Evening star., 1937-09-16
Sanctions Put Off
Indefinitely by
Action.
ARTICLE XVII
PLEA SHELVED
Washington Stand
Now of First
Importance.
BY the Associated Press.

GENEVA, September Is. The
League Of Nations Council put China's
appeal against japanese aggression in
the hands of revived Advisory Com
nittee today and asked the United
States to take part in its deliberations.
Quick dispatch of invitations to
Washington and % other capitals made
1t certain that the United States must
soon decide If she will cooperate with
the committee, on which her repre-
sentative formerly served.
BY its action the League also pushed
Into the background any question of
sanctions against Japan--at least for
time. With Chinas conditional ap-
proval, the Council shelved her appeal
under the Covenant Article xVII-the
sanctions section
May Ask Cases Be Stated.
The committee which will now hear
the protest may ask both Japan and
China to state their cases-something
Japan Is not likely to do. She has
made it plain she will ignore any
League mediation whatsoever in her
undeclared war in the East.
Despite the apparent shelving of
actual League sanctions, committee
members will be empowered to rec
ommend to their respective govern
ments such matters as suspension Of
credits to the aggressor and the stop
page OF arms shipments.
A short time later the Council in
public session took up government
6pain's appeal against Italy, and DR..
Juan Negrin, Spanish premier and
League delegate, launched into Wig
orous protest against the fact that
the Nyon accord excludes Spanish
shipping from the system Of collective
protection.
The Spanish government had
charged its vessels had been sunk by
Italy"
Also in the public session, the Coun-
Gil approved British proposal for
sending . mission to Palestine to ne
gotiate with Arabs and Jews on Brit
aims projected partition Of the Holy
Land into Arab and Jewish states.
The resolution, however, emphasized
that the Palestine mandate intrusted
to Great Britain in 1922 remains in
force until such time as it may be
formally altered.
Committee Had U. S. Member.
The Oriental Advisory Committee
was created as result of Japan's
seizure of Manchuria, in 1892, a
conquest the League failed to stop.
There was an American consultative
member then.
The potential participation of the
United States In the revived commit
tees deliberations thus became mat
ter OF the most vital Importance here.
Todays action was taken in private
Council session after the members had
decided to take up quickly the Span
ish governments protest against the
sinking of her merchant ships "by
Italy"
DR.. Wellington Koo, the Chinese
envoy, accepted the Councils decision,
but he reserved the right to appeal
woke Article XVII of the Covenant
which could bring sanctions against
Japan-if he feels it necessary.
If Article XVII were invoked, Japan.
q League non-member. would be asked
to sit temporarily in the Council and
answer China's charges that she is
an aggressor.
The Advisory Committee will meet
shortly after the election of new
members to the Council, which is set
for next Monday.
Two Advantages Cited.
League observers cited two advan-
tages from revival of the committee:
First, inclusion of the United States
and other non-council members with
Far Eastern interests; and,
Second, ability to act more freely
than the council. as it would not be
haunted by the fear Of many council
members that any action taken would
precipitate another adventure in
sanctions
Japan launched a diplomatic count
er-attack on China through its Bureau
of International Conferences. League
members received from this Office a
document urging them mot to be mis-
led by Chinese attempts to distort the
fact OF China's unprovoked aggression. >
u. S. TO WEIGH BID CAREFULLY