The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1919-02-14
NEWS REVIEW OF
CURRENT EVENTS
Captured German Colonies Are to
Be Placed Under Interna.
tional Control.
WILSON'S flkN IS ADOPTED
British Oominicns Protest In Vain
tions Will Rule the Territories
Little Progress With
Russian Problem.
BY EDWARD W. PIckARD.

BY EDWARD w. PICkARO.
Germany's lost colonies occupied
much of the time and attention of the
peace delegates last week, and the
result of their deliberations apparently
was that those colonies, and probably
some of the territories that are to be
Topped off the Turkish empire, are to
be internationalized by being intrusted
to governments designated as ''manda
tories" by the league of nations. These
mandatories presumably will have a
certain liberty of action in executing
their control of the colonies, and the
league, it Is supposed will enforce, by
safeguards, system very similar in
effect to the British colonial admins
tration.
This disposition of the FORMER Ger
man possessions, if it is finally nc.
cepted by the peace conference, will
prove another triumph for President
Wilson, for while he has yielded some
what in compromise, it is mainly his
idea. The British imperial cabinet ac
cepted his theory, despite the strenu
Gus objections of the Representatives
hesion of France also was announced
Japan was not very well pleased, and
neither was Italy.
In another way this decision, ii
made, vindicates Mr.. Wilson's ideas
for it is admitted that the creation and
maintenance of the league of nations
is necessary to carry out the colonial
plan, and the president asserts that
inasmuch as the league was unani
mousy agreed to, it is necessary to
turn the colonies over to the league un-
der the protectorate of the nations best
fitted to hold them.
The question of the German colonies
developed the most serious diplomatic
contest the conference has engaged in.
and at the time of writing the end OF
the fight was not in sight. Those colo
nies We're Germany's greatest asset.
! and some of the allied nations had
! counted on them to make up in part
/ their immense financial expenditures
In the war. Secret agreements had
been entered into giving Australia and
New Zealand the German possessions
south of the equator and giving Japan
the Caroline and Marshall islands. De-
| spite the action of the British imperial
war cabinet in London the British del
egates to the conference were dis
posed to stand by these agreements.
| The representatives of Australia and
, New Zealand were especially insistent
on their claims, and were supported by
"a lar p-hn pynprtnd n m
the support of Great Britain for posi-
tons in the Shantung peninsula and
Manchuria. The South African repre-
sentatives, also, were displeased. be
lieving the plan would encourage the
rebellous elements there that are still
agitating for an Independent South At
rica.
Assuming that the internationaliza-
tion plan is adopted, it is likely the
control of the lands in question would
be about as follows: German West AT.
RIGA to France; the Kamerun to
French Congo; German Southwest At.
rica to the South African Union;
German East Africa mainly to Great
Britain, small part going to Belgian
Congo; the Carolines and Marshall
island to Japan; New Guinea to Aus
tralia Samoa to New Zealand Japan
expresses Willingness to give Kiao-
Chau back to China, under conditions
that have not yet developed. These
are in the main the claims that were
made by the allied nations; but Presi-
dent Wilson and his American col
ieagues made ii clear they would not
agree to the plan by which absolute
possession Of the German colonies
would be granted as a means of re
coupling war losses. The dividing up
of the spols of victory, they held,
would be in absolute violation of the
promises that the rights of commune
ties and small nations shall be protect
ed. 1t was understood that If Italy
agreed to the internationalization plan
she would surrender her claim to FL
ume and the Dalmatian coast as abso-
Lutte possessions, perhaps being glveu
control of the latter until the territory
is ready to assert the principle of self
determination.
The supreme war council tentatively
decided that the spread of lawlessness
in Turkey made 1t necessary that allied
troops should be sent there, and the
military representatives were directed
to prepare report on the most equit-
able distribution of this military bur-
den among the allies. The occupation
Of Turkey will continue until :he peace
conference has determined on the fu-
ture government of the Turks terri
tories. 1t is understood that Palestine,
Armenia. Syria and Mesopotamia will
come within the scope of the plan Of
dealing with colonies by the manda-
tory system.