The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun. THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 1933. A TEST FOR THE LEAGUE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 15, 19 January 1933, Page 6

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 1933. A TEST FOR THE LEAGUE.

For the cause that lack* assistance, For the icrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

By carrying fighting' into the Jchol region Japan has placed herself in a favourable strategic position for the invasion of China proper, and the League has issued what is practically an ultimatum to both China and Japan to accept the conciliation resolutions or abide by the consequences. Definite action is foreshadowed, and it is significant that Sir John Simon, representing Britain, should have taken the lead in suggesting that further steps should be taken if Japan's reply was unsatisfactory. Hitherto Sir John Simon has adopted a policy of waiting on events in the hope that the combatants would find some means of settling the matter between them, but Japan's ignoring of the League, and her evident desire to gain control over China, have made it clear that a peaceful solution on the lines of the Lytton Report is outside Japanese policy, and that- strong steps must be taken to check Japan's military advance towards the Great Wall.

When the Manchurian dispute first broke out, the Council of the League was handicapped in taking definite action under the Covenant by doubt as to the actual facts that led up to the conflict, by the peculiar treaty rights enjoyed by Japan in Manchuria, and by uncertainty regarding any action that might be taken by the United States. There was probably no instance in the rest of the world of a country enjoying in the territory of a neighbouring State such extensive economic and administrative privileges as Japan enjoyed in Manchuria. Japan had saved Manchuria from the Russian invader, and possessed the right to maintain troops in the country. The military movement, therefore, which began the present conflict- entailed no crossing of a frontier, and there did not seem to be any clear-cut infraction of a treaty. It also was not known how far America might resent any League action in a region where she had interests under the Nine Power Treaty. The League, therefore, decided to appoint- a Commission to report on the whole situation. Unfortunately, there was considerable delay before the Commission reached the scene of action, and more delay before its report was issued. This gave Japan the opportunity to establish the State of Manchukuo in what had formerly been Manchuria, and thus obtain virtual control of the territory. The danger of the situation has now been brought clearly before both the League and the United States. Japan must be called upon to give a definite statement as to what is her real aim in the Pacific, and the League and the United States are at one in their determination to uphold the sanctity of international treaties and to recognise no territorial gains in violation of treaty agreements.