The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1919-01-02
mr.. WILSON'S PLAN
FOR HUN COLONIES
PRESIDENT BELIEVES THAT
THEY SHOULD BE GOVERNED
BY LEAGUE OF NATIONS.
SAMOAN EXPERIMENT FAILED
Joint Control in That Case Caused
Continual ontroversy-Disposa OF
Governments War Material is q
Serious Problem.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.

BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.
Washington. - Disposition of the
colonies which before the war be-
lOnged to Germany was one feature of
the peace conference which II was
supposed would not concern the Unit
ed States to any great extent. But
1t appears that President Wilson be-
lieves the former German colonies
should be turned over to and governed
by the League of Nations when Ii is
formed. Such action would make the
Eeague Of Nations a very active force
immediately upon It's organization. for
the handling of these vast colonies
would at once become an important
matter. OF course IL is too early
even to guess as to what England
Japan and France would have to say
concerning such disposition of the col
'onies. Ii has not been the habit Of
aether England or Japan to give up
that which they have once laid hands
on. The suggestion of such DISPOSE
ton of the colonies had not been made
previous to President Wilson's de-
parture for the peace conference.
There are men still in public life
who can remember the disagreeable
results attending the attempt of
three countries to govern even small
portion Of the world. The United
States. Great Britain and Germany
had for time joint control of the
Samoan islands. This resulted in
endless controversy until II was final
ly found necessary to divide the small
group, awarding to each country GER
tain specific islands, as joint control
was utterly imprncticable. What hap
pened In the Samoan islands quar-
ter of century ago will no doubt be
recalled If peace treaty Is submit
ted containing provision for joint
control Of the former German colonies
by League of Nations. 1t is posi-
bic that such control will be more
severe strain upon the League Of Ma
lions than would be the effort to en-
force world peace.
One of the problems Of reconstruc-
tion is the disposition Of property now
in the hands Of the government which
purposes and which may now be USE
less. Congressman Snyder of New
York called attention to this the other
day and said that the government had
on hand 125,O00.0O0 shirts and draw
-ers, both wool and cotton. He said
that II any such amount Of knit goods
was thrown upon the market at one
time II would disorganize that indus
try for the next IL months. Then he
referred to the subject of hardware.
The government has on hand $780,
100000 worth Of hardware. such rs
shOvels. hoes, picks, hammers, axes.
monkey wrenches and things Of that
sort. Snyder said that IL these goods
were thrown on the market by auction
It would disrupt the whole hardware
business Of the country. SO 1t ap-
pears that the government must
handle with care the large supplies
which II has accumulated.
An interesting side issue of the
speakership contest In the next house.
IL there is contest, will be TINT If
Congressman Gillett of Massachusetts
should be elected 1t will place his
state in the lead with reference to the
number Of her men who have held the
speakership. AT present there Is u
three-cornered tie, Virginia. Massac hu-
sets and Kentucky having furnished
four speakers each. There is no
chance Of either a vlrginian or Ken.
tuckian getting the honor In the next
house. Minority Leader Mann Of I'LL
nois, II elected to the high office.
would make the second speaker from
that state. Other states that have had
representatives In the speakers CHI air
are: Pennsylvania. Connecticut, New
Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina.
South Carolina. New York. Tennessee.
Indiana, Georgia, Maine. Ohio. Iowa
and Missouri.
Senator vardaman Of Mississippi
entered a protest In the senate not
Tong ago because Of the continuance
OF work on the dormitories for war
workers. now being erected on the
Union station plaza at Washington.
The ire of the Mississippi senator was
especially aroused over report that
one OF the buildings was to be used
as moving picture show, which he
said II true was q horrible" waste
Of money.
There Is to be no undue delay in
the consideration of the revenue bill
by the senate. There was a time
when the Republicans threatened to
debate the bill because 1t contained
two bills In one, that Is, one pro-
vlding for 1910 and another for
1920. But after mature consideration
Il was deemed wise not to antagonize
n revenue measure further than by
legitimate discussion and by opposi-
tion votes to features that were OBJ
jectionable. There might not have
been much complaint II the debate had
lasted long. as this bill has been the
most delayed important measure ever
L.