The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-02-06
COLONIES TO SAY
WHO SHALL RULE
Mandatory Chosen BY People,
but Subject to League
OF Nations.
OPEN DOOR IS PROVIDED.
New Principle 10 BE Applied 70 s"s
Larger Territories insolved--IAsk
Of Keeping Order In Ottoman
Empire to De Divided

Paris. The announcement was mAus
In authoritative quarters that the great
colonial powers. notably Great Britain
and France, had accepted In principe
the American proposal put forward ~
President Wilson for the league OF ma
tons exercising supervision over INC
German colonies and allotting their so'
ministrat ton to mandatory powers.
The provisional arrangement F"
which the communication refers Is tho
acceptance In principle OF President
Wilson's plan OF mandatory admins
tering OF the colonies.
The reference to the occupied terry
tory OF Turkey In Asia Indicates tha.
Mesopotamia, Palestine, Armenia ana
SYRIA are brought within the scope OF
this new policy OF dealing with the col
onies.
Thus suddenly has come withih
range of practical accomplishment one
of the most sweeping changes In colo
NAL management that ever nave oc'
Cured. The basic Idea OF this pohcy
Is TINT the colonies will be administer"
ed by mandate for the benent Oh thelr
own people and not exploited as proht
making enterprises by the powers
claiming them.
While acceptance OF the principle II
with the condition that the details may
be worked out on practical basis, YET
exchanges among the powers ienu 10
the belief that the demils VIII Do
formulated for acceptance by all tho
colonies and powers, including Great
Britain. France, Japan, Belgian ana
Portugal The most formidable oppo-
sition has come from Premier hughes
of Australia, who has maintained thnt
anything short Of outright annexation
of New Guinea TO Australia might en-
danger the friendly feeling toward the
mother country.
This. however, Is In process OF Deihg
reconcied by concessions on deta'lsl
but in any event the opposition Is con-
| sidered to have lost its effectiveness.
President Wilson has taken lead
Ing mart In the animated discussions
and acceptance Of the new prlhcipie u
being credited largely to his determih
ed attitude. There Is no desire III
American quarters, however, TO her
aid victory, but. on the contrary, ~
earnest desire Is shown that the man
datory powers shall not be hampereo
In the least by the administration o.
the colonies
Accordance OF the new principe II
construed as applying not only TO I'M
: colonies, but also as the establishment
, of precedent of the FAIR dea'ihi
which VIII prevail when the large Ter
ritorial questions come up for decision
later.
[ Owing 10 the important decision
reached, the following precise iniorha
tion concerning the mandatory pial
: was made available. Three broad pro
: posals for the disposition OF the Ger
: man colonies we're advanced. The mrs
{ proposed annexation, much as the ra
cific Northwest was annexed as Amer
lean territory. The second proposes
y international administration, similar Y
4 tie first International control OF IN
{ Congo. which proved failure, as di
4 similar systems in Albania and Morot
!. co. The third proposal was me mnlins
+ tory system, which was Included II, IN
!. American plan for II league OF nations
There are two conceptions OF thi
mandatory system now under exnfnina
ton. One plan makes the league Q
a nations trustee Of the colonies workin
). through particular safes as It's ngeh
q but reserving detailed powers OF ovel
sight. The second Is that the truste
shall be one OF the members OF IN
league Of nations and working for )u'
administration.
J. ~>>r~-~~~~~~-~