An Arms Embargo?
The demands in the House of Commons on Tuesday for the declaration of an arms embargo against Japan were premature. No such action could be taken till after the League Assembly had, by adopting the report of its Committee of Nineteen, designated Japan as the aggressor in the present conflict. That had not happened by Tuesday. Sir John Simon, moreover, was obviously right in stating that collective international action in this matter must be attempted. It clearly must, and it is highly satisfactory that both the President-Elect and the Secretary of State of the United States should have declared themselves within the last few weeks in favour of the embargo principle. There are two lines of action which the League States could and should adopt immediately, without prejudice to future decisions. One is the declaration of an arms embargo ; the other an agreement to withhold all financial facilities from Japan. The point has been raised that arms exported to China would probably fall into the hands of the Japanese. That is primarily a matter for the Chinese theinselves. It could certainly provide no ground for the declaration of an arms embargo against both parties. An embargo against Japan ought to be arranged at Geneva and our own Government ought to take the lead in urging it,
