ARMS FOR FAR EAST.

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 28 February 1933, Page 4

ARMS FOR FAR EAST.

The outbreak of war in the Far Eastlias' caused munition factories in Britain to work overtime and has been responsible for a brisk business in 'the sale of shipping and' scrap-iron to Japan —a business which has extended' even to New Zealand. At the same time there is a section of public opinion in the United Kingdom demanding an mibaago on the export of materials of war to the belligerents'. This situation has raised an immediate conflict- between idealism and’ materialistic selfintc'rest and also raises questions of international relations 1 with a faint threat to- world peace looming on the distant horizon. Under the League Covenant, members of flic League of Nations undertake, in the case of any member resorting to war in disregard of its covenants under Articles 12, 13 or 15, immediately to subject the offending member “to the severance of all trade and financial relations, the prohibition of all intercourse between persons residing in their territory and persons residing in the territory of the Covenant-breaking State, and the prevention of all financial or personal intercourse between persons residing in the territory of the Covenant-breaking Static and persons residing in the territory of any other State, whether a member of the League or not.” The power is there, but the application of these sanctions has been- rendered next to impossible by the fact that the United 1 States and Russia are outside the League. The Covenant con templates the severance of all relations with an offending .member; in the present instance, this would mean with Japan. This would leave it. open for either the United States or Russia to supply the arms needed. Any attempt to prevent either of these countries exercising its rights in this matter would conflict with the American doctrine of the freedom of the seas. It is, therefore, necessary, if there Is to lve: a complete embargo on the supply of j arms to one belligerent only, that, all j the nations of the world should join in j this embargo, and not only those which

a,re members of the League. Th-cJ League cannot act alone without in- , earring grave risks. This difficulty of discrimination against one nation might be partly overcome by an embargo on the exportation of arms to both sides. If this, however, were done, China would' be placed at a disadvantage. Japan is in a far better position to manufacture armaments thaw China is, and Japan is better equipped; such a general embargo would therefore be a distinct help to Japan. Japan states that if any attempt is made to enforce economic sanction's her navy is prepared to meet every emergency by every means at its disposal. If all the nations agreed to prevent the exportation of anus to Japan, while leaving China free to import what she wanted, Japan would doubtless regard this as a'u act of war, and the trouble would spread. Japan would claim the right to search ships for contraband, and would blockade Chinese ports —and America, as she demonstrated in the World War, would not submit to that course of action. Japan’s weakness is on tho economic side. A refusal of all loan's might make her unable to purchase munitions on a, large scale, while the granting of loans to China .might enable her to buy what armaments she wants. This might be a more feasible way of helping China and disciplining Japan than an absolute embargo on the exportation of arms and munitions.