VIRTUAL PLEDGE OF U.S. PARTICIPATION

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 14, 9 October 1937, Page 5

VIRTUAL PLEDGE OF U.S. PARTICIPATION

— United Press Association-

NINE-POWER TALKS ON CHINA American Feeling Against Japan Aroused BIG STORES CANCEL ORDERS

By Eleetric Telegraph-

-Copyriglit.

(Received 9, 10,40 a.m.) WASHrNGTON, Oct, 7. Afc a conference of Press. representatives to-day, Mr Cordell, Hull,- Secietary of State, virtually pledged the United States to participate in the proposed Nine-Power Gonference. Mr Hull added that he was not certain from where the invitation was likely to be received. The convocation of the conference was not the responaibility of the United States, he added, and America had not rtceived suggeations that it should be held in Washington. Other officials s^id that the Administration did not desire that the conference should be held in Washington, because it might suggest that the United States was leading a campaign against Japan. Meanwhile, public antipathy against #apan appears to have Itiffened in consequence of the attitude of the Administration. 3Et is reported that chain stores operating throughout the nation have cancelled orders for millions of dollars' worth of Japanese merchandise. The Washington correspondent of the New York Times says that diplomatic circles believe that Japan inight participate in a conference, as proposed by the Aga Khan, if it were devoted to discussing the entire Far Eastern situation, instead of condemning Japan. Following the speech made at Chicago on Tuesday by President Roosevelt, the statement issued yesterday by the United States Department of State, formally branding Japan as the aggressor in tho undeclared war on China, is given prominence in the London and Paris Press. The spokesman o.f the League of Nations at Geneva greeted the declaration as a sign that the United States had established a coramon front with the 50 nations which had condemned Japan, The Chinese delegate to the League, Dr, Wellington Koo, said: "The declaration shows that there is only one standard of interpretation of international morality recognised by the civilised world. The present grave position in the Far East and Western Europe may yet prove.the occasion for rescuing the world from the danger of a general war," Official Chinese circles in Shanghai express the utmost satisfiction with the declaration made by the United States, which is bejived to mark a definite departure from the policy of strict neutrality and immeasurably to have strengthened the League of Nations in dealing with Japan. * The Chinese. hope that the League and the United States will act quickly, other wise it may be too late to prevent a world cony flagration. The opinion is expressed at Geneva that the Nine-Power Conference may be held at Washington. A message from New York quotes Senator K. Pittman, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as saying: "Let.the civilised Qovernments pstracise Japan by not having any dealings with her and discontinuing commercial or credit relations, and there would be no need for a single shot to be fired." Mr Hubbard, the President of the United States Navy League, said ; "We must count the cost of permitting Japan to become the mistress of the Pacific/' Mr Hubbard advocated the dispatch of the United States fleet to the Philippines, with Rritain providing base facilities at Hong Kong and Singapore. This, he suggested, would result in the immediate withdrawal of Japan from China.