Economic Sanctions ?
The League is not in a position to order joint action by its members. Nor would any Government contemplate inter- vention, jointly with others or individually, unless there were an overwhelming body-of opinion behind it. If such a body of opinion manifests itself here—and the signs are that it will —then the Government must be guided by experience. It could not act single-handed—ffiat would be to invite failure. In conjunction with the United States and Holland it could apply economic sanctions with every prospect of immediate success but on one condition, and one condition only, that the threatened severing of trade relations were complete. Anything less than that would be to repeat the fiasco of the limited sanctions applied against Italy—they would be pinpricks which would aggravate but effect nothing. The.three Powers which have between them a majority of Japan's foreign trade should act together, or not at all ; and drastically, or not at all. Japan's determination to achieve her ends by smashing the morale of the population behind the lines can only be countered by equal determination to deprive her of resources. If there is no such determination, the case against the violation of the last vestiges of humanity in war will go by default. * *
