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between the Chinese and Japanese Governments regarding the interpretation of the declaration or of the new treaties, and with such other categories of disputes as might be specified in the treaty of conciliation.
Finally, in conformity with the provisions for non-aggression and mutual assistance inserted in the treaty, the contracting parties should agree that Manchuria should gradually become a demilitarized area. With this object, it would be provided that, after the organisation of the gendarmerie had been effected, any violation of the demilitarized territory by either of the parties or by a third party would constitute an act of aggression entitling the other party, or both parties in the case of a third-party attack, to take whatever measures might be deemed advisable to defend the demilitarised territory, without prejudice to the right of the Council of the League to take action under the Covenant.
If the Government of the U.S.S.R. desired to participate in the non-aggression and mutual assistance section of such a treaty, the appropriate clauses could be embodied in a separate tripartite agreement.
4. The Sino-Japanese Commercial Treaty.
The commercial treaty would naturally have as its object the establishment of conditions which would encourage as much as possible the exchange of goods between China and Japan, while safeguarding the existing treaty rights of other countries. This treaty should also contain an undertaking by the Chinese Government to take all measures within its power to forbid and repress organised boycott movements against Japanese trade, without prejudice to the individual rights of Chinese consumers.
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The above suggestions and considerations regarding the objects of the proposed Declaration and treaties are submitted for the consideration of the Council of the League. Whatever may be the details of future agreements, the essential point is that negotiations should be begun as soon as possible and should be conducted in a spirit of mutual confidence.
Our work is finished.
Manchuria for a year past has been given over to strife and turmoil.
The population of a large, fertile and rich country has been subjected to conditions of distress such as it has probably never experienced before.
The relations between China and Japan are those of war in disguise, and the future is full of anxiety.
We have reported the circumstances which have created these conditions.
Everyone is fully aware of the gravity of the problem which confronts the League of Nations and of the difficulties of the solution.
At the moment of concluding our Report, we read in the Press two statements by the Foreign Ministers of China and Japan, from each of which we would extract one point of the utmost importance.
On August 28th, Mr. Lo Wen Kan declared at Nanking:
"China is confident that any reasonable proposal for the settlement of the present situation will necessarily be compatible with the letter and spirit of the Covenant of the League of Nations and the anti-war Pact, and the Nine-Power Treaty, as well as with China's sovereign power, and will also effectively secure a durable peace in the Far East."
On August 30th, Count Uchida is reported to have declared at Tokyo:
"The Government considers the question of Sino-Japanese relations as more important than the question of Manchuria and Mongolia."
