THE "NINE-POWER" TREATY.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 155, 19 July 1937, Page 6

THE "NINE-POWER" TREATY.

Week-end messages regarding the situation in the Far East give no very definite indication as to whether or not there is to be war on a big scale between China and Japan. Both sides profess a desire for the preservation of peace, but on Japan' s side it would seem to be always on the condition that she should pretty weri have her own way. In the meantime there are movements of troops that may really mean much or little, thongh on the face of them ominous. As to whether Japan will persist in an aggressive attitude may depend a good deal on how international difficulties may shape themselves in Eurppe, for it has been a notable feature in Japanese policy to take advantage of the Western nations being deeply immersed in their own affairs to push forward her own purposes on the Asiatic Continent. Our cable news makes more than one reference to the "Nine-Power" Pact or Treaty that was signed at Washington away back in 1922 but is seemingly still regarded as binding *tipon its signatories, there being no time limit embodied in it. To this Treaty — entered into at the same time as the "Five-Power"' Naval Treaty, now at an end so far as Japan is concerned— the United States, Belgium, the British Empire, China, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and Portugal were parties. The outstanding principle is contained in the first article, under which the contracting Powers other than China, agreed and undertook — 1. "To respect the sovereignty, the independence and the territorial and administrative integrity of China. ' ' This was followed by articles undertaking further-r-2. "To provide the fullest and most unembarxassed opportunity to China to develop and maintain for herself an effective and stable Government. 8. "To use their influence for the purpose of effectually estabiishing and maintaining the principle of equal opportunity for the commerce and industry of all nations throughout the territory of China, 4. "To refrain from taking advantage of conditions in China in order to seek special rights and privileges which would abridge the • rights of subjects or citizens of friendly States and from countenancing action inimica! to the security of such States." The Treaty, however, provides nothing in the way of specific uction to be taken in case of any signatory violating these agreements. The most that can in this respect a,rise directly out of- the Treaty is that — 7. "Wherever a situation arises which, in the opinion of any one of the contracting Powers involves the application of its stipulations and renders desirable discussion of such application, there shall be full and frank communication between the contracting Powers concerned/ ' It is under this article that we see the suggestion offered that China may "invoke the Washington Treaty." But it will be xeadily gathered that, even should she do so, it would not necessarily lead to anything more than diplomatic discussions. These, hdwever, might possibly lead in turn to intimations from other Powers that Japan could not very well altogether; disregard. It will he noted, for instance, from one of today's Washington messages that the American Secretary of State, Mr. Cordell Hull, has already issued a preliminary note of warning with respect to "encroachment on the interests of the United States," at the same time, howaver, expressing a hope that an understanding may be reached through "cooprative effort hy peaceful means. The position is not really very much different from that which obtained when Japan set f. out to detach Manchuria from China, excepting that now, as was not the case before, China has got a Government which can lay some claim to speak for a fairly united people and is much better prepared to offer armed resistanc&, while in Japan we have a Government which, though without full power to control the militaristic element, is yet much more inclined to seek a peaceful solutionfl of Sino-Japanese differences and has in this the great majority of the Japanese people in accord with it.