Sept Mr. Alfred Sze and Mr. Yoshizawa have earned the gratitude of their respective countries for the dignity and restraint with which they have eloquently and ably argued their gases before the Council of the League, The proceedings at Geneva on Monday should restore much confidence in the League. They show that the initial success gained by the League in inducing Japan to recognise the importance of restricting the operations in Manchuria has been followed up, after certain hesitations, by a' patient examination of the whole position in the light of the considered views of the two delegates. The attack on Dr. C. T. Wang has evoked an expression of sympathy from the Council of the League and, pecially from the Japanese mh jer who! sentiments accord closely withthe very warra and graceful message despatched peaterday by, cee Gheenies from Shanghai to-Nanking. The critics of the Chinese Government would do well to note that their vehement demands for action beyond the geope "of the discussions at Geneva appear very foolish beside the more substantial "and practical efforta made by Mr, Sze to secure a peaceful settlement consistent with his country's dignity. Mr. Sze has, apparently, arrived at a formula which Lord Cecil hi endorsed with approval. He h intimated the readiness of his Government to enter into direct negotiation with the Japanese, while seeking the good offices of the League for beneficent v ance in the background, That is a clear gain for China, Tokyo may be expected to accept this modification of the original plan which, at the time it was pi pounded, the Chinese Government could not favour, While it would be premature to suggest that the difficulty is end, it can be reasonably red that the League has usefully come to the assistance of its two members. The Chinese Government, in spite of the youthful but totally misguided Pressure of students' and other fireeaters, have preserved their attitude of calmness. They therein recognise the advantage of tackling this dispute in the manner best calculated move it from the abnormal plane to which it ill-considered Japanese troop: Although, natu: lly, the Government at Tokyo cannot go so far traversing the decisions of their subordinates, it may be suspected that they will be relieved if the affair can be reduced to more manageable proportions. The telegrams from Manchuria, in the last few da have shown how difficult, it to., prevent unhappy incidents when once there has been creat-a position, in which the military have the upper hand. If the situation were definitely that of a state of war, this would be inevitable and, indeed, could hardly arouse adverse comment. When, however, it is perfectly plain that no state of war, in the accepted sense of the term, could really arise, the necessity for asserting tight control over pressing. unreliable rumours, but among them it is not possible to place the unpleasant report—duly a thenticated—of the firing on a passenger train by a Japanese aeroplane.
The sooner the process of direct negotiation is put in train the better. There is no need, Just now, to weigh up the grievances of either side. The chief consideration for both countries is the speedy restoration of those relations which are alone appropriate for neighbours dependent as each of them is on the other's goodwill. The spirit in which Mr. Sze and Mr. Yoshizawa have fought out their differences at Geneva is 30 wholly admirable that it should be captured by the Governments whom they respectively represent, for communication to those who will be charged with the task of unravelling the tangle at Mukden. Although the manner of the League's handling of the case has, in the event, removed the anxieties of those who were fearful for its existence, there is still ground for' the belief that the machinery at! Geneva is in need of overhauling. It would be advantageous if some effort could be made to establish principles which would obviate the uncertainty apparent in the conduct of the discussions from the start, On this point a correspondent has_some_pertinent observations in_a letter published elsewhere. The League cannot afford to ignore the dangers of indecision; on another occasion they may not be 80 skilfully averted,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.