GRAVE CRISIS IF JAPAN REFUSES SATISFACTION

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 72, 17 December 1937, Page 5

GRAVE CRISIS IF JAPAN REFUSES SATISFACTION

Press Assn.

American Demands

DELIBERATE AlTACK Report of Naval Demonstration is "Premature" BOYCOTT URGED

"*5y Telegraph—:

.—Copyright.)

(Eeceived 17, 8.45 a.m.) NEW YORK, Dec. 15. The Washington correspondent of the New York Times emphasises that the deliberate and preroeditated action by the Japanese In bombing and sinking the American gunboat Panay and three American oil-tankers on the Yangtse — deliberateness is indicated by eye-witnesses — has brought home the realisation that, nnless Japan meets the demands of the Unitec. States for full satisfaction, an exceedingly grave diplomatic crisis will confront the two countries. Keports of a naval demonstration, adds the correspondent, appear incorreet or at least premature. It seems indicated that, whatever •ituation develops, President Roosevelt and Mr. Cordell Hull want as free hands as possible. Mr. Hull said he was unable to see either the wisdom or practicability of Mr. Ludlow 'b proposal for a national referendum before Congross could declare war. The correspondent learns f rom other ■ources that the best feeling and cloae co-operation, exist between Britain and America on the China question and that Britain has not asked for joint action. Motive for the Attaclc.

The motive for the attack on the gunboat Panay is reported to be Japanese Tesentment over the oil tankeis carrying petrol for the Chinese, although American sources insist that the vessels at the time were engaged solely in rescue work. These disclosures prompted the New York Daily News, ohe of the most influential newspapers, to counsel t» scuttle out of China. "The best thing we can do," it said, "is to pull out our ftghters with a view to picking our best battleground — the middle Pacific — |f (God forbid) we ever have to fight Japan." A report being circulated that the United States is preparing a thirdNote to Japan is considered wholly premature. Mr. Walter Lippmann, the noted publicist, presents a strong argument against the withdrawal f rom China of American forces and nationals. * ' Asia is to big and there are too many American connections to make such a poliey practicable," he states. "This war in the Orient is not a local riot.. It is raging over an area inhabited by more than 100,000,000 people,' with whom the Americans have thottsands of ties extending through many generations. The most significant developmeat of the day, it was reported earlier was a report that the* United States was congidering the possibility of a naval demonstration against Japan, talsing the fcrm of advancing the fleet mcnoouvre~ in the PaciJic now scheduled for March and April. Fleet Movements. One news agency features the report, which the State Department denies, but it is indicative of the position which has been reached. The report continues: "Among the possibxlities are the sending of the fleet to Honolulu, Manila or even Shanghai. A joint naval demonstration by Britain and the United States is also under discussion, but it is considered dubious whether Britain's main fleet would leave European waters in this troubled time." Editorial comment continues to be interesting. The New York World Telegram, in a leader, states: "It must not happen again. The people of the TJnited States do'not want war with Japan; nor, we telieve, do the people )f Japan want war with the United States. We hope that Tokio will find a way to impress her mad militarists with the wisdom of looking before they shoot, for if this is not done it is just a question o£ time until a new incident oceurs. Emotions may then be aroused to such a pitch that we will suddenly find ourselves — Japanese and Americans alike — up to our necks in trouble, which none of us wants." Boycott Urged.

Professor Einstein, Lieut-Colonel Bertrad Eussell, Professor Eomain Bolland, and the American philosopher Professor John Dewey jointly issued a statement reading: "In view of the wanton destruction of Oriental civilisation, and for the sake of humanity, peace and democracy, we propose that the peoples of all countries should organise a voluntary boycott of Japanese goods, refuse to sell or load war materials for Japan, and cease cooperating- with Japan in ways helping her aggressive policy, while giving every possible help to China for relief and self-defence until Japan has evacuated all her forces ffom China and abandoned her policy of conquest." The Japanese Consul, General Wakasugi, in New York, issued the following statement: "In these critical moments be cairn, wise and farseeing regardi»e the i>resent conflict in China, because the situation in the Far East is so eomflicated and the c&uses so bound up with history that no good purpo ;e would be servea by mere argument exeited by emotion or hasty judgment baseu on one-sided provocation." l'he Navy Deparlment announcc3 that the Panay casualty list is now three -dead and 14 wounded, four isriously.