SHANGHAI AREA

Southland Times, Issue 21661, 24 March 1932, Page 7

SHANGHAI AREA

MORE SETTLED STATE INFLUENCE OF LEAGUE OF NATIONS * _ WITHDRAWAL OF JAPANESE (British Official Wireless.) Rugby, March 22. The Japanese Consul-General last night issued a statement' summarizing the latest despatches received by the Japanese authorities in London. It states that affairs in the Shanghai area having now generally settled down to a more or less normal state, it may be assumed that no further serious crisis will occur. zXccordingly, the Japanese authorities concerned have decided to recall home five cruisers, two aircraft carriers and sixteen destroyers from the Third Japanese Fleet in Chinese waters on March 20. An order to the above effect has accordingly been issued. Reports from Shanghai state that a preliminary agreement between the Japanese and Chinese having been reached, arrangements have been made for formal negotiations between the respective military leaders on Wednesday morning. It is stated that at this conference a proposed joint evacuation committee will define the position to be maintained by the Chinese troops and the area within which the Japanese troops will be withdrawn. Foreign Secretary’s Statement. Sir John Simon, Secretary for Foreign Affairs, in the course of the foreign affairs debate in the House of Commons to-night, said that many meetings had been held, mostly under the auspices of Sir Miles Lampson, British Ambassador in China and his colleagues, at which the Japanese and Chinese representatives in Shanghai had been present, and on Saturday afternoon two long friendly meetings had agreed to a formula covering three essential points which was drawn up and referred to the two Governments. He had just received news that a further meeting, fixed for yesterday, for a preliminary peace discussion had been satisfactory and that a formal conference was to take place tomorrow. The Japanese Ambassador had this morning informed him that an order had been given from Tokio to withdraw the greater part of the Japanese warships. An order for the withdrawal of some of the Japanese land forces had also been given and part of these had, in fact, re-em-barked. He had just been informed that, besides the mixed brigade which had been sent back, the Japanese Eleventh Division was now re-embarking and should finish doing so to-day. He was far from saying that this news, although satisfactory and encouraging, was the same thing as having secured the final arrangement which would be necessary before that part of the Far Eastern trouble terminated. The British policy in this matter had been consistent throughout. They had done their utmost, with the invaluable assistance on the spot of the British diplomatic and consular representatives and the naval and military authorities, to hold the scales fairly in a Very difficult controversy and to carry out faithfully the principles of the League of Nations in co-operation with the other Powers especially interested in Shanghai. The duty of a faithful member of the League was to be available and ready to help to carry the League’s policy. The United States had joined in endeavouring to promote the essential purposes common to the League and the Paris Pact.

League as Mediator.

The Far Eastern question was one in which the League was most likely to be useful as a mediating force, said Sir John Simon. The part it played was founded on its position as the exponent and interpreter of world opinion, one of the most terrific forces in nature. Those in close j touch with the proceedings at Geneva during the last few months must be conscious of the existence of the League. Powers of a coercive character did not necessarily add in every instance to its effective strength as a mediating force. Some states might hesitate to join wholeheartedly in the declaration of the principle for fear of the ultimate liabilities that might come on them in taking .action. Tire truth was that when world opinion was sufficiently strong and unanimous to pronounce a firm moral code, sanctions would not be needed. While, therefore, Britain would stand firmly by its obligations under every article of the Covenant, he would suggest to those who had studied this subject that they should keep the coercive and mediatory functions of the League distinct. It was because the League Assembly in a resolution of March 11 had affirmed it as against the spirit of the Covenant that the settlement of the SinoJapanese dispute should be sought under stress of military pressure, that he was glad to see there had been a considerable withdrawal of the Japanese forces from Shanghai at the present time. Although sometimes it had to work slowly and sometimes disappointed its best friends, the League had shown itself in the present situation an invaluable influence on the side of peace. DEBATE IN COMMONS POLICY SHOULD BE DECLARED. JAPAN AND MANCHURIA. London, March 22. Mr G. Lansbury (Labour), initiating the Foreign Affairs debate in the House of Commons, said it was necessary- that the people of Britain and the dominions should understand the exact policy Britain was pursuing regarding the Far East. Japan now militarily occupied the three eastern provinces of China, and had refused to honour what the League of Nations and the United States asked her to honour, while China had put the case wholly in the League’s hands. What did Britain and the League propose to do to get Japan out of Manchuria? There was a feeling outride the House that Britain would not be averse to events in Manchuria, and that the League delay was enabling Japan to consolidate her position there. Sir Austen Chamberlain said that harsh words did not- help international troubles. “We have no quarrel with Japan, our loyal war-time ally, though as a member of the League Britain had a share in bringing world moral opinion to bear on the present dispute,” he said. "Our only interest in China is trade, which is mutually beneficial. We are ready to surrender our special position there as soon as China will constitute a Government with sufficient authority to give the same protection to foreigners as other civilized States give." JAPANESE FORCES CONTINUANCE OF WITHDRAWAL. (Rec. 11.45 p.m.) Tokio, March 23. It is officially stated that the expeditionary forces in China continue to be withdrawn to Japan without waiting for the outcome of the Shanghai conference, but it is considered necessary to maintain a considerable number of troops to safeguard the. settlement.