The Brussels Conference The speeches at the opening session of
the so-called Nine Power Conference (actually nineteen States are represented) were mainly formal in character, though Italy manifested, through her delegate, the usual reluctance to take any steps unwelcome to an aggressor. The convocation of the con- ference was unavoidable, for, as the United States delegate, Mr. Norman Davis, pointed out, the Nine Power Treaty of 1922 made provision for common consultation in precisely such circumstances as this. Japan has, of course, declined, to be present, and though the conference may probably enough urge her to reconsider her refusal to attend, a change of that decision is unlikely. Japan is accepting the idea of a long war and a new Imperial General Headquarters is apparently to take supreme charge of all military operations, and may be expected to impinge very considerably on the political field ; while war continues the nation must be organised for war and for nothing else. In such circum- stances the possibility of effective action at Brussels is severely limited. That States members of the conference should be supplying war material to Japan to further her indefensible aggression is intolerable, and so far as that is happening a resolution binding its signatories to ban such exports to Japan could and should be carried. But what are war materials ? Is oil ? If oil exports were prohibited Japan's campaign would collapse. President Roosevelt's hint of quarantine for an aggressor who refuses to desist from aggression is not quite forgotten.
