Salt Lake Telegram | 1938-02-28 | Page 4 | Annoying without Provoking

Annoying Without Provoking JAPAN TAPAN responded to Secretary Cordell Hulls Hull's J latest warning against endangering American lives and property by seizing an American warehouse warehouse warehouse ware ware- house in Shanghai The seizure causes little surp sur sur- p prize prise ise Since the Chinese conflict began Japan has his given only diplomatic attention to protests and warnings from occidental powers There is only one phase of the new crisis that lift it out of the everyday rut The warehouse warehouse warehouse ware ware- house i. i a located within the International Settlement Settlement Settlement Settle Settle- ment presumably neutral territory and that little matter of location observers argue puts the Japanese in the position of assuming authority belonging to the United States and other treaty powers Indications are that the warehouse incident will be settled ami amicably ably The Japanese are not anxious for a test of neutral rights in the International International International Inter Inter- national Settlement But there will be further incidents if the history of the undeclared war is isa isa a reliable guide The history of Japanese American-Japanese relations since the fighting began at Shanghai has been a series of aggressions followed by a series of protestS protestS' pro pro- tests testS' Tokyo has felt able to do almost as she shele pleased le sed working on the assumption that American American Amerlean Amer- Amer ican lean reaction would be confined to paper That assumption has been correct so far and unless there is a great reversal of public opinion it will be correct six months from now Secretary Hull can use strong diplomatic language he can warn warn Japan that she will be held accountable for injury to Americans or damage to their property property property prop prop- erty in China but he cannot make Japan accept any more responsibility than she chooses The American people are nearly unanimous in their desire and demand for peace Secretary Hull is therefore in the unenviable position of having to deal through diplomacy alone with a nation which shows little regard for international rights That he has been successful so far is is' as much a tribute to his abilities as it is proof that I Japans Japan's purpose is to annoy but not provoke