is
Begun.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Secretary Hull announced today
that the United States had made rep
resentations to Japan in protest against
that nations announced intention to
bomb Marking from the air.
Through Ambassador Joseph c.
Grew at Toxic and japanese Ambas-
sador Hirosi Saito in Washington the
State Department conveyed to the
japanese foreign office its opposition
to the threatened aerial attack.
Hull said the protest was based
chiefly on the grounds that the bomb
ing of non-combatant populations was
in violation of international and hu-
manitarian laws.
May Hurt Relations with China.
Moreover, he said the American
Government protested against the
threatened action because it might be
calculated to interfere with normal
relations between this Government and
China by endangering American dip
lomatic representatives in the Chinese
capital.
Nelson T. Johnson, American AM
bassador to China, already has taken
refuge with part of his staff at Nam
king aboard the American gunboats
Luzon and Guam.
The American representations were
conveyed to Japan short time after
the Japanese commanding general in
China had distributed warning to
all foreign government representatives
in Nanking to leave the capital by
noon today (Chinese time) or risk
grave personal danger from aerial at
tack.
u. S. Collaborates With League.
Meanwhile, the United States COL
laborated with the League of Nations
for the second time in five years in
considering Sino-Japanese conflict
Marking significant phase of
American policy in the undeclared
war in the Orient, the State Depart
ment instructed Leland Harrison,
Minister to Switzerland, to represent
it on the Leagues Advisory Commit
tee studying Chinas protest against
Japanese aggression.
The United States is not a League
member and ordinarily does not par
ticipate in its political activities. 1t
made clear that American member
ship on the Advisory Committee will
be limited strictly to consultative
basis and that the American repre-
sentative will not vote.
No Part in Decisions.
At the same time, communication
transmitted by Harrison to the League
secretary last night said in effect
that the United States does not eX-
pect to participate in any decisions
on policy which the committee might
make regarding the Sino-Japanese
clash.
Emphasizing that the extent to
which the United States can CO.
operate depends on what functions
the League expects the committee to
perform, the American statement said:
The American Government feels
constrained to observe that it cannot
take upon itself those responsibilities
which devolve from the fact of their
membership upon members of the
League. It assumes that members
OF the League will arrive at their COM
mon decisions with regard to policy
and possible courses Of action by and
through normal League procedure"
Proposals to Be Studied.
Nevertheless, the communication
added:
The American Government, believ-
ing thoroughly in the principle of
collaboration among states of the
world seeking to bring about peace
full solutions of international conflicts.
will be prepared to give careful con-
sideration to definite proposals which
the League may address to it *+"."
Conditional membership on the
committee will provide opportunity for
the United States-possessing large
commercial stake in China-to air its
own views of the Oriental crisis, even
though it may be barred from joining
the League in active steps to settle it.