Washington, Jan. 17.
A survey of the preliminary reac-bon to the Tokyo Imperia! Conference in official Washington circles, indicated to-day that the United States will abstain from invoking the Neutrality Aet for the Orient despite the break in relations between Japan and China, which admittedly. brought hostilities close to an actual state of war.
Officials withheld specie com= ment as they studied all available reports, but they intimated that no decision could "be expected for several days.
The final decision rests alone with President Roosevelt, who is aw" thorized by Congress to, invoke the neutrality provisions if and when he finds that a state of war exists.
Diplomatic observers were confident that Mr. Roosevelt would avoid invocation of the act as long as it is compatible with domestic Policies, because he and other Officials feel that its enforcement would be a serious diplomatic handicap' to the United States.
A high authority indicated to the United Press that the Administration had avoided invocation thus far in order to maintain the strongest Possible influence in the Orient and to support treaty rights and policies.
As enforcement of neutrality at this moment presumably would be regarded by other i cularly by Japan, as at Partial withdrawal of the"
States from the Oriental situation, officials are most reluctant tv apply it.
This is particularly ime because in addition to embarrassing diplomatic action, either alone or m common with Great Britain, to mee specific situations arising from the hostilities, it would to some extent tie the Administration's hands in pursuing purely American policies as applied to the Orient.
Mr. Roosevelt to date has stood firmly opposed to invoking the act despite demands of peace organizations and of a minority in Congress.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.