Oct. 9.
The saner elements in the Japanese Government will, it is to be hoped, realize that the concurrence of the United States of America in the League's reading of the obligations of the Nine Power Treaty cannot bbe lightly dismissed by the argument that the rattling of sabres can drown the voice truth. Indeed President Franklin Roosevelt's speech accurately reflects. the prevalent opinion among democracies that unless a halt be called to the cumulative process of denying the efMeacy of good faith the very foundations of their security must disappear. China is entitled to congratulate herself on the vindication of her right defence against unwarrantable attack, She will be wise, however, to take careful note the implications of the proposals whereby the League, with her acquiescence and with the ce-operation of the United States of America, socks to determine the issues involved. "As a signatory of the Nine Power Treaty, Italy should realize that, byt ferring the responsibility of reviewing the Pacific problem to an extra-League tribunal, her own susceptibilities are being taken into account, Just as America, Germany and Japan, non-members of the League and signatories to the Treaty, will receive their invitation from their colleagues of the Washington Conference, so Italy, if she stands on her present objection to the League's authority, may be brought within the orbit of the projected new conference without prejudice to her position, Frankly, much diplomatic spade-work will be necessary establish these preliminaries to the corporate discussion of Far Eastern affairs, but it will be earnestly hoped that solicittide for the world's urgent need of peace will prevail over national particularism, No country, however passionately convinced of its own grievances can afford at this critical juncture to be responsible for barring the way to inter national appeasement.
China has thus been assured of the moral support of an important section of opinion in her present resistance to aggression, She, no Jess than Japan, should, however, observe that the tribunal to which recourse is now proposed will have authority to survey the whole situation in the Far East and consequently to weigh up all factors which have contributed to the crisis now involving herself and Japan in a disastrous conflict. The decision which has been taken docs not mply commitment of any other nation to
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.