OCR Text |
Show a ii ii i i i WAR MATERIAL WAR material Is not all manufactured In munition muni-tion plants not by the yell known Jug full. First class war material J being made today in huge quantities out of Jawbone and air over the mahogany tables in dozen scattered places in both hemispheres by temperamental diplomats and statesmen. Goaded by Tokyo cabinet ministers and international bankers, Japanese troops in Manchuria are setting the stage on which world drama may be enacted before long unless statecraft state-craft takes new road. The smoke raised In this country over the Philippine Phil-ippine independence legislatin has not served to clear tha atmosphere In the least and much wisdom wis-dom Is called for in Washington if we are to be kept from getting Into the embroglio much deeper than there is any need. Military activity in the Japanese drive on Jehol is unceasing and has all the earmarks of actual war, though the suave diplomats of Nippon continue con-tinue their ridiculous assurances that their motives are not warlike. When Ambassador Debuchi last called at the state department offices in Washington, Washing-ton, the drive on Jehol city was progressing from four points. All the means of modern warfare were being employed on the ground and from the air. He explained, however, that this was not invasion in-vasion that Japan had a treaty with Manchukuo requiring her to pacify Jehol! She is doing it with the slaughter of thousands of Chinese who fall under the hail of machine gun bullets, artillery shells and bombs dropped from the heavens. A treaty between. Japan and Manchukuo Man-chukuo is Just about the nearest thing statesmen could contrive in the wsy of a compact between Japan and herself. It is all so absurd that one wonders why foreign offices pay any attentioi) to what Japanese envoys have to say at any time. Meanwhile, Geneva dispatches report that there Is a growing demand among tha powers for a cleer declaration by the league of nations regard-' regard-' ing the far eastern situation. The league has uttered ut-tered clear declarations many times in the past and the sum total in results has been tha Japanese Jap-anese statesmen have poked their muzzles into their kimono sleeves tor a good laugh. All the league of nations has done in the matter is to stimulate the Japanese sense of humor while thousands of Chinese hsve been slaughtered. . Sir John Simon is to meet with the English cabinet Thursday to discuss the Sino-Jspanese situation sit-uation and disarmament Unless something definite def-inite is done, he admits, failure must be admitted. It will be a belated admission. The failure is history his-tory long since. Ambassador Mellon told Sir John that In the opinion of Washington, conciliation has gone far enough and that more definite policy toward Japan's aggression might produce better result. The league, however, doesn't wsnt Japsn to withdraw and grotesque proposals may be looked for to retain her participation, which can only be by noninterference in the troubles on the Asian mainland. The whole affair, ii it were not so tragic, has in it many angles that could ba regarded as distinctly dis-tinctly humorous. But there can be nothing to smile at, even grimly, in the whole situation. The world almost haa another war on its hands, but f rofound statesmen seem not to want to look the acts in the face. |