Nanking, Feb, 25, The Foreign Office this morning but harmonious steps taken for the purpose of aligning the conscience and public opinion of the world in favour of a system of onierly. development by the law of nations, including the settlement of all con: troversies by methods of justice and peace instead of by arbitrary force. The programme for the protection of China from outside aggression is fan essential part of riy such development, The signatories and adherents of the Nine-Power Treaty vightly felt that the orderly and peaceful development of the four hundred million of people inhabiting China was necessary to the peaceful welfare of the entire world, and that no programme for the welfare] of the world as n whole could afford to neglect the welfare and protection of China, 'The recent events which have taken place in China, especially the hostilities which having been begun, in Manchuria have latterly been extended to Shanghai, far' from indicating "the advisability of any modification of the treaties we have been discussing, have tended to bring home the vital importance of the faithful observance of the covenants therein to all of the nations interested inthe Far East. It is not necessary in that connection to inquire into the causes of the con-Lroversy or attempt to appossion the lame between the two natiom® which, are unhappily involved. For regard-Tess of cause or responsibility it clear beyond peradventure, that a situation has developed which cannot lurider any circumstances. be recon-ceiled with the obligations of the. covenants of these two treaties, and that if the treaties had been faith fully observed such a situation could not have arisen, The signatories of the Nine-Power Treaty and of the Kellogg-Briand Pact, who are. not parties to that conflict, are not likely to see any reason for modifying. the terms of those treaties. To them the real value, of the faithful performance of the treaties has been! brought sharply home by the, peril and losses. to which their nationals! have been subjected in Shanghai.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.