LEAGUE MEETING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21113, 22 February 1932, Page 9

LEAGUE MEETING.

CHINA'S CHARGES. JAPANESE AGGRESSION. EVE OF THE OFFENSIVE. PREVENTIVE STEPS URGED. TOKIO DELEGATE'S REPLY. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received February 21, 5.5 p.m.) British Wireless. RUGBY, Feb. 20. A full meeting of the Council of the League of Nations was held in public yesterday in response to China's appeal under Article XV. of the Covenant. M. Paul Boncour (France), who presided, said the Council would present a draft resolution on the Shanghai question. The Chinese delegate, Dr. Yen, declared that the Japanese were carrying on what amounted to war. They wero on the eve of a great battle in which 100,000 men wero awaiting tho hour set by the Japanese. lie asked the Council to take immediate measures to prevent further bloodshed. Continuing, Dr. Yen alleged that the Japanese had used dum-duni bullets and created a reign of terror at Shanghai, finally persisting with their intolerable ultimatum. Case Stated for Japanese. Captain Sato, tho Japanese delegate, in an hour's speech, said the Japanese had expended efforts to stop hostilities, and had made many proposals. Until tho previous day they had hoped an agreement could bo retached. Unfortunately that was not the case. Tho Japanese demand for the withdrawal of Chinese troops had been made for military securily. Tho Covenant of the League was set. up to regulate affairs between organised countries and did not apply to China. Other States with interests in China had had to intervene in tho sanio manner as Japan was doing now. The Council could not impose idealistic decisions, but should try to find an efficacious and adequate way of solving tho difficulty. Only if China wero reorganised could Manchuria bo.restored to her. Independence in Manchuria really implied autonomy, for without autonomy Manchuria would not bo safe from the arbitrary measures of tho Chineso Government, and would not exist in peace. Use ol Dum-dum Bullets Denied. Japan had no idea of -annexing Manchuria. What. Japan wanted was to retain her field of action in Manchuria and to maintain tho principle of tho open door. Captain Sato denied that the Japanese had used dum-dum bullets or poison gas. He explained that tho bombing of tho flood refugee camp on February 13 was du# to the barbed wire entanglements misleading the airmen. Withdrawal from Shanghai would entail renunciation of the whole of Japan's rights in China, which no Government could face. The Japanese would retire when their aim was attained. Japanese Barred Everywhere. Japan was barred everywhere. Her nationals were not admitted to America or the countries in tho Southern Seas. Japan had protested against this inequality of races when the Assembly of the League first met. If Japan were ejected from China what could she do ? That was why she had to think for herself in regard to Manchuria, where she had invested immense capital. If Japan was going to be condemned on the charge of aggression it would be necessary to condemn other Powers for similar acts, notably the Soviet for its annexation of parts of Mongolia. M. Boncour finally appealed to Captain Sato to delay the expiration of the ultimatum to enable a settlement to be reached. The British, Italian and German delegates associated themselves with tho appeal. The Assembly is to meet on March 3.