Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1919-02-07
COL L-ONIES TO SAY
Who SHALL RULE
Mandatory Chosen by People,
but Subject to League
of Nations.
OPEN DOOR is PROVIDED
New Principle to Be Applied to the
Larger Territories lnvolved-Task
of Keeping Order in Ottoman
Empire to Be Divided.

Paris.-The announcement was made
in authoritative quarters that the great
colonial powers, notably Great Britain
and France, had accepted in principle
the American proposal put forward by
President Wilson for the league Of ma.
tions exercising supervision over the
German colonies and allotting their ad.
ministration to mandatory powers.
The provisional arrangement tG
which the communication refers Is the
acceptance in principle of President
Wilson's plan Of mandatory admins
tering of the colonies.
The reference to the occupied terri
tory of Turkey in Asia indicates that
Mesopotamia, Palestine, Armenia and
Syria are brought within the scope OF
this new policy of dealing with the col
onies.
Thus suddenly has come within
range of practical accomplishment one
of the most sweeping changes In colo
NAL management that ever have oc'
Cured. The basic idea Of this policy
is that the colonies will be administer
ed by mandate for the benefit of thei1
own people and not exploited as profit
making enterprises by the powers
claiming them.
While acceptance Of the principle is
with the condition that the details may
be worked out on a practical basis, yet
exchanges among the powers lead tt
the belief that the details will be
formulated for acceptance by all the
colonies and powers, including Great
Britain, France, Japan, Belgian anc
Portugal. The most formidable oppo
sition has come from Premier Hughes
Of Australia, who has maintained thai
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 being
reconciled by concessions on details
but in any event the opposition is con
sidered to have lost it's effectiveness.
President Wilson has taken a lead
1uS part III lhC tlilIihtilSNi NASNNSSA"A's
and acceptance of the new principle ii
being credited largely to his determin
ed attitude. There is no desire il
American quarters, however, to her
aid a victory, but, OH the contrary, al
earnest desire is shown that the man
datory powers shall not be hamperet
in the least by the administration o:
the colonies.
Acceptance Of the new principle Ii
construed as applying not only to thu
colonies, but also as the establishment
of a precedent of the fair dealing
which will prevail when the large ter
ritorial questions come up for decision
later.
Owing to the important decision
reached, the following precise informa
ton concerning the mandatory pla1
was made available. Three broad pro
posals for the disposition Of the Ger
man colonies were advanced. The frs
proposed annexation, much as the Pa
cific Northwest was annexed as Amer
lean territory. The second proposed
international administration, similar tt
tie first international control of tht
Congo, which proved failure, as die
similar systems in Albania and Moroc
co. The third proposal was the manda
tory system, which wasfncluded in the
American plan for a league Of nations
There are two conceptions of thi:
mandatory system now under eXamina
ton. One plan lhakes the league o:
nations trustee of he colonies working
through particular states as its agent
but reserving detailed powers of over
sight. The second is that the trustee
shall be one Of the members Of thu
league Of nations and working for JUS
administration.