793.94 Commission/612: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:05 a.m.]
352. During the meeting of the Assembly yesterday afternoon the representatives of the Irish Free State (Connolly), Czechoslovakia [Page 394] (Beneš), Sweden (Undén) and Norway (Lange) spoke on the Sino-Japanese conflict. Although stating the problem in different terms and with varying degrees of emphasis they were practically unanimous in firmly laying down the following considerations:
- (1)
- The present dispute is of vital import to the future usefulness and even existence of the League of Nations.
- (2)
- The members of the League should take a courageous stand on League principles and insist on a settlement in harmony with the terms of the Covenant.
- (3)
- Every effort should be made to seek through conciliation a solution equitable to all interests concerned terminating the present conflict and removing as far as possible the causes of future antagonisms.
- (4)
- The Assembly should definitely adopt the Lytton report and seek a solution on the basis of the conclusions which can be drawn therefrom.
- (5)
- Japanese action in setting up the Manchukuo state was an infringement of the Covenant and other international obligations.
- (6)
- The members of the League should refuse to recognize Manchukuo.
- (7)
- The facts in the case show that Japanese operations in Manchuria and Shanghai could not be considered as legitimate self-defense.
- (8)
- Whatever provocation China might have afforded through propaganda and boycott the principle must be maintained that no member of the League has the right to be the judge in its own cause and resort to force. The plea of the Japanese representative that national sentiment in Japan did not permit external intervention in the question could not be accepted as valid, and the acceptance of such a precedent would undermine the whole structure of the League.
In addition to the foregoing, Undén expressed the view that since negotiations are continuing under military pressure in Manchuria, the Assembly must lay down definite limits outside of which a settlement of the dispute could not be sought.
Lange briefly put the question as to whether “certain nonmember States” interested in the conflict should not be asked to participate in the Assembly’s efforts towards conciliation.