New-York tribune., 1920-11-26
j. S. Demands
Equal Rights
In Mandates
(csntlnued frpm pass ene)

cation Of tho principle Of equality Of
treatment to the territories of the
Near East to be placed under man.
dates, and specifically to the petro-
leum resources of those territories as
affected by that principle.
before considering the observa-
tions OF his majesty's government
on the general principles advocated
by the United States and agreed to by
the Allied powers for application to
the mandates over former Turkish
territory, as outlined in the notes
OF May IL and July 2S, addressed to
YOU on behalf of this government,
thlnk 1t Will clarity the discussion
to indicate certain of YOUR state
ments and assurances Which tb;s
government has been pleased to re-
ceive. Thus, I note that the assign
ment to Great Britain of the mandate
Tor Mesopotamia was made and ac-
cepted subject to no friendly arrange
ment whatever with any third GOV
eminent regarding economic rights.
which, of course. would have been
"holly at variance with the purrose
and contemplation of any mandate.
1T is also gratifying to learn that
ms ma!esty's government is in full
sympathy with the several proposi-
tlons formulated in the note of Nav
~ above referred to. which embodv
or illustrate the principles which thi,
government believes should be ap-
pled IN the mandated regions and
winch are essential to the practical
realization of equality of treatment.
British Good Faith Admitted
"The statements Of YOUR note n
the effect that the British govern
ment has refrained from exploiting
the petroleum resources of the man
dated territories in question, that the
operations referred to have been
conducted for purely military pur-
poses under the immediate SUPER
vision of the army authorities and at
army expense, and that no private
interests whatever are in any way in
Volved, are accepted with a full sense
OF the good faith of the British gov
ernment.
The government of the United
States notes that his majesty's gov
ernment has found it nece ssary to
suspend, during the period of occupa-
ton, the grant of facilities and op-
portunities to British as we'll as to
other private interests to investigate
INC idtui al resources OF Cne country,
either for the purpose of acquiring
new claims or strengthening old
ones, and that there is no reason for
assuming that the administration
either of Mesopotamia or of Pales-
tine has at any time failed to carry
out the assurances of his majesty's
government.
This government welcomes your
pledges to the effect that the natural
resources OF Mesopotamia are to be
secured to the people Of Mesopota-
mia and to the future Arab state to
be established in that region, and
that it is the purpose of the British
government, fully alive to it's obliga-
ton as temporary occupant, not
only to secure those resources to the
Mesopotamian state, but also its ab-
solute freedom Of action in the con-
trol thereof, and in particular that
it is far from the intention of the
mandatory power to establish any
kind of monopoly or preferred posi-
ton in its own interest
THE government of the United
States appreciates, likewise, the con-
currence with its view that the mer-
its of all claims to rights alleged to
have been acquired in the inundated
territories before the outbreak of hos