And, it may be meekly observed by lay opinion, Sir John may find it difficult to define his "new, independent and civilized State" in terms to make his dictum relevant to the State of Manchoukuo, The resolution of February 24, 1933, appointed an Advisory Committee to assist the Assembly in following developments in Manchuria jand it bound Members of the League to abstain from taking iso-1 lated action in regard to that situation and to continue in con-carted action "among themselves as well as with interested States non-'Members of the League". The United States of America subsequently expressed its general ae: cord with the Assembly's conclusions and added:
I their affirmations, respectively, of the principle of non-recog= nition and their attitude in regard thereto, the League and the United States are on common ground"
It is absurd to pretend that the League and the United States have placed themselves in a position demanding face-saving.
The whole {situation has been recognized to depend in the main on Sino-Jap-nese relationships, Careful em-Fhasis was laid on the need for the rapprochement of China and Japan. Thereby it was plainly contemplated that eventually the way might be made clear for an application of the basic principles fof the League's findings to an agreement accepted by the two principals, It is difficult to believe that neither Great Britain nor France as important Members of the League nor the United States, an associate party to the decision, would be able to move in bringing the League into line with actualities if they felt that Japan and China had reached a point where such motion would be effective. Unless solemn agreements to fact in concert are to be treated as negligible, Lord Newton's apprehension lest Great Britain should be forestalled by some independent recognition of Manchoukuo seems to be unfounded. The other day the Italian Government raised its representation in China to a Legation. Tt was at once revealed that Rome had all along reserved the right to act independently, Action by other Powers in the same direction is, on the other hand, governed by an understanding act together.
Japan herself has been bound by it understanding, Recognition of Manchoukuo in the sense that it is understood at the moment, may not be the eventual solution' of the present unsatistactory position, Already certain agreements have been reach ed between China and Japan to facilitate arrangements which the anomalous position of Manchoukuo seemed to bar. ference to the now abandoned non-recognition of the Soviet Government is not altogether germane to the issue. treatment of the Manchurian Problem has complicated matters, Phrasing it gently, the claim that Manchoukuo is an independent state is painfully thin. Premature Tecognition, regardless of the facts, would put a premium on audacious camouflage. This journal has along held that, putting aside the churian problem was final and wisdom or otherwise of. the complete. Indeed, if reference be League's policy, Japan blundered made to the Assembly's accepted badly in trying to evade the con the whole, justified the subsidies pald by the Government at Nanking. At the best, however, they have merely. given the retreating Red Forces from South Kiangsi a passee into Szechuan by way of Hunan. The development of the Communist enclave in Seechian— fon which yesterday's vivid account! of the experiences of two ladies recently returned from that prov= Ince threw a sinister light—may, weaknesses. This further implies abandonment of particularist politics in favour of a broad concern for the public good. The "New Life" movement, in fact, must be communicated to the people by the sheer force of example from above. If well-disciplined forces can be evolved by the Generalissimo's labours, the corollary must be found in the disciplining of the administration. There lies the preserving a non-aggressive policy in China has plainly been affected by events during the last three years. Yet the Foreign Office Tokyo would be the first to recognize that the initiation of the change, emanated from Japanese faction in Manchuria—action which it justifes and expounds—but that Great Britain could not be reproached for failing to follow suit. Indeed British obligations lay. in perseverance recommendations on the Lytton Report, it will be seen that the League's definition of the ultimate settlement in Manchuria accords with more than one aspect of the situation as developed since the Tesolution of February 24, 1983 was adopted. Legal experts are trying to make the British public's Cosh jereep in picturing that resolution—to which Sir John Simon lately confirmed Great Britain's adhere in the near future, call for the only possible way of finally exer-lansing from with the policy jence—as an iron fetter cramping the Washington the style even of the King's Pre-closest personal attention of the, cising the Red Menace.
It steals Treaty and membership of the rogative, so long as any single Generalissimo. It is known that such of the Communist thunder as League. Nor would the Foreign his anxiety in that regard has is good; and by its use shatters the Office at. Tokyo argue that friend-party to it is adamant in ing rescission or amendment. These sequences of her militarists' action in September, 1931, by creating the fiction of Manchoukuo's independence. She would have done far better to have affirmed her virtual annexation of the new territory. It would have been a straightforward situation with which probably the League and the Powers outside the League could have more readily dealt in cluse accord with Japanese and Chinese opinion. Whether Japan's hegemony in Manchuria were placed on the is of a Protectorate, a Mandate er a colonial dependency, seems to been communicated to the provinclal.authorities, the chief of whom has lately had conference with him, evil remnant which at Present so ship with Japan impels the neces- technicalities are not banefully oppresses the lives of sity for Great Britain to view for the simple reason China through Japanese eyes. That vade the main issue. be of small importance. ' The impressive League and its associate ate con= that they fronted by a position in which When, for they are asked to accept as
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.