Dec. 7 mid-September it was re-Ported that Mr. Quo Tai-chi, the Chinese Minister to the Coust of to that end. He was, ike many others in Europe, inclined to endow the League with some undefined ower of enforcing its decisions jand, therefore, to overlook its fundamental purpose of providing the means of international consultation. For this reason it seems that firmness in scrutinizing Maning sarcasm and invective has dangerous possibilities. Tt is late in the day to ponder over Mr. Churchill's inconsistency. Will the empty flattery of applause which greeted tis characteristic bombast at Queen's Hall content him? Will he rather be spurred to persevere in Parliamentary opposition to the the present Administration con= tinue without a éefined policy and to more the claims of this" Im-
Portint section of opinion, then. the lesson of the municipal clections will be repeated, and the Conservative Party, asthe largest partoer to the existing compromise, will inevitably bear the brunt of the blow. lament to. collaborate with us. in the task of national recovery, That task was begun under the premiership of M, Doumergue to whom we express our sincerest thanks and the grateful homage of the nation."
In other word the French legis~ ature has been put upon its best behaviour by the new Prime St. James, had startled Geneva with his formal report on. the world-situation in, especial regard to the Far East. The full text of that address, made to the fifteenth Assembly of the League of Nations, is published elsewhere _today.' It shows chat, whether Mr. Quo Tai-chi startled or did not! startle anyone, the interpretations laced upon his words by the echoing cables were manifestly astray, His remarks were taken here to. suggest that China was. encouraging the lawlessness _pre~. vailing in Manchuria and to convey a threat that unrest would be; deliberately fostered in order to' embarrass the Japanese authorities. This journal noted, at the time, that such an attitude was inimical to China's interests in view of the; reprisals which it was liable to provoke. Mr. Quo Tai-chi was badly scoved by the telegraphic distortions of his words, He clear-
Jy took no such line as that wrongly attributed to him and it is most satisfactory to be able to give the full version of his speech in order that justice may be done both to him and to the Government which he is so ably representing. The difficulties of a diplomatic representative far removed from his homeland are normally considerable. He should bbe able consistently to rely on the sympathetic understanding of those whom he endeavours to represent, Mr, Quo Tai-chi has fortunately been able to count on steady support from Nanking. It is all the choukuo's claims to recognition is Rot inconsistent with avoidance of epithets which perpetuate the sense of irritation without leading {to practical conclusions. The Assembly's attitude toward Manchoukuo is clearly defined. China is associated therewith. The bar sinister may surely be taken for Jgvanted, not continually obtruded polite conversation. That is a /minor point of criticism, but it has fa distinct bearing on Mr. Quo Tai jchi's general thesis of ce-operation. When the situation in Europe is compared with that of the Far East there is every reason for snore confidence here than the general trend of his speech seemed to warrant, What are the facts? Sino-Japanese relations have greatly improved. The present Chinese Government, without yielding on essential principles, has addressed {self to the realities of the position by cultivating effective concord with Japan. Japan herself has no reason to harp on her own. isola~ tion. except in so far as that state the outcome of her deliberate choice, for from no single nation with interests in the Far East has she any enmity to fear. She has everything to lose by countenaneing aggravation of anxiety. Stability, to use her representatives' own words is her aim. In peace fully pursuing it she can count on the whole-hearted support of her follow-Powers and, as Mr. Quo Tal-chi's speech showed, of China to boot, more regrettable that he should, have been exposed to this, no doubt unwitting, misinterpretation of his speech. "In addressing the Assembly he was endeavouring ess to make a startling impression than te present a picture of the Far Eastern situation as seen by, his Government. It was natural that he should be inclined to be more apprehensive than observers further from the scene. It was equally natural that, impressed by Europe's preoccupation in her own crisis, he should endeavour to break down any possible indifterence to crises further afield. Hence his underlining of certain ten-derides here may have been more vigorous than even commentators fon the spot would endorse.
Nor should it be forgotten that Mr. Quo Tai-chi in setting forth a point of view on the course of events in Manchuria, did not mainly rely on the information provided by his secretariat at Nan= king, He based his recital of the unrest and disorder on despatches from the Mukden correspondent of "The Times." The Assembly was asked to deduce therefrom the opinion that the continuance of Manchoukuo was incompatible with the maintenance of peace in the Far East. That view could bear several interpretations. Tt should not be taken literal conflicting with the Lytton view that the status quo in Manchuria could not be restored. Perhaps it was a designedly emphatic statement to reinforce the plea
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.