12 MARCH 1932, Page 3

News of the Week

11-111E transference of the Sino-Japanese question to -I- the League of Nations Assembly has given oppor- tunity for the smaller States to declare themselves with emphasis on the sanctity of the Covenant and the necessity of taking any steps that may be required to preyent military action in defiance of it. But the greater Powers, with whom the main burden of taking such action would lie, have been much less vocal, though Sir John Simon in his speech of last Monday went some way towards identifying himself with the official American doctrine of non-recognition of any political or territorial changes effected in violation of international agreements. There is the more need of that in view of the inauguration Of the new Government in Manchuria, where the autonomy movement, as M. Sato observed at Geneva, has enjoyed Japanese support. The new President, Mr. Pu Ti, once known as the infant Emperor of China, arrived at Changchun on Tuesday behind a cordon of Japanese bayonets and was duly installed on Wednesday by a small • company in which Count .Uchida, a former Japanese Foreign Minister, and the Japanese Generals commanding in Manchuria were prominent. The whole question of Manchuria will be investigated by the Lytton Commission. In the meantime there can, of course, be no question of the recognition of the new Government.