The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-28

The position Of the United States as
10 the mandates oUer former enemy
territory. proridcd under the Treaty
of Versailles. stated in Secretary Col
bB's note 10 Great Britain. Is that 10
cannot be deprired from participation
in the rights and priCileQes secured
under these mandates The note also
asserts that the principle of the man
dates is one Of trnSteeship and not
ownership. An Instructive surrey OF
the distribution Of cast territories and
the extension OF spheres of influence
under the issuance of these mandates
is contained in the folloaoing article.
Special Correspondence TO THE New YORK
HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
London, Nov. II.
The British flag flies to-day over
955 $50 square miles more than i'm 1914.
The French flag flies over 402, 1872 more
square miles than It did. But in Eng
land at least there is a growing dis
position both within and without the
like Potash and Perlmutters auto
mobile as more of liability than an
asset" The British man in the street
glances at ledger upon whose broad
debit side stands a war cost of better
than eight billion pounds sterling. The
total trade both import and export of
all the new territories amounts to but
fraction of this sum and England's
share of the total. of course, but to
further small fraction.
Every public or private discussion
Of the British budget breathes heat
cdly of the huge fund further to be
expended upon new ventures OF doubt
full profit. Furthermore, the doubtful
iiess of the profit depends directly on
the new scheme under which the Brit
ish flag has been hoisted in these ter
ritories. Nobody knows just exactly
how the mandates of the League of
Nations are going to work out. There
are many who agree that the United
States has displayed a wise self-inter-
est in refusing this new tangled in
vestment.
tion TO France of Alsace-Lorraine, the
return to Italy OF her equally historic
Trentino and certain minor modfica-
tions of the Belgian frontier. this Big
Four OF Europe has gained no outright
territory at Versailles. In fact Veni-
zelos that shrewdest of all statesmen.
is the only one who acquired for his
country. Greece any solid extension.
OIL REGIONS Under Mandate.
The difficulty IN the way OF a manda-
tory power profiteering By a mandate
is we'll illustrated by the oil situation in
both Persia and Mesopotamia. oil is
admittedly essential TO the future OF the
British Empire. oil which tho empire
itself can control. yet under the man
date system Il Is impossible for the
British Empire forthrightly 10 favor its
own interests In Persia and In Mosopo-
tamia This does not mean 60 say that
British interests have hesitated TO use
10 what they consider the furthest legiti-
mate limits In their favor any preponder-
ance of interest incidental 20 British con-
troll OF tho mandatory machinery. But
the result has been limited to what might
be expected from an attitude officially
that OF a benevolent neutrality. The
standard oil has been able 10 make
very disturbing pleas in both territories,
and any British decisions taken are noto-
riously subject 20 review In tho unchar-
tered hurly- -burly of the League OF Ma
flons
All Of the territory mandatet 20 The
British Empire is rotorioualy undevel-
)ped. Its development will require the
expenditure Of vast sums OF capital.
Continued OF Eighteenth Jrgc.
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