Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1920-10-02
Warnings
Ignored by
President
General Board Of Navy Urged
Against Granting of Pacific
Islands to Japan at
Peace Conference.
Gave Menace in War
By A. -HUR SEARS HENNING.

BY a. HUR SEARS HENNING
Chicago Ir..m' ~o.,aha bee Leased Wire
Washington, Oct. How Prcsi.
dent Wilson, in the face of impress
sive warning from his own admin
istration, surrendered to Japan, al
the peace conference, the Pacific
Island outposts, possession of which
might decide war between the
United States and Japan, was re-
vealed here today.
1t transpired that on the eve OF
the assembling Of the peace con-
terence at Paris, the general board
OF the navy, the highest authority
or sitategic police for external de-
te.ise of the nation, prepared men,
orandunl, setting forth the menace
20 the United States, of permitting
Japan to retain possession of the
Marshall group of islands in the
North Pacific, which belonged to
GeYmany prior to the war.
The memorandum pointed out
taat these islands, which cross the
lhe OF communication between the
United States and the Philippines,
constitute a screen behind which
the Philippines could be seized and
occupied with impunity unless i'm
preGnatly fortified and defended,
and envelop the American island
OF Gaan1, which is not only vital
hnking point of American trans Pa
cific communications, but the site
OF a prospective great American
naval base.
Apprehsnsiea Expressed.
The board viewed with grave ap-
prehensien, the possession of these
island strongholds by an aggressive
power which has already been
noticeably reaching out for domina-
ton of the Pacific, a power with
which the United State might come
to blows.
Even before the development in
Japan of popular agitation to press
the. racial equality demands on the
United States to the point of war, if
necessary, it was reported that the
Toxic had begun the fortihcation of
the North Pacific islands.
The Japenese embassy has en-
phatically denied any violation of
the covenant enjoining on manda-
tories, the prevention of the estab-
lishanent of fortihcations or military
and naval bases and OF military
TRAINING of the natives for other than
police purposes and the defense Of
territory" This provision is con-
strued by some, however, as permit
ting fortifcations for the defense Of
the islands, and such bases might
easily be- expanded in time of war
Into formidable ocean barrier.
Form Menace to U. S.
American naval authorities agree
that in the event OF war between the
two nations, Japan would seize the
Philippines, which we could not pre-
yent unless a large part of our navy
were on the scene well ahead of time,
and then entrench herself behind the
North Pacific islands and await an
American attack, a prodigious un-
dertaling for an American fleet 1000
miles or more from home, without
adequate bases at hand.
The fact that Japan had been
promised the islands by the secret
treaties of 1917 with Great Britain
and France, was not deemed insep-
arabic by the American naval
authorities. viewing the question
from the standpoint of vital inter-
ests of the United States. 1t was
conceived that in the bargaining at
the peace table, and in the diplomatic
maneuvering behind the scenes, the
president would be able to command
the award of the former German
islands to the United States. Every
move was made to impress the presi-
e fContinuea . Fsee Two, Column sis.)