Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-07-08
THE COLONIAL MANDATES

THE COLONIAL MANDATES
General SHUTS, in December last
published a little brochure, which he
called The League of Nations; a
Practical Suggestion" In it, he out
lined his project of a league, which
has been very closely followed in the
covenant which has been adopted by
the Peace Conference in Paris. Gen
eral SHUTS pointed out that one of the
first results of the war would be the
removal of existing sovereignties over
the colonial empire of Germany and
1.-THE nations heretofore under Ottoman
trule, and the establishment of a group
lof new and untried states in Europe.
With respect to the colonies, he in
| sisted hat none of these territories
should be annexed by any of the vic
torious powers; that in their future
government, any external authority,
control or administration which might
be necessary because of their imper-
lfectly developed civilization, should
exclusively be vested in and exercised
iby or on behalf of the League of Ma
Itions. He pointed out that wherever
in the past joint international admin
Iistration had been applied to terri
tories or peoples, it had been found
wanting; that the only successful adj
ministration of colonies or d~ependen-
Icies was that which had been carried
out under the direction of n state
with sufficient experience for the pur-
pose. He advocated administration of
the peoples and territories coming I'M
der the jurisdiction of the League, by
nominating a particular state to act
flor and on behalf of the League in
the matter, and that wherever posi-
BILE, this agent or mandatory of the
League should be nominated or ap-
proved by the people of the territory
lin question, the degree of authority,
control or administration to be exer-
lcised by the mandatory state to be in
each cas- laid down by the League in
la special act or charter.
Britain's Colonial Empire
During the war, different powers of
the Alliance came into the possession
of various territories or colonies. and,
lat the time of the opening of the
Peace Conference, some of them gave
evidence of a strong desire to continue
such possession for their own benefit.
On the other hand, Great Britain dis
played a very strong disinclination to
herself to the charge of having
waged war to extend her c~oloSial en-
pire. General Shuts proposal fur
nished a solution of both of these diff
ficulties, and the principles advocated
by him were closely followed in Ar
ticle XIX of the original Covenant of
Paris. Great objection to it, however,
was expressed in some American
quarters, Upon the ground that the
League might require a nation-ours,
for instance-without its consent, and
aginst its will, to undertake the
administration of some far distant
country. The apprehension was not
by the language of the Cow
enant, but the revised Covenant has
removed any possible basis for it, by
expressly limiting the selection of
of the League to those
who are willing to accept.
The history Of German colonization
is one of the exploitation of semi
barbarous peoples for the benefit of
without the slightest regard
to the welfare or interests of the peo-
pies she ruled over. 1t is, therefore,
that n of the African
Australasian possessions of Ger
many should be restored to her, nor
is it conceivable thai the Allied Pow
ers should return to. the rule of the
unspeakable Turk any of those re-
gions which have been freed from
Ottoman tyranny.
Not Ready for lf-Governments
The African colonies are, and for
many years will be, incapable of gov
erning themselves. Such regions as
Mesopotamia, Syria and Armenia are
self-government and incapable, at the
omplete political autonomy. While
by the army of one of the Allied