STRIFE CONTINUES

Hokitika Guardian, 17 February 1932, Page 5

STRIFE CONTINUES

WAR IN THE EAST IS SHANGHAI IN DANGER? AUSTRALIA AND PACIFIC. (United Press .Association—Bv JDectric Telegraph.—Copyright.) ) LONDON, February IC,. J- The “Daily Herald’s” political correspondent refers to “Japanese talk about a lightning attack on Singapore, and says: “Australia, opinion is becoming alarmed, at the pretensions of < Japan, and at the danger of an attack on Australia by the Japanese Navy in the event of a Far Eastern conflagration.” CRITICISM OF LEAGUE. GIVEN A “SPINELESS DISPLAY.” LONDON, February 16. “If the League of Nations' Council presists in merely sticking fig leaves over the nakedness of Japan’s : agression in China, it is certain that I the Disarmament Conference will he a , fiasco! What nation will disarm while the League’s helplessness to assure r . security is so convincingly displayed? Indeed, the League itself can sc'n fee I y survive such a spineless display.” J TllUs spoke Mr fleilry Wicithaiii Steed j (Proprietor and Editor of tile “Review j of Reviews”) who is a leading author- i ity on the League’s work, in the course I of au interview. He continued: “Britain and her Dominions should, immediately, inform the League Council that Japan, by her repeated violation of her pledges, has placed herself outside the pale of the international community of nations.” Mr Wickham Steed added: “If Australia, Canada and New Zealand thought that their interests would be best served by a policy of “Laissez ' Faire,” because, momentarily, it might appear to be in their interests to let Japan get a strangle-hold on China’s ■ vast resources, or because some commercial loss might have to be faced bv stern action now, then in so thinking they were mistaken. A postponement now meant that the' problem would again arise in a decade without united action on the Anglo-Saxon front.”

He declared: “Tilings will drift till there is the danger of an AinericaJapan clash, which no part of the Empire could regard with impunity.” Mr Wickham Steed recalled that Canada’s action, one decade ago, was the determining factor in ending the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. The threat of trouble in Canada and in Australia, he said, was certainly not less now. BRITISH DIPLOMATIC ACTION. DISCUSSIONS jN COMMONS. HtJGBIf, February W. SmTrtil questions relating to I he Far .Fa idem situation were "answered by hill 1 J, Simon, in the House of Com, juons, , l He said that there had been little change in the situation at Shanghai the last few days, except for the of Japanese reinforcements. Hie British Minister in China reach-1 ed Shanghai last week, and in accord- ’ ance with instructions, had been exerting himself in every possible way both by using his good offices with the Chinese and Japanese authorities, anj by consultation with representatives of other Powers, including the United States, with a view to securing an agreement for a cessation of the fight-1 ing. Sir J. Simon said that lie deeply regretted these efforts had not yet borne fruit, but they were being continued. CHINA'S APPEAL TO LEAGUE RUGBY, Feb. 15. •Sir John 'Simon, Foreign Secretary, in the Souse of Commons, referred to the Chinese appeal to the League of Na- j' f : or,G’ iWfciole IFift-oen. He '.said the Covenant provided that any dispute submitted to the Council should be referred to the Assembly at the request of ’either party to the dispute, provided the request was made within fourteen days after the submission of the dispute to the Council. The Chinese representative had made I the request before fourteen days expired, and consequently, if he so desired, the dispute was automatically referred to ’the Assembly. The report to the Council, by the officers appointed to investigate the- causes and continuance of the dis- , pute, together with the subsequent report which had now readied Geneva, formed part of the material collected for the consideration of the Council. Another portion of the material would be statements by the parties to the dispute, and the Article provided that the Council may direct their publication. He would urge that the documents be made publicly available at the earliest : moment. The gravity and urgency of the matter were in the minds of all mem- ' hers of »the Council, and he trusted there * •would be better news without much longer delay. How soon the Assembly could meet and what it could do when it met were questions demanding careful consideration. The Council uas still sitting ait Geneva, snj.he hoped to return there as soon as possible. CA NTO X. KS K A SSI ST AX< ’E. HONG KONG, Feb. 15. Canton citizens, tired with enthusiasm by t! ? magniiiePnt resistance offered thy the, Cantonese Nineteenth Army ait Sh i.nghai are arranging for practical aid in numerous forms. A scheme is ni-o-l to raise a quarter of a millions dollars for the purchase of aeroplanes. The students of the Sun Yet Sen, University, C. 111-1011, besides leni.t Img a large Slim of money, have forwarded supplies of gas masks to Shanghai.