POLICY OF JAPAN

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20490, 8 March 1932, Page 9

POLICY OF JAPAN

MAY WITHDRAW FROM LEAGUE. EMULATION -OF AMERICA. (CTNITED MESS ASSOCIATION—BY ELECTED TBLEORAPH—COPYHIGHT.i (Received March Bth, 12,15 a.m.) TOKYO, March 7. It is stated in certain official quarter! that Japan is rapidly approaching i decision to withdraw from tlfe Loagu< of Nations when the present imbroglii is finished, emulating the position oJ America towards the League. Recent statements at Geneva by re prcsentatives of the smaller Powers are irritating and increasing anti-League public opinion. Already there is a ma jority in favour of withdrawal. THE SHANGHAI DISPUTE. l CHINESE AND CONFERENCE. WITHDRAWAL OF JAPANESE DEMANDED. (l>'¥lTE» PRESS ASSOCIATION—DY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH—COPYRIGHT.) SHANGHAI, March 6. The Chinese Deputy-Minister for Foreign Affairs denies tho reported calling of a round-tablo conference shortly to discuss tho settlement of the Shanghai dispute. He says such a conference is conditional on Japan's complying with the agreement for the mutual withdrawal of troops to® avoid further clashes. So long as the Japanese disregard that pledge a conference is entirely out of tho question. In the meantimo the nation is extremely hostile to Marshal Chiang Kaishek and the Ministry of War, charging both with selling the 19tli Route Army by refusing to send sufficient reinforcements to recover tho territory occupied by the Japanese. A grave situation also faces the authorities at Chapci, where terrible conditions prevail. Public health is endangered by disease, and thero is no immediate prospect of. sanitary control. General Shirawaka has announced officially that the Japanese troops will wait quietly in the positions at present occupied, pending the outcomo of the peace negotiations. They have extended their line soino distance outside the 20-kilometres zone.

STRAIN OF EVENTS. RUMOURS AND PROTEST. GENEVA, March C. The strain of events at Shanghai has reacted on the self-control of Mr N. Sato and Dr. Ten, the latter asserting that the Japanese officers had not concealed their intention of taking the cntiro region between Shanghai • and Nanking: Mr Sato retorted that Shanghai was a whispering gallery wlicro false rumours and biased news were bred. Dr. Yen angrily protested, and the exchanges persisted 45 minutes. M. Paul Boncour (chairman), commenting, said their daily 1 continuance would Stultify the functioning of the Assembly. Sir John Simon (British Foreign Minister) laughingly intervened. *'lt would facilitate the peaceful solution of the present controversy if local hostilities were suspended," ho suggested. CHINESE FORCES. POSITION OUTSIDE ZONE. (bbitjsb onricJAi. wibeless.) EUGBY, March 6. The position at Shanghai is that all the Chinese forces are outside the 20kilometre zone, and tho Japanese state that all thoir troops will remain within that zone, although it is not quite clear whether this applies also to the reinforcements recently landed in the Liuho neighbourhood. ' General hostilities have ceased, although whero the phineso and Japanese are in close contact occasional bursts of rifle fire have occurred, notably in the Nanziang area. In accordance with tho request of the League Assembly officers of the neutral powers with special interests in Shanghai are investigating th« situation on the spot. At Geneva this morning, when the General Committee of the Assembly met, the secretary-general, Sir Eric Drummond, announced that ho had re: ceivcd notification that the United States Government had given instructions for the American military, naval, and civilian representatives to cooperate with those of the other Powers in the spirit of the resolution passed by the Assembly last night.