The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-02-10

The principle adopted for the DISPOSE
ton of the conquered German colonies
was not cOncretely foreshsdowed in the
IA points. No. ) was as follows:
"a free, open minded and absolutely
impartial adjustment of all colonial
claims, based upon a strict observance
of the principle that in determining all
such questions of sovereignty the inter
ests of the population concerned must
have equal weight with the equitable
claims of the government whose title
is to be determined"
The colonies formerly German are not
to be restored to Germany nor are they
to be annexed by any other power, MIR
Wilson's solution, which appears to have
overcome the strong opposition of the
British dominions in South Africa and
Australia, and also of Japan, is that the
title to those lands in Africa Asia and
the islands of the Pacific shall be vested
in the league of nations. which shall give
mandate to some one power in each
case to govern them.
The effect of this solution would, in
theory at least, be threefold. 1t would
safeguard in some measure the right of
the natives of the German colonies to
elf-determination at later date by
reserving to them the right of appeal TO
the league of nations, especially if the
government were unsatisfactory to them.
It would also safeguard the principle Of
no annexations OF conquered territory to
which none of the allied powers had a
valid claim prior to the war and would
keep the heads of the allies clean Of the
faint of greedily plundering the Ger
man colonial empire. 1t would, finally,
set up in business from the start the
new league of nations.
No power, and no dominion of the
British empire, can seriously object to
this plan if it believes, at heart, that
the league of nations is doomed to fail
ure. Once in actual occupation OF New
Guinea the Australian commonwealth
would never withdraw if the league of
nations should amount to nothing. And
so OF Japan with reference to the for
mer islands of Germany in the north Pa
cifc. and of British South Africa with
reference to the contiguous German ter
ritory. So long as they should give de
cent government to the colonies placed
under their charge, the league OF nations
would not remove them as trustees !;
while the minute the league ceased 10
function. or became impotent, they
would all be in a position to annex the
colonies outright Possession would be
nine points in 10 of the law.
We expect to see the Wilson plan,
after direct opposition fades away. as
sailed on the ground that il is a sham.
1t will be pointed ont That the old CON
cert Of Europe, by the treaty of Berlin in
1875 gave Austria Hungary mandate
TO occupy and administer Bosnia and
Herzegovina, until order and prosperity
were restored, the sovereignty remain
ing vested theoretically in Turkey The
case is. not entirely parallel with the
proposed mandate Of league Of nations
TO govern the former German colonies.
but the point is that Just 30 years later,
or in 1908, Austria Hungary. still ad-
ministering Bosnia and Herzegovina by
the mandate of the concert Of Europe.
tore up the clauses of the treaty of Der.
lin, annexed the provinces and dcfied the
world.
Austria Hungary action in 1908 is a
precedent for treaty breaking and def
ance of the concert or league from which
the governing mandate was derived. The
concert OF Europe, discordant within, was
helpless. Obviously the success of a fu.
turc league Of nations in preventing sim.
liar performances with reference to the
former German colonies would depend
upon its unity and Conference, and also
the moral support it had from the civ
ilized world. If the league Of nations is
capable Of success this plan for dis
posing OF the colonies is capable of sue,
cess. If the league should fail, the pow
ers that would now get the mandate
would finally get the spoils. The oppo-
nents of "internationalizing" the colo.
mics, therefore, must be fearful lest the
league should survive and actually -four
ish.-Springield Republican