Is eta → 3π a short-distance problem

Wilson has suggested that electromagnetic ultraviolet radiative corrections can induce a u₃ tadpole into the effective electromagnetic Lagrangian for η->3π which would then eliminate Sutherland's soft-pion theorem. We have investigated this proposal within the framework of the σ model in perturbation theory and find no such effect. All induced tadpole counterterms leave the neutral isovector---axial-vector current conserved. We speculate that the "'true" u₃ needed for understanding η->3π may have its origin in the infrared structure of the weak interaction.