July 24.
If, as Nanking maintains, there has been no change of policy, there has certainly been a change of tone. On which indeed the National Government is to be congratulated. When Russia broke off all relationships with China, we said that "no Government need fear loss of face by holding back from hostilities; rather will it gain honour and renown for reasonableness and humanity." Until last Sunday night both China and Russia were in that distinetly dangerous frame of mind in which each disputant loudly asserts that it will not fight unless attacked, while troops gather along the frontier and one accidental shot may fire the whole train, Now the Chinese Government seems to have gone even further than a purely defensive position, saying that "should the Moscow Government deliberately violate the Kellogg Pact" it will place the matter in the hands of the League of Nations "for investigation and settlement." And Chinese Ministers abroad are being instructed to inform the Powers of China's readiness to submit the matter to the League and to the signatories of the Kellogg Pact.
It is probable that Nanking has been disagreeably impressed by the adverse criticism which her seizure of the Chinese Eastern Railway has excited, Her best friends have not been able to pass that over. We have always emphasized that she had a strong case against Russia, The terms of the 1924 agreement. have been almost openly flouted by the Russian railway management; Outer Mongolia has virtually been torn from China by Bolshevik infiltration; and although people are inclined to bea little sceptical of the value of photographs of secret documents, there is certainly no un-Likelihood in the charge of Communist propaganda in China set on by Moscow. In 1926 Russia thought that she had China in the hollow of her hand; in 1927 he Jost it; and we may be sure she will spare no effort to regain her grip. But to seize the railway was a serious blunder. It aroused apprehensions all over the world on a vital point of principle, namely, the sanctity of international agreements, these feelings being naturally deepened by the ill-advised declarations attributed to some of China's Jeaders that they would abolish extraterritoriality next year whether the Powers agreed or not, In a word, having had an excellent ease, China went far to put herself in the wrong. The important point to-day is that she has recognized—this fact. This is a new thing in Chinese diplomacy, which is a welcome augury for the future.
But there remains the awkward fact that the railway is still in Chinese hands, and this, it seems clear, Russia is not prepared to overlook, The Tass Agency message to-day saying that the Soviet has rejected the French offer of mediation on the ground of China's not having restored the railway, is undoubtedly official, The Soviet's ultimatum of July 18 stipulated that the arrested Russians must be released and the railway given back before she would enter into any negotiations. 'To this there has been no answer, unless one is given in the second note which Nanking is understood to be preparing. Russia's unspoken reply to offers of mediation by the Powers is possibly something to this effect: "You have always shown' exeeptional favour towards China, white practically all of you continue to treat mie as a pariah. Now she has committed an undoubtedly illegal act, which really disturbs you very much when you think of its possible reactions on your own affairs. However, you don't relish the prospect of giving me any encouragement and as you can't see where. this business is likely' to end, you propose mediation, with, as I see it, all the scales. weighted in China's favour." I don't propose to help you to get her out of a mess at my "ex: pense." This, of course, is pure speculation, "The ominous fact: is Russia's silence, where ey body else has something to The only apparent solution is that the Chinese Eastern Railway should temporarily be handed over to the control of an' international commission, THat, we may be fairly sure, is the first step which any group of Powers would require, on sériously undertaking the task of mediation. This enterprise much complicated by the fact that the League of Ni ruled out, through Rui being member; while the United States, which appears anxious to act as peacemaker, decidedly persona non grata with Russia whom she has never recognized. But the Kellogg Pact could be invoked and it should not be impossible to appoint under it a board of arbitrators acceptable to both sides. Only. the railway would first have to be placed in neutral hands; and since China has gone so far: in declaring her readiness to submit to arbitration, she has everything to gain by taking the further step of surrendering the CER, to neutral charge, pen: ing the final decision. She would incalculably strengthen her position in the eyes of the world by so doing.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.