The Manchurian Outlook Lord Lytton's illness should not greatly retard
the completion of his Commission's labours. He and his fellow-members have reached China from Japan, and after certain final investigations will proceed to draft their report, which should reach Geneva in time to be considered by the coming Assembly—postponed, inciden- tally, till September 26th, in view of the prolonga- tion of the Disarmament Conference. The prospects are extremely disquieting, for everything goes to indicate that Japan will refuse her assent to any arrangement which would interfere with the status Manchukuo (formerly Manchuria) now holds as nominally an inde- pendent State but virtually a fief of Japan, with the history of Korea before its eyes as an object-lesson. Neither the League of Nations nor the United States can tolerate that, and they will have to decide how far to carry the expression of their disapproval. Meanwhile the constant interference with Chinese Maritime Customs officials, British, Norwegian and others, in Manchuria, apparently at Japanese instigation, may lead to serious complications long before the Lytton Commission reports.
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