The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 1933. JAPAN’S DECISION.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 April 1933, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 1933. JAPAN’S DECISION.

Thu decision of Japan to leave the League of Nations as one that will have a very important, bearing on the happenings of that body. Japan’s decision is the outcome of the action of the Assembly in adopting the repoit of its Committee of-Nineteen relative to the Manchurian dispute. ,-Tlie recommendations in the report wore contained in three chapters. Chapter 1 cited the relevant passages in the League Covenant, the Pact of Paris, and the Nine-Power Treaty, the Briand Declaration of December 10, 1931, and ihe assembly resolution of March 11, 1932, and declared that obligations must be observed. It also cited than 10 principles in Chapter 9 of the byfcton Report, which the ‘Assembly accepted as the necessary conditions of a satisfactory" settlement. Chapter 2 recommended, the establishment of a Committee of Negotiation, which was to aim at. setting iip .ui autonomous Government in Manchuria, consistently with the sovereignty of China, the maintenance', of order, and the protection of Japanese rights and interests. Tlie first duty of. the Committee wa s to be to effect the withdrawal of Japanese, troops into the South Manchuria Railway zone. The other principles in Chapter 9 of the l.ytton Report are to take effect. Cliina and Japan were to negotiate in and through the Committee. The nations to be represented in the committer' were to be designated by the Assembly, the Untied States and the Soviet, both being, invited to jfiin. The SeeretaVy-Genwal of the League was to appoint the 'actual members within a month cf the Assembly’s decision. Whenever negotiations reached n deadlock the Committee was to refer back to the Assembly. Chapter 3 recommended all States members of the League not to do .anything- inconsistent with the foregoing recommendations or anything which might prejudice the work of. the Committee. They were also enjoined to continue not to recognise the existing regime in Manchuria. According to the Japanese Foreign Office spokesman an emphatic negative was contained in the Japanese reply to the League, which was telegraphed to Geneva. The spokesman expressed his personal opinion that the nature of the recommendations was such that-Japan’s withdrawal from the League appeared to he inevitable, though he admitted that his belief war, not 'shared by all. Japan’s renly emphasised her inability to caneel her recognition of Manchukuo, as its existence was considered the best guarantee of peace in the Far East. At the same time Japan said she would hold the League responsible for the breakdown of the efforts at conciliation. and she submitted a counterstatement. in accordance with Paragraph 5. Article 15, of the Covenant, refuting the charges against her contained in the League’s proposed recommendations-