ACTION BY U.S.A.

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 257, 28 July 1939, Page 9

ACTION BY U.S.A.

Abrogation Of Trade Treaty With Japan

ARMS EMBARGO NEXT?

Move Said To Be Hastened By British “Retreat”

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Received July 27,9.30 p.m.)

NEW YORK, July 26. The Washington correspondent of the “New York Times” states that the United States Government tonight renounced the 1911 commercial treaty with Japan. The correspondent says; “While six months must elapse before the abrogation under the terms, of the treaty, it paves the way for action on Senator Pittman s resolution of July 17 for application of an embargo against Japan on arms, munitions and essential war materials such as iron and steel.

“When the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today decided to postpone action on a resolution by Senator Vandenberg to abrogate the treaty, President Roosevelt and the Secretary' of State, Senator Cordell Hull, decided to act forthwith. They appeared to think that further delay might be taken by Japan as evidence of timidity or divided counsels between the executive and legislative branches of the Government.

“The implications of Mr. Roosevelt’s action are that the executive is behind the Pittman embargo resolution.

“It signifies that the United States is prepared to follow the infringement by Japan of her rights in the Far East with retaliatory action. It declares to Japan and the world that whereas Britain, by the recent agreement over the issues in Tientsin, may lyave receded, such is not the course of the United States. “It means that if Japan, by the present. campaign of faceslapping of Americans by her soldiers in China, is deliberately seeking to make the United States lose face in the Far East the entire Orient might as well know that the United States intends to assert its prestige vigorously and meet Japan with the onlylanguage its military-dominated Government understands.”

A Note has been handed simultaneously to the Japanese Ambassador in Washington and the Foreign Office in Tokio.

ft is only 250 words long and makes no mention of the situation in, China, but stresses that the United States in recent years has been examining the treaties of commerce and navigtation between the United States and foreign countries “with a view to determining what changes may need to be made toward better serving the purpose for which such treaties are concluded.”

The Note, however, significantly adds that the abrogation is aimed toward preparing the way for new consideration of the treaty with a view to the better, safeguarding and promoting of American interests as new developments may require.” The 1911 treaty contains the usual clauses concerning the rights of residence and legal protection for nationals and rights of consuls and shipping, together with the most-favoured nation clauses. Perhaps the most important of these is a clause which not only gives both countries tariff protection but also provides against special import or export embargoes against one or other of the two countries. Great Suddenness. The abrogation of the treaty came with great suddenness and was apparently unknown till the last minute to all but a few of the most important figures in the Government. While Mr. Cordell Hull had consulted with President Roosevelt at White House during the day, Mr. Hull would only say that they' ‘‘had discussed a variety of matters.” The Senate Foreign Relations Committee had spent the day discussing the resolution by Senator Vandenberg and came to no conclusion on whether to out-vote it, but decided to discuss the matter further during the week. The Anglo-.Tapanese agreement, however, appeared to have given the whole matter new urgency, though some of the senators, notably Senator Borah, advised that it should be more carefully studied because of the Anglo-Jap-anese agreement. ‘‘The Times” correspondent telegraphs that it had been an expectation among the Administration officials that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee would act on the Vandenberg proposal today. “The officials-would have been receptive to an expression of opinion in view of the diplomatic retreat by Britain before Japan and the latest incidents of Japanese soldiers slapping the faces of Americans in China, presumably in a calculated effort ordered from above to bring America into disrepute in the Far East,” the correspondent stated. Hoped To He Secret. Later, when it became known that the Government had abrogated lhe treaty, there appeared to be considerable confusion in the State Department, which apparently wished the fact to he kept a secret till all details of the publication could be decided with Tokio. Senator Pittman, who is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, last night had pledged his support for the resolution. Tt was believed that Senate, by adopting the resolution, would clarify the legal obstacles to his own move for an arms embargo. Senator Pepper said that the manhandling of Americans in China and the other incidents were causing a steadily rising tide of resentment. Over 75 per Cent, of the people wore in favour of the immediate embargo legislation against Japan.