§ 2. Mr. MANDERasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if he will consider the advisability of sending a note to the Chinese and Japanese Governments declaring that this country will in no circumstances recognise any situation or agreement which may be brought about by means contrary to the Covenant of the League of Nations or other 360 treaty obligations to which it, as well as both Japan and China, are parties?
§ 9. Mr. COCKSasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether His Majesty's Government will inform the Japanese Government that it does not intend to recognise any situation, treaty, or agreement in respect to China which may be brought about by means contrary to the obligations of the Covenant of the League of Nations, the Nine-Power Treaty of 1922, and the Pact of Paris of 1928, to which covenants and treaties both China and Japan as well as Great Britain, are parties?
§ Mr. EDENI do not think that a further Note on this subject would, even if it were addressed to both parties as suggested by my hon. Friend, serve any useful purpose. His Majesty's Government have already made their position sufficiently clear and the Japanese Government have given definite assurances that they have no territorial ambitions and that they will uphold the principle of the Open Door.
§ Mr. MANDERAm I right in assuming that die policy outlined in the question is indeed the policy of the Government?
§ Mr. EDENThe hon. Member would be more correct if he assumed that the Government's policy is the policy outlined in my answer.
§ Mr. COCKSAs a similar note has been addressed to Japan by the United States of America, should we not take our stand by the side of our cousins across the ocean?
§ 3. Mr. MANDERasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the Government intend to treat the relations existing between China and Japan as tantamount to a state of war?
§ Mr. EDENThere has, up to the present, been no declaration of war, and the attitude of His Majesty's Government in this matter must depend on the way in which the situation develops. No statement can therefore be made at present.
§ Mr. MANDERIs it not the case that every country which breaks the Covenant of the League of Nations is automatically at war with every other member of the League?
§ Mr. EDENThe hon. Member had better refer to the findings of the Committee of Jurists at the time of the Corfu dispute, Where he will see how the situation stands.
§ Sir NICHOLAS GRATTAN-DOYLEIs it not deplorable that such mischievous questions as these should be asked?
§ Mr. MANDERIs it not deplorable that this war should be allowed to continue?
§ 6. Mr. COCKSasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any information regarding the assault on Captain Kennedy, a British subject, Assistant Police Commissioner in the International Settlement, in the Hongkew district on 20th February?
§ Mr. EDENNo, Sir. I may add that an account in the Press of another assault on a British subject was found, on inquiry, to have been much exaggerated, and in the absence of any report from His Majesty's Consul-General, I think that the hon. Member may rest assured that the incident can scarcely have been of the grave character suggested.
§ 8. Mr. COCKSasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has any further information regarding the formation of an independent State of Manchuria during the Japanese military occupation of that province; and whether, seeing that on 8th February His Majesty's Government stated that they regarded Manchuria as being a part of China, and that they had engaged under the Nine-Power Treaty of 1922 to respect the sovereignty, independence, and territorial and administrative integrity of China, he is taking any steps in the matter?
§ Mr. EDENAccording to my information, a declaration of an independent State consisting of the four North-Eastern Provinces of China, was published in Mukden on the 18th of February. An Administrative Council has been formed which is to formulate details of the organisation and constitution of the new Government. As regards the second part of the question, since this declaration has been made by the local Chinese authorities there does not appear to be any ground for action by His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom under the Nine-Power Treaty of 1922.
§ Mr. COCKSIs it not obvious that this State has been formed by Japan and will His Majesty's Government not take action?
§ Mr. EDENThis is not the first State that has been set up in China as an independent State, nor is it the first State since the Nine-Power Treaty set up under the auspices of another Government.
§ Mr. COCKSIn view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I shall raise this matter on the Adjournment at an early date.
§ Major-General Sir ALFRED KNOXCan the Under-Secretary say what increase in our armed forces would be necessary if we followed out all these suggestions?