BLAME FOR WAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23425, 15 August 1939, Page 9

BLAME FOR WAR

JAPAN'S AGGBESSION INCIDENTS IN CHINA BREACH OF TREATIES FINDING BY THE LEAGUE [BY TELKGHAPH PKKSS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Sunday The contention that the present >Sino-Japanese wai* originated in a Japanese attack upon the garrisoned city of Wanping after the refusal of the Chinese authorities to allow the Japanese to enter it to conduct a search for an allegedly missing soldier is made by the Chinese Consul-General in New Zealand, Mr. Feng Wang, in reply to the statement of Japan's case by Mr. Iv. Gunji, Japanese ConsulGeneral. When the Chinese garrison offered resistance in self-defence, says Mr. Feny, the Japanese at once resorted to

large-scale operations against the Chinese troops in order, to quote their own words: "To punish the Chinese Armj*'' and to "uphold the Japanese military prestige." Mr. Feng proceeds: The Shanghai Incident "Regarding the Shanghai incident, briefly the facts are these: Oil August 9 a Japanese naval officer and a Japanese seaman attempted to approach the Chinese military aerodrome in the suburbs of Shanghai, in spite of the Chinese warning. When they were stopped by a Chinese guard a clash took place, in which the two Japanese and a member of the Chinese Peace Preservation Corps were killed. "While the Chinese local authorities immediately proposed a settlement through diplomatic channels, the Japanese Navy concentrated 30 warships in Shanghai within 4S hours and increased their naval forces by several thousand marines. On August 13, four days after the incident, the Japanese naval forces, both ashore and afloat, using the International Settlement as a base for operations, attacked the Chinese districts of Kiangwan and Chapei. In defence of her territory and her independence, China has been obliged, here, as in North China, to resist force with force. Efforts for Peace "The Chinese authorities made repeated efforts to effect a peaceful settlement with Japan. "Mr. Gunji's contention that Japan's action in China does not violate the provisions of the Nine-Power Treaty and the Pact of Paris -of 1928 is answered by the first report adopted by the League Assembly on October 6, 1937. The following quotations are taken from that report:— " 'Prima facie, the events described in the first part of this report constitute a breach by Japan of her obligations toward China and toward other States under these treaties. The conduct of hostilities by Japanese forces, under the circumstances described, by land, water and air throughout China is prima facie inconsistent with an obligation to respect the sovereignty, the independence, and the territorial integrity of China and also with the obligation never to seek the solution of a dispute with China, of whatever origin or character, except 'by pacific means.' " Breaking o! Fledgeii Mr. Feng also quotes the declaration of the Nine-Power Conference on November 15, 1937, which said in part: "Japanese authorities have declared in substance that it is Japan's objective to destroy the will, and the ability of China to resist the will and the demands of Japan. The Japanese Government affirms that it is China whose actions and attitude are in contravention of the Nine-Power Treaty; yet, whereas China is engaged iu full and frank discussion of the matter with the other parties in that Treaty, Japan refuses to discuss it with any of them." Mr. Feng concludes: "Like other Japanese spokesmen, Mr. Gunji assures us that Japan has no desire to establish sovereignty over Chinese soil. These assurances might be reassuring if the solemn pledges of the Japanese Government and Japanese high officials had not been broken repeatedly in the past."