Nov. 7.
The attitude of Japanese opinion towards the "suggested reconvoeation of the nine Power Conference concerning the Sino-Japanese conflict is consistent with the action Jot the Japanese Government in refusing to {join the conference which was held approximately twelve months ago, while the. various official pronouncements which have! recently been made suggest that Japan is preparing to denounce the Pact in view of the change in circumstances which has been brought about by her invasion of China. The Nine-Power Pact was concluded as long ago as February 6, 1922, at Washington, and at] {the risk of boring those who are familiar with its principal terms, they are reproduced for! the advantage of those who are not. Article states The Constracting Powers other than China agree ence, and. the territorial and "administecive To respect the sovereignty, the independ-
Integrity of Enna, embarrassed opportunity 10° Ching. to develop Shd~ maintain for herself an eestve stable Government; ere of eflecuolly establishing and taintalding the (Gy To tee thei Induence for the pur entirety, would undoubtedly mean the complete elimination of the interests of Third Party Powers in China. They may be accepted for the time being as ballans d'essai for the purpose of endeavouring to ascertain possible reaction abroad in the event of such threats being transformed into deeds, but must be apparent to all observers that the Japanese intention, no matter how definitely it has, or has not been enunciated in official terms, covers the establishment of an. economic, political and possibly eventually military bloc' of this portion of the Far East, with Japan in the dominant position, It must be a matter of speculation for some time to come as to what will be the reaction of those Powers signatory to the Pact whose] interests are most nearly threatened by any such action. They are Great Britain, France, Holland and the United States. The express sion of a wish, no matter how earnest it may bbe, is no promise of its ultimate fulfilment, and the Powers whose interests would be most severely threatened by any such development are by no means powerless to! meet it. Much must naturally depend upon the degree of unanimity which may be arrived at between them, for it is clear that if they were all resolutely combined to resist any such development Japan is not strong enough to effect it. 'The American Note of October' 6, was admirable in its tone, indicating a strength which has not yet been duplicated by other nations involved in similar matters '38 those which the communication covered. It gives those others a very clear lead, which if they do not follow may bring about just such another débicle as did the failure to follow the American lead over the Manchurian Incident. Whether the nations concerned determine upon ce-operative or parallel action does not really matter, so long as what they all do is properly timed and jemphatieally backed. The grave threat which is being offered to their interests in China verges upon those limits of patience, trespass beyond which not even the most forbearing nations can afford to countenance, 'The swinging of the focus of international irritaon between Eorepe and Asia must event ally be stopped, and if Japan does proceed to" the lengths which rumour, and' the! eductions to be made from recent pro-Rouncergents would appear to indicate, then ie sooner a stop is, put to it the beter would justify' the action Japan is reported 2 at_cireumstances ina.
to contemplate is worthless. Those cireum-[stances if they exist anywhere except in the facile brains of the Tokyo Government have been brought about by the wrongful action Japan taken in complete breach of solemn. treaty obligation, and of those fine ideals of justice which Japan is now so so strangely invoking.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.