Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1919-02-06
NEWS REVIEW OF
CURRENT EVENTS.
Captured German Colonies Are to
Be Placed Under Interna-
ticnal Control.
WILSON'S PLAN IS ADOPTED.
British Dominions Protest in Vain
Mandatories Of League Of Nas
tions Will Rule the Territories
Little Progress With
Russian Problem.
BY EDWARD w. PICKARp.

Z - VvSNN0 We G7tSbNSA6t0s-e
Gerlnany's lost colonies occupied
much of the time and attention of the
peace delegates last week, md the
result of their deliberations apparently
was that those colonies, and probably
some Of the territories that are to be
Topped off the Turkish, empire, are to
be internationalized by being intrusted
/ to governments designated as "manda-
tories by the league of nations. These
mandatories presumably will have a
certain liberty of action in executing
their control of the colonies and the
league, it is supposed, will enforce, by
safeguards, a system very similar in
effect to the British colonial admins
stration.
This disposition of the former Ger
man possessions, If it is finally ac-
cepted by the peace conference, will
prove another triumph for President
Wilson, for while he has yielded some
what in compromise, it is mainly his
idea. The British imperial cabinet ac-
cepted his theory, despite the strenu-
Gus objections of the representatives
Of the British dominions, and the. ati-
hesion of France also was announced.
Japan was not very well pleased, and
neither was Italy:
In ANOTHER way this decision, il
made, vindicates Mr.. Wilson'S ideas,
for it is admitted that the creation and
maintenance of the league of nations
#is necessary to carry out the colonial
plan. and the president asserts that,
sinasmuch as the league was unani-
lnOusly agreed to, 1t is necessary to
turn the colonies over to the league un-
der the protectorate' of the nations best
fitted to hold them.
The question of the German colonies
developed the most serious diplomatic
contest the conference has engaged in,
and at the time of writing the end of
the fight was not in sight Those colo.
MES were Germany's greatest asset,
and some of the allied nations had
counted on them to make up in part
their immense financial expenditures
in the war; Secret agreements had
been entered into giving Australia and
New Zealand the German possessions
south of the equator and giving Japan
the Caroline and Marshall islands. De-
spite the action of the British imperial
war cabinet in London, the British del
egates to the conference we're dis
posed to stand by these agreements.
The represeI tatives of Australia and
New Zealand were especially insistenr
on theil, claims, and We're supported by
the japanese, who expected in return
the support Of Great Britain for posi-.
tons in the Sliantung peninsula and
Mancluria. The South African repre-
sentatives, also, We're displeased, be-
lleying the plan would encourage the
rebellious elements there that are stin
agitating for an independent South AZ
RIGA
Assuming that the iatelnationaliza-
tt0n plan is adopted, it is likely the
control of the lands in question would
beabout as follows. German West AZ.
rica to France; the Kamerun to
French Congo German Southwest AZ.
srtca to the South African Union !:
German East Africa mainly to Great
Britain, a. small part going to Belgian
Congo; the Caf0lines and Marshall
island to Japan; New Guinea to Aus.
tfalia Samoa to New Zealand. Japan
expresses willingness to give Kiao-l
Chau back to China, under conditions
that have not vet developed. These
are in the mnin the claims that were
made by the allied nations; but Presi-
dent Wilson and his American col.
leagues made It clear they would not
agree to the plan BY which absolute
possession Of the German colonies