Tokyo, Sept. 21.
'APAN today declined the invitation of the Council of the League of Nations to accept the obligations of membership in the Geneva body, under Article 17 of the Covenant, for a settlement of the Sino-Japanese dispute.
This decision was reached at this afternoon's Cabinet meeting, when Gen. Kazushige Ugaki, Foreign Minister, presented before his colleagues the draft of an answer to the League of Nations prepared by the Gaimusho.
Following approval of the Note, the Cabinet also discussed the main points of an expose of Japan's position which will be made public by the Foreign Office simultaneous with the sending of the refusal to Geneva.
Action of the Cabinet along this line was generally expected.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.