Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-01-31
Toxic Official Sees
Serious Affront'
In Embargo Bill
Spokesman Cites Efforts
To Improve Relations
With United Stotes
By the Associated Press.


TOXIC, Jan. 3l.-Passage OF the
Pittman proposal to give the Presi-
dent of the United States discre-
tionary power to apply an embargo
against Japan would be a serious
,affront," the foreign Office spokes-
man declared today.
Termination of the trade treaty
itself is regarded in many sections
of this country as an unpleasant
and regrettable incident, said the
spokesman, Yakichiro Suma, OF the
treaty which expired January 26.
"Shouh Congress follow with an
embargo bill-even though it only
potentially authorizes an embargo
/ am frank to say it would be re-
garded by the japanese people as .
serious affront.
Fortunately I understand three
influential Senators on the For
eign Relations Committee are OPP
posed to Pittman's bill on the
grounds it is rash and unnecessary
at this juncture."
(Senator Key Pittman, Demo-
crat, of Nevada, chairman OF the
Foreign Relations Committee
and author of the plan to give
the Chief Executive power to cut
off shipment of American raw
materials to Japan, has said the
measure is needed to assure bet
ter treatment for Americans in
China)
Restrictions Being Eased.
Apparently referring to reserva-
tons expressed by Senators Wagner,
Democrat, of New York; Nye, Re-
publican, of North Dakota. and
Wheeler, Democrat, of Montana,
Suma added:
II believe they recognize Japan's
efforts to ameliorate the situation in
China and elsewhere"
Asked what these efforts by Japan
had produced, the spokesman said
that "undeniably' bombing and
allegations of personal indignities
had virtually disappeared and that
the japanese are examining means
of removing trade restrictions. al
though the last factor naturally is
developing more slowly.
Suma at the same time confirmed
that Japanese-Soviet Russian
Demarcation Commission appointed
to settle long standing disagreements
over the mutual boundaries OF Jap
anese-protected Manchukuo, Soviet
Siberia and Soviet-protected outer
Mongolia, had disbanded.
A telegram, arriving at the foreign
Office during Suma press confer
ence, merely said that both sides
had signed declaration OF their
intention to abandon the talks.
The commission was organized
after the disastrous Nomonhan clash
on the Outer MongolianM anchukuo
border in which Japan admitted the
loss of $4,000 men in dead, wounded
and i'll, and said Soviet casualties
were even greater.
Fail to Reach Compromise.
The Nomonhan area was one OF
| the focal points of the commissions
attention. 1t was understood both
sides produced maps supporting
their respective territorial claims
and failed to reach compromise.
The strategic Importance which
Japan attaches to Inner Mongolia
and which Russia attaches to Outer
Mongolia made a settlement diff
cult.
Japan's interest in rapproche-
ment with Russia diminished rap
idly after the invasion of Finland,
and Soviet military prestige now
has fallen almost to the zero point
in Japanese eyes because OF the
success of the Finnish resistance.
Fighting in the area was ended
last September 16 by a truce be-
tween Japan and Russia, and con-
fefences over the boundary stemmed
from that armistice.
The conferees first met at Chita,
Siberia, where progress was re-
ported, and then at Hardin, Man.
chukuo. At that time there was
considerable hope Japanese-Rus-
sian understanding-perhaps the
equivalent of non-aggression pact
would result.