Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-07-08
Today's Letter Takes Up

Powers, vet in a general sehse' 49,
possession was the result OF the COM
bined effort If the Allies and no ~ II
power is warranted IN claiming ~ ~
r;obt or should be charged with the
dntv of continued occupation n SOLE
resnonsibility for the government Oh
such regions. The suggestion OF ZEN
eraI SHUTS was followed by the Peace
Conference as affording q just Solu-
tion of a difficult problem.
"Sacred Trust of Civilization"
Article xxi of the revised cove
nant declares that there shall pe ups
piled to that problem:
"the principle that the well being
and development of sue peoples
form a sacred trust of civilization
! and that securities for the per-
formance of this trust should De
embodied in this covenant.
IF declares the best method OF giving
practical effect to this principle 10 pc
that the tutelage of such peoples pe
entrusted to advanced nations, VINO
nv reason of their resources, expert
ence or geographical position, can best
undertake this responsibility, and that
the character of the andat under
which they should act must diner ac-
cording to the stage of deveIopmen'
OF the people, the geographical sltua-
tion of the territory, its economic
conditions. and other similar clrcum-
stances. In the cas- of communities
formerly belonging to the T
Empire which have reached a stage
of development where their existence
as in~dependent nations can provision
allv be recognized, subject to the gen.
eraI assistance and central of a man
datary it is declared that the wishes
of those communities should be the
principal consideration in the Selec-
ton of a particular mandatory. Other
peoples, especially those OF Centrai
Africa, are at such a stage OF deVel-
'opment that the mandatory must pc
responsible for the administration OF
the territory, under conditions when
will guarantee freedom of conscience
or religion, subject only to h MAIN
tenance of public order and morals,
the prohibition of abuses, such as the
Slave trade, the arms traffic and the
LIQUOR traffic, and the prevention OF
the establishment of Notifications or
military or naval bases and of mill
tary training of the natives, except
for their own police and defense pur-
poses, and under such conditions also
as will secure equal opportunities for
the trade and m of other
members OF tue LEAGUE. 1hSoC pr
visions should effectively preclude
the possibility of such scandals as the
history of the Congo State affords.
international Stewardship
Other territories, such as Southwest
Africa and certain of the South Pa
cific Islands, which are contiguous to
organized and civilized powers of the
character of the South African
Union or the Australian Common
wealth can, it is pointed out in the
revised Covenant, best be administer
ed as integral portions Of the terri
tory of such an adjacent nation and
under its laws, subject to the safe
guards above mentioned. and in the
interests of the indigenous popula-
ton.
In every instance, the mandatory is
required to render to the Council an
annual report of it's stewardship, and
a permanent commission is to be con-
stituted to receive and examine these
reports and to advise the Council on
all matters relating to the observance
of the mandates. =
The United States is not required,
under the treaty, to accept a mandate
to administer any one of these terri
But the direct responsibility
it has assumed in the settle
ment of the terms of peace may, and
probably will. impose upon it the
moral obligation of discharging some
duty in this direction. The experience
which has been gained in the admin
istration of our Asiatic and other in
sular possessions should have fitted
for the performance of such a
trust.