ANXIETY IN AMERICA

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 40, 17 February 1933, Page 7

ANXIETY IN AMERICA

DELICATE. SITUATION *■

FEAR OF COMPLICATIONS

WASHINGTON, February 15. The impending break in Japanese relations with the League of Nations while increasing the reluctance of official circles to make any comment, has obviously struck a grave note. The national feeling that. tho situation is so extremely delicate that evea the most justifiable action or reaetio* hero might further seriously complicate the situation,' is clearly seen. The Foreign Belatio'ns ..Committee of the House of Bepresentatives v today refused President Hoover's request for legislation empowering the President to declare an arms embargo'to nations throughout the world . under certain circumstances, and where the chief executive had first secured the co-opera-tion of other arms-manufacturing countries. ' '" •■ " The Committee approved & resolution authorising a Presidential arms embargo only to American countries. BLUNT STATEMENT., "•. Representative Fish, who -forced taL amendment, afterwards said:— I.feel the resolution was aimed ,at Japan, and Japan would so interpret it. • "We would, if other nations agreed to it, be left 'holding the bag ,in tho event of war with Japan. We have the ships and we would have to do the lighting. Xam opposed, to all this bluff and blustering against Japan. I do not agree with something Japan has done/ but if w» started to mind our own business w* would get along better. T£e announcement made a week ago, that the combined American fleet would be kept in the Pacific until 1934, ostensibly to reduce the expenditure incurred in returning tie Atlantis division to the Atlantic, was veiy sceptically commentod upon by the Tokio Foreign Office spokesman. His remarks, cabled to the Press Of the United States, have compelled tho American public to realise the delicacy of the relations between the two countries. Keports tonight that if Japan issues an ultimatum demanding ■ the withdrawal of Chinese troops,from Jehol, the Nanking Government will 'construe* it as a declaration of war, open up an. unpleasant vista of further complications. Such hostilities, it is believed here, would increase'the danger of involving one or : more of the Western Powers. American sentiment generally approves the Lytton statement that the League needs no force for the enact* ment of its decrees concerning ChineseJapanese affairs. The hope is strong here that th» situation will be cleared up by a Japanese realisation of.the exact.nature of the. predominant part played. \>T world-sentiment.