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Press Releases, vol. XVII, p. 380
Declaration Adopted by the
Conference at Brussels On November 15, 1937
Following is the text of the declaration
adopted on November 15, 1937, by the Nine Power Conference at Brussels,
Belgium. Italy voted against the declaration, and Norway, Sweden, and Denmark,
while endorsing the general principles involved, abstained from voting.
"1. The representatives of the states
met at Brussels having taken cognizance of the Japanese Government's reply of
November 12, 1937 to the communication addressed to the latter on November 7,
1937 observe with regret that the Japanese Government still contends that the
conflict between Japan and China lies outside the scope of the Nine Power
Treaty and again declines to enter into an exchange of views for the purpose of
endeavoring to achieve a peaceful settlement of that conflict.
"2. It is clear that the Japanese
concept of the issues and interests involved in the conflict under reference is
utterly different from the concepts of most of the other nations and
governments of the world. The Japanese Government insists that as the conflict
[is] between Japan and China it concerns those two countries only. Against this
the representatives of the states now met at Brussels consider this conflict of
concern in fact to all countries party to the Nine Power Treaty of Washington
of 1922 and to all countries party to the Pact of Paris of 1928, and of concern
in fact to all countries members of the family of nations.
"3. It cannot be denied that in the Nine
Power Treaty the parties thereto affirmed it to be their desire to adopt a
specified policy de-
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signed to stabilize conditions in the Far East and agreed to apply
certain specified principles in their relations with China and, in China, with
one another; and that in the Pact of Paris the parties agreed that the
settlement or solution of all disputes or conflicts of whatever nature or of
whatever origin they may be which may arise among them shall never be sought
except by pacific means.'
"4. It
cannot be denied that the present hostilities between Japan and China adversely
affect not only the material interests of nearly fall nations. These
hostilities have brought to some nationals of third countries death, to many
nationals of third countries great peril, to property of nationals of third
countries widespread destruction, to international communications disruption,
to international trade disturbance and loss, to the peoples of all nations a
sense of horror and indignation, to all the world feelings of uncertainty and
apprehension.
"5. The representatives met at Brussels
therefore regard these hostilities and the situation which they have brought
about as matters inevitably of concern to the countries which they represent
and— more—to the whole world. To them the problem appears not in terms simply
of relations between two countries in the Far East but in terms of law, orderly
processes, world security and world peace.
"6. The Japanese Government has affirmed
in its note of October 27 to which it refers in its note of November 12 that in
employing armed force against China it was anxious to 'make China renounce her
present policy.' The representatives met at Brussels are moved to point out
that there exists no warrant in law for the use of armed force by any country
for the purpose of intervening in the internal regime of another country and
that general recognition of such a right would avoid a permanent cause of
conflict.
"7. The Japanese Government contends
that it should be left to Japan and China to proceed to a settlement by and
between them alone. But, that a just and lasting settlement could be achieved
by such a method cannot be believed.
"Japanese armed forces are present in
enormous numbers on Chinese soil and have occupied large and important areas
thereof. Japanese authorities have decided in substance that it is Japan's
objective to destroy the will and the ability of China to resist the will and
the demands of Japan. The Japanese Government affirms that it is China whose
actions and attitude are in contravention of the Nine Power Treaty; yet,
whereas China is engaged in full and frank discussion of the matter with the
other parties to that treaty, Japan refuses to discuss it with any of them.
Chinese authorities have repeatedly declared that they will not, in fact that
they cannot, nego-
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tiate with Japan alone for a settlement by agreement. In these
circumstances there is no ground for any belief that, if left to themselves,
Japan and China would arrive in the appreciably near future at any solution
which would give promise of peace between those two countries, security for the
rights and interests of other countries, and political and economic stability
in the Far East.
"On the contrary there is every reason
to believe that if this matter were left entirely to Japan and China the armed
conflict—with attendant destruction of life and property, disorder,
uncertainty, instability, suffering, enmity, hatreds, and disturbance to the
whole world—would continue indefinitely.
"8. The Japanese Government in their
latest communication invite the powers represented at Brussels to make a
contribution to the stability of Eastern Asia in accordance with the realities
of the situation.
"9. In the view of the representatives of
the states met at Brussels, the essential realities of the situation are those
to which they draw attention above.
"10. The representatives of the states
met at Brussels are firmly of the belief that, for the reasons given above, a
just and durable settlement is not to be expected of direct negotiations
between the parties. That is why in the communications addressed to the
Japanese Government they invited that Government to confer with them or with
representatives of a small number of powers to be chosen for that purpose, in
the hope that such exchange of views might lead to acceptance of their good
offices and thus help towards the negotiation of a satisfactory settlement.
"11. They still believe that if the
parties to the conflict would agree to a cessation of hostilities in order to
give an opportunity for such a procedure to be tried, success might be
achieved. The Chinese Delegation has intimated its readiness to fall in with
this procedure. The representatives of the states met at Brussels find it difficult
to understand Japan's persistent refusal to discuss such a method.
"12. Though hoping that Japan will not
adhere to her refusal the states represented at Brussels must consider what is
to be their common attitude in a situation where one party to an international
treaty maintains against the views of all the other parties that the action
which it has taken does not come within the scope of that treaty, and sets
aside provisions of the treaty which the other parties hold to be operative in
the circumstances."
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