FULL SETTLEMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 19 March 1932, Page 5

FULL SETTLEMENT

AT SHANGHAI

PROVISIONALLY REACHED

(British Official Wireless.) HUG BY, March 17

At a private meeting yesterday at Geneva of the Special Committee appointed by the Assembly of the League of Nations to watch developments in the negotiating at Shanghai on the Sino-Japancse dispute, a report was made by the President. Monsieur Hymans, who, it is stated, had been informed by Count Sato (Japan) that provisional settlement between the Chines? and Japanese representatives had been reached for the permanent cessation of hostilities.

According to press reports from Shanghai, the draft proposals provided (]) for the Chinese troops to remain in their present position, pending a later se+tlement; (2) for the Japanese troops to withdraw as far as possible within the International Settlement; ahd (3) for a joint commission, with national observers, to ensure a neutral Withdrawal.

The Chinese Government are understood here to have accepted the proposals as assisting further negotiations. The Japanese Government's reply has not yet been received. Meanwhile the press reports state the Chinese take exception to the form in which the third of the three proposals has been referred to the Tokyo Government, on the ground that it implies a revival of the proposal for a neutral zone.

Questioned in the House ' of Coinmens concerning the steps taken at Shanghai to carry out the proposals contained in the resolution of the •League of Nations Assembly, Sir John Simon said that, during the last day or two, on the invitation of Sir Miles Lampson (British Minister in China), Chinese and Japanese representative*, at Shanghai had been meeting with Sir Miles and" the representatives of Ttnlv, France and the United States. His information was that these conversations had made some hopeful progress, though they had also indicated some difficulties. At the moment, however, it was impossible to speak with complete confidence, and he desired not to prejudice the chance of a final agreement by a statement regarding the points of controversy. After some discussion regarding the situation at Shanghai, the League Assembly’s Committee of Nineteen, which met at Geneva this afternoon, decided in view of the present state of the negotiations being conducted at Shanghai, to adjourn, and to be called again only in case of emergency.