Dr, Wellington Koo: the chief Chinese' delegate, opposed this. He urged the need of speeding up the work of the Conference.
The American, French, British and [Canadian delegates also contested the desirability of a further elucidation, of the Japanese reply.
The Portuguese, Mexican, and Australian representatives then ex: pressed their support of the declara-lon. The Netherlands delegate also favoured the document, but with. Jqualifcations. whic: were purely of verbal character.
'The Portuguese delegate, in expressing, entire approbation of the declaration. described it as a very [striking document. In view of the Portuguese interests in the Far East, hho said, the declaration was entirely'
line with the polley of his govern ment.
Mr. S. M. Bruce, of Australia, defended democracy ina lengthy speech, in the course of which he praised Mr. Norman Davis, the chief American delegate—Reuter, "The reiterated claim that resort to [Japan's present action in China was made og a measure of defence, Di Koo continued, was not only a delierate distortion of the meaning of the time-honoured term, but made a mockery of universal sentiment, yustiee "and truth, Even if the nese Government believed, which the Chinese delegation emphatically denied, that Japan-fosse aggression in China had been dictated by considerations of defence, Ht could in no way justify her claim that the matter lay outside the scope of the Nine-Power Treaty.
"The full and frank communication envisaged in Article VII of the Treaty," Dr. Koo said, "is intended for just such a situation, China's Long Patience Dr, Koo emphasized that for four years the Chinese Government has patiently tried to reach a peaceful Settlement with Japan on outstanding questions, and the present conflict Was. the' result, "for every act of concession and every gesture of conciliation on the part of China has been taken by Japan of fear and has ted to m and browbeating."
Dr. Koo said that, the "perpetual ual diplomacy practised by Japan, through the Japanese Foreign Omco trid the Japanese Army, in her deal~ ings with China, had convinced China of the danger and futility of direct negotiations."
Replying to the statement that the present occurrences had their origin in conditions peculiar to the Far Esst, Dr. Koo said that the Chinese, for their part, did not see before them anything peculiar in the Far Eastern situation unless it was Japan's methods of preserving peace in Asia by the armed invasion of peaceful China.
"Language of Treaty Breaker"
Whatever the conditions were and they" were Japan's own creation they were not beyond the purview of the Treaty, but were proper sub-Ject for discussion by the interested Powers.
"The Chinese Government was con-vineed that the ce-operation of the Conference, far from exciting the public opinion of the two countries and making it more difficult to reach '2 solution, would facilitate a sottlement, and Inspire confidence in its Justice in conformity with the pring ciples of the Treaty.
Dr. Koo pointed out that the Powfers of the Conference were asked the Japanese Government to make a contribution to the stability of Eastern. Asia In conformity with the new situation. He asked, "Does it' mean that the Conference' should accept the temporary changes brought bout by force of arms to condone Japan's open violation of her treaty obligations as embodied in the Nine~ Power Treaty and the Kellogg Briand Pact?"
That was, he added, "the language of a Treaty-breaker who wished to impose upon the Conference a fait accor The issues of the present conflict were not confined to the territorial and political integrity of China. The principle of respect for treaty obliga ons in the cause of peace, in which all nations rightly felt deep concern and interest, were at stake Dr, Koo said that China only asked to be left in peace and free from external aggression to pursue her tremendous task of political and economic reconstruction. The Nine-
Door Not Yet El "Had Japan accepted," he said, am confident that we could have been most helpful to her as well as China, "We hope," he added, "that Japan may still see her way' clear to cooperate in the Conference's effort to lid a just and suitable solution by voluntary and peaceful agreement."
'M. Yvon Delbos, the French Fore eign Minister, who followed Mr, Norman Davis, rejected the idea of the employment of force in the settle= ment of the conflict, 'The Conference's' sole desire, he sized, was to help both coun= come to a friendly working arrangement. Japan's reply, "however, Taised problems which the Conference would have to examine. Anyhow, he added, no compulsory solution' could either in right or practice settle satisfactorily or on-duringly the relations of those two countries. Peace in the Far. East, fand also peace in the world, was bound up in respect for international Jaw.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.