TROOPS WITHDRAWING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20987, 25 September 1931, Page 9

TROOPS WITHDRAWING.

TENSION RELAXED. JAPAN AND MANCHURIA. CONCILIATORY ACTION. MAINTENANCE OF PEACE t CO-OPERATION PROMISEDj By 'lVleßraph—Press Association— Copyright. (Received Scpl ember 24. 10.5 p.m.) SHANGHAI. Sept. 04. j Despatches from Manchuria, confirmed bv Tokio, report tho commencement of tlie withdrawal of Japanese troops from their original positions. This has relaxed the tension in South Manchuria for the first time since Friday. Marshal Chang Hsueh-liang, Manchurian war-lord, is being urged by the Japanese field commander to return to Mukden from Peking, where he is recuperating from an illness. The Japanese promise to co-operate with him for the maintenance of peace and order. The decision of Japan is believed to have been prompted by a desire to avoid interference by tho League of Nations and so to localise the incident. OPERATIONS ENDED. TOKIO MILITARY COUNCIL. AWAITING NEGOTIATIONS. (Received September 25, 1.15 a.m.) TOKIO, Sept. 21. The Japanese Military Council states that it has completed operations in Manchuria, and will maintain the status quo until the questions outstanding with China are settled. It will leave the negotiations to tho Foreign Office. POSITION OF CHINESE. " NOT THE AGGRESSORS." CONSUL-GENERAL'S DEFENCE. SYDNEY. Sept. 24. The Consul-General for China in Australia, Mr. W. T. Chen, denies that the Chinese have been tho aggressors in the clash with tho Japanese in Manchuria. Indeed, ho says, tho Chinese were totally unprepared for tho onslaught. The Japanese Government had sent troops who bombarded and occupied Mukden and other cities without a formal declaration of war, said Mr. Chen. T hey had used the alleged pretence that Chinese soldiers had torn up a section of the South Manchurian railway. "I maintain that the story of the attack was engineered for foreign consumption," says Mr. Chen. PLEA FROM AMERICA. CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES. MR. STIMSON TAKES ACTION. "WASHINGTON, Sept. 23. The United States Secretary of State, Mr. H. L. Stimson, after an all-day conference with his advisers and interviews with the Japanese Ambassador and the Chinese Charge, d'affaires, sent an appeal to Japan and China to stop hostilities in Manchuria. Also Mr. Stimson sent a Nole to the League of Nations informing it of his action. GRAVITY OF DISPUTE. THREE POWERS INTERESTED. PROBLEM FOR THE LEAGUE. The most serious problem confronting the League of Nations to-day, the crisis in the Far East, was the subject of an address given by the Rev. \V. G. Monckton at a meeting of the Auckland branch of tho League of Nations Union yesterday. The recent history and development of Manchuria and the reasons for the present grave situation which has developed hetwoen China and Japan were reviewed by Mr. Monckton. Till the end of last century, lie said, Manchuria, hardly counted iri the affairs of the world. Her importance was not fully realised until Russia sought fo shorten the trans Siberian railway to Vladivostok by constructing a line through Manchuria. Russia invested about .1100.000.000 in that railway, the building of which was begun in 1897. The lino was placed under the joint control of Russia and ( hina, other Powers being excluded from administrative authority. SincJ the advent of the railway tho population of Manchuria had increased from less than 5,000.000 to 26,000.000, practically all the inhabitants being Chinese. Only 33 per cent., of the country was cultivated at present, said Mr. Monckton, but the land was very fertilo and 62.000,000 tons of agricultural produce were obtained each year. Manchuria was regarded by China as an outlet lor her surplus population, as there were only 157 people to the square milo there, compared with 575 in some parts of China proper. Russia's interests in Manchuria were mainly in connection with tho railway, continued Mr. Monckton. It was very important to her that she should have the use of tho shortest route from tho West to the port of Vladivostok. Japan also had vital interests in Manchuria, which could supply much-needed raw material, as well a s provide new areas for Japanese settlement. The lecturer said tho Manchurian situation was typical of the serious problems which came before the Council of the League of Nations. The dispute would never be adequately settled by force and the League's suggestion for the withdrawn 1 of troops seemed a sensible one. China's occupancy of Manchuria should bo restored, and an arrangement should he made to so administer the railway that the threo interested countries would all benefit.