Nov. 21.
What with the statement made by Mr. Yoshizawa at Paris, and the vehement questionnaire of Dr. Alfred Sze the. League of Nations seems to be between cross-fires, and is in a situation from which, as was pointed out by the "North China Daily News" yesterday, it will require no little dexterity to extricate itself with any degree of credit, Indeed, this session at Paris "has presented a sorry spectacle. From the very first it was apparent that China and" Japan were further apart at the resumption' of the discussions than they were when an adjournment was taken at Geneva, Militarily, Japan had strengthened her position in Manchuria, which she rounded off three days after the reassembly of the Council and that very reinforeement of the Japanese position tended to exacerbate the feelings of the Chinese, who saw the initial advantage gained at Geneva decreasing under more effective handling of the Japanese case by Mr, Yoshizawa, and the tightening of the already firm hold which Japan had obtained on the Norrth Eastern Provinces, The original mis-was that of the Couns cil's. They attempted to consider China's appeal Article XI of the Pact on its merits alone, and sought to restore the status quo ante. September 18 on the basis of the piecemeal case then presented. Contributory to that error was the early failure of the Japanese present the whole of their use, which they subsequently indicated centred not around the single incident upon which the appeal was based but around a series of disputes some of which are almost. hoary with age. Following the resumption of the session in Paris the Council of the League in a series of private discussions—a method which apparently had the support of but a few of the delegates, the others being desirous of greater publicity—or rather while they were in progress, Japan's mili tary commanders' in Manchuria seem to have embarked: on a course of action which: would eventually have nullified whatever decision the Council arrived at. That actually is the position now before the private discussions of the Council have reached any definite conclusion, and it does not now matter what the Council decides on as between China and Japan, the latter having made it: perfectly: clear that she intends to impose
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.