A Reuter message from Wi ashington indicates that an important move may be contemplat~ ed by Great Britain, France and the United States of America regard to Mauch 'This may merely mean that a' decision is being formulated regarding the jeomposition of the Commission lof Inquiry on which the League lof Nations is relying for its future guidance. It cannot be said that the prospects of th learly despatch of the Commis.
ion are particularly bright. The intention that the latest, developments.
Manchuria j render it an almost supereroga {tory instrument of international research has: some force. With-lout a personnel of authority the 'Commission would be worse than useless. 'The representatives whose names have hitherto been mentioned are men of standing. Britain's nominee—an amiable' and earnest peer with a sound administrative experience—has however declined the honour. The Earl of Lytton cannot be. replaced by a man of less consequence if the commission is to' carry weight. Indeed the selection of an even stronger personality would have been better: for the Chairmanship of the! Commission. Lord Lytton has made for himself a good repatation in Geneva but he reached the highest pinnacle in his career when, for four months, he was Viceroy of India during the ab-joe of the then Earl of Rea-'The episode derived its chief distinction-from the fact! that Lord Lytton reigned where he had been born. Not likely that any other man will achieve the feat of being born at, Vi Lodge during his royalty and, ultimo ately, ruling India, for 2 period, jas Viceroy himself. So it _has [yet to be proved that Great Brit-fain can persuade a public man lof the requisite weight to urder-take a task which, in the light lof recent happenings and, perhaps, in view of the defects of the League's permanent staff, must be regarded as thankless.
Yet the situation in Manchuria, demands the close attention of the Powers. If the League of 'Nations is unable to proceed beyond the agreed resolution which terminated the recent sessions of the Council in Paris, it is essential that diplomacy' of some kind should be brought to bear the problem. In the early days of the Japanese move outside the railway zone, Japanese apologists clearly stated that all that was desired was the protection of Japanese interests within that zone. No addition to the japanese troops in Manchuria' }was contemplated. No territorial Jexpansion was in question. Later jeame the assurance at Paris that Japan was solely actuated by the aL intention. to put down banditry. That argument. appeared to make, light of the fact that the mark-Jed increase in banditry, was due in the main to Japanese action lon September 16-19. Neverthe hess-it was accepted in good faith, Furthermore it was stated Jon several occasions and, in the opinion of this journal,' rightly stated that Japan could not afford the expensive luxury of at-[tempting single-handed to ad-_ minister Manchuria, The soundness of this view rests on experience. Since Japan establish led her interests in. Manchuria she has relied mainly on Chinese immigration for the development lof its resources. The climate and Japanese their homeland the deep-rooted affection of
would militate against any Japanese colonisation on a grand scale, But it would seem as if Japanese policy were being [gradually made the plaything of circumstances or were taking lines according closely with the wilder dreams of chauvinists whose aspirations have been repudiated more than once by responsible Japanese opinion, The Japanese forces in Manchuria have been heavily reinforced, It is now declared that 100,000 men will be required to stamp out banditry—the perfectly logical Joutcome of the ill-considered interruption than an occasional boo in the gallery and a cheer two in the stalls. If the news from Washington means that the three Powers. intend in friendly fashion to bring the whole mat ter under review with the object of getting a proper perspecti lof recent events, it will be agrecid that a timely move has been made, China cannot be expected 20 remain indefinitely a passive picture of disregarded woe. The suggestion moreover that Japan is "fighting the battle of the other Powers" requires to be firmly refuted. It has not the merit of plausibility, except_in the minds lof those who think to-day in terms of a century ago. It has dangerous boomerang-like qualities. "It has also. the practical defect of ignoring the actual effect of recent Japanese factions in Manchuria on the policy of the "open door" and on the trade interests of other countries in friendly relations with China as well as with Japan,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.