New-York tribune., 1919-02-01
Possession, Secret Treaty
and Need of Products Are
Cited by Peace Officials
Military Purpose Denied
Intention to Return Tsing-
tao to China Reiterated
by Secretary Matsuoka
Neto York Tribune
.SDec;dL CnbLe Se9-Dics

Special Gable Service
! Copyright 1919. New York Tribune Inc)
PARIS, Jan. 31.-Japanese claims to
the Caroline and Marshall islands in
the Pacific are based upon the following
grounds:
Right of possession, Japan having
captured these islands from the Ger
mans early in the war and administered
them ever since.
They We're awarded to Japan under
the secret Anglo-Japanese treaty of
1916, by which it was agreed that Japan
should retain the former German pos
sessions north of the Equator, while
those south Of that line should go to
the British dependencies.
The islands, while of no strategic
value to any power but Germany, are
of great value to Japan as small but
useful source of raw materials.
This statement is based upon opin-
ions ELECTED from prominent Japanese
assembled here to participate in or
watch the proceedings of the peace con-
ference.
Japan, it is argued, has no tropical
possessions yielding copra, for instance,
which she needs, and these islands arc
rich in that product. The Marshalls also
have valuable beds of potash, of which
Japan requires large quantities to re-
fresh and stimulate her naturally poor
and overworked soil.
No Opposition Expected
81 cannot quite see how objection
can be raised to retention of these
islands by JAPAN" said prominent
unofficial Japanese to The Tribune
correspondent this morning. "The
Australians, | can say definitely, have
no objection to our claims. The ISL
ands are too far away from Australia
to constitute any danger to that COM
monwoalth, even if a naval base or
ccallng station were developed there
And Japan has no intention to do that
ut has been suggested that the
United States may raise objections,
but why should it? That country al
ready has Guam, the largest island of
one of the groups of the same archi.
pelago. There can be no question OF
these Islands, in Japan's hands, being q
danger to the Philippines. beuause we
already hold Formosa, which lis only
500 miles or so from the Philippines
While the Carolines and Marshall grour
arc very much further off. Hawai-; is
as near Jaran itself as TO these islands
| do not believe the United States =
inclined 20 ppose our claims
Mr.. Wilson's proposal for interna-
tlonalizing or neutralizing the islands
is quite a different affair."" he commen-
tator continued. "Just whe that means
nobody seems quite to understand.
How far does he expect to extend such
a proposal? Will it include Guam and
the Philippines themselves?
Idea Of Purchase Evaded
"Thc United States holds the Phil
ippines by right Of conquest, subse-
quently ratified by treaty, and Guam
by right of purchase after the defeat
of Spain. 1t is suggested that Japan
should purchase the Carolines and the
Marshall group. do not pretend to
know what the official Japanese view
is, but think you will find that it runs
along the lines l have indicated"
Subsequently "The Tribune" cor
respondent called on Secretary Nat
suoka Of the Japanese peace delega-
tion, who declined either to deny or
affirm the foregoing statements. The
spondent then called Mr.. Matsu-
oka's attention to an article in to-
days "Matin," purporting to set forth
the nine points of the Japanese peace
programme. "Tht Matin" stated this
programme was drawn up a fe weeks
ago by Marquis Okuma, former Jap
anese Premier, but it had reason to
believe it constituted the programme
OF the present government of japan
and of the peace delegation.
"Iou may state for me-" said Mr..
Matsuoka, that there is not word
Of foundation for such statement" !"
His attention then was called espe-
cially to the following paragraph of
lnlS alleEeQ programme:
Il "Isngtao, the port of Kiaochao and
the South Sea Strait. should belong to
Japan. tcgther with the Tinan railway.
Germany being called upon to acquire
by regular purchase from their legiti-
mnte proprietors ownership of the
aforesaid territories and to transfer all
rights to Japan"
"Matin" Story Denied
That is absolutely and entirely con-
trary to what we propose and to what
we intend to do" commented Mr. Mat
snoka And you can use my name as
speaking officially. We came to an
agreement with China, az all the
world knows, to restore to her the
whole of the former leased territory of
Is'ngtao and Kiaochao and we shall
certainly keep our word. There is no
reason why we should not That was
definitely and, as we thought. finally
settled under our agreement with China
dated May 25, 1915.
THE terms of that agreement have
been fully published and are known to
everybody"
Mr.. Matsuoka was reminded that. as
far as could be gathered, this was the
very question that was brought up
yesterday before the peace conference
by China herself-the futur eof Kiao-
chao.
is it your opinion that China wishes
the question settled by the conference
rather than in the form prescribed in
the existing agreement with Japan ?"
MIR. Matsuoka was asked. On this
point, however, he declined to express