FAR EAST PEACE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 35, 4 November 1937, Page 5

FAR EAST PEACE

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Powers Conferring RESOLUTIONS FUTILE Italian Delegate Questions Use of Talks US. ENVOY'S APPEAL

(Received 4, 12.30 p.ni.) r IiUGBY, Oct. 3. The conference on the Sino- Japanese Agpute opened at Brussels, M. Spaak (Belgian Foreign Miuister) presidrag ©ver the representativea of 19 nations. Mr Norrnan Davis (United States) declared tliat the ho6tilities in the Far East were of serioua eoncerii not only to Japan and China but to tho enthe world, for peace, once euvisaged only by - idealists, had become a taatter of vital self-interest to every nation, "We are heret" he said, "with a eommon concern and a comtaon purpose, ■ and our efforts to deal with the situation xnust be constructivei It is indispensable that an equitable adjustmeut should be found. We have come to this conference with no commitments except those to the treaty provisions and to the principles which the Government of the United States has repeatedly and cmphatically affirmed. "Th# Government of the United Btates," Mr Davis added, "is prepared to share in a eommon effort to devise within the scope of these treaty proyieions and' principles means of finding a pacific solution which will provide for the termination of hostilities in the Far East and the restoration of peace in that area," Mr Anthony Eden said that the British Government was prepared tq ofief its fullest collaboration to promote Ihe succeaa of the conference. M. Delbos (France) also spoke. China 's case was stated by Dr. {Wellington Koo. Japan's Non-Attendance. If. Spaak said that Japan's refusal to attend made the task of the conference moro difficult, but he must em-

phasise that the conference was not a tribunal before which Japan could be hailed as a culprit. •> "Our aim is, if possibje, to halt the. war and re-establish peace, because, I thiuk, there is nothing in the world worth going to war for," ho added. * We should thinlc not only of the soldicrs, but also of the women and children." M. Delbos (France) declared that "tihere was an imperious need to end the eonflicfc on humanitarian grounds and on aecount of the atrocities piling-up in the Far East. No-one was safe from extensiOn of the copflict. The conference should make.an effort to induce China and Japan to lay down their arms and enter into friendly negotiations. The Italian, Count Marescotti, said that the conference could not quarantine Japan. Only the parties coneerned in the position could eliminate the nnderlying cause's of the confiict, Discussions would be useless in the absence of Japan. Resolutions would merely show the powerlessness of tho eountries attending the conference. ' Italy Makes Reservations. The Fascist Government must rnake •vefy reservation regarding the results of the conference, which, however aini•ble in its methqds, could end only in platonic resolutions and sterility if the . realRies were ignored. The only useful thing the conference could do was to attempt to bring China and Japan into direct contact. Dr. Wellington Koo • said: "We do* sire peace but know that it cannot be obtained in the presence of Japanese aggression. We are determined tc continue our Tesistance as long as aggression persists. It ds only by accepting peace based on the principles of Article 1 of tho Nine-Power Treaty that China, by her tremcndous sacrifice, will be contributing to the ouaso of law and order in relations between uations."