Omaha daily bee., 1919-01-29
JAPAN CLAIMS
ISLANDS IN The
PACIFIC OCEAN

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posed by President Wilson. to a
league of nations which would exer-
else International control, while Civ.
ing a mandate to such powers as ad-
minister the particular colonies.
This larger question, affecting the
general administration of the colo.
MES, was considered by the council
today, as we'll as the particular in
terests involved and the discussions
will be continued tomorrow morn
ing.
Has 100000 Inhabitants.
German East Africa is the most
important territorial possession in
volved as it has upward of 100000
inhabitants. Besides being adjacent
to the British South Africa common
wealth, it is a necessary link con-
Meeting the British in the south and
the north, thus completing the Brit
ish territorial chain between Cairo
and Cape Colony.
German Southwest Africa is re-
garded as less important, though the
harbor in Walfsh Bay has some ad-
vantages.
Belgian interests are believed to
be related to southwest Africa,
while the French interests are
toward the Kameruns and Togoland,
which adjoin French Dahomey and
the French Congo.
China's interests in the colonies is
in getting back Kiau-Chow after it
passes from Germany to Japan, and
also in the termination of German
concessions at Tien-Tsin, Shanghai
and other points. Japan's interests
are both in Kiau-Chow and the Pa
cihc islands. The islands are being
considered in two main groups, first
New Guinea, Bismarck and the
Samoa group, in which Australia
and New leland are presenting their
interests; and second the Marshall,
Caroline and Marianne groups, lying
east of the Philippines and south
of Japan.
The first group of islands is fer
tile and productive; the second con-
sists of coral islets chiefly valuable
as strategic bases.
It is this whole range Of colonies,
once constituting Germany's hopes
of world control, that are now under
consideration in the sessions of the
supreme council of the great pow
ers.
America Interested.
The Pacific islands phase of the
colonial claims now before the couG-
Gil is particularly interesting to the
American representatives because
of the American interests in the
Pacific, notably through American
possession of Hawaii and the Philip
pines. There has been no official
announcement of what Japan pro-
poses the powers should give her
for her part in the war, but there
have been reports here that Japan
was willing to turn Kiao Chow back
to China, but wished to retain the
German rights to the development
of the Hinterland. There has been
no indication of how far she would
press her claims to the Pacific
islands.
British Treaty Involved.
London, Jan. 28-In referring to
Japan's claims for islands in the
Pacific the Paris correspondent
of the Mail writes:
Such possession would be very
distasteful to the United States and
American political opinion is that if
President Wilson agrees to this
move his power will be seriously
impaired. 1t is suggested that from
this comes his earnest demand for
the internationalization of all Pa
cifc colonies. 1t is quite cle,r, how
ever, that the whole voice of the
British empire at the peace congress
supports the claims of Australia,
New Zealand and the Union of
South Africa and also agrees to the
retention by Japan of the Marshalls
and Carolines, with equatorial de-
limitation of influence"