The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-11-26
GERMANY'S STROKE O.,
AT THE TREATY

The question of Germany's relation
ship to the rest of the world, and the
relationship of the League of Nations
to the Treaty Of Versailles, is thrown
wide open by the note sent from Ber-
lin to Geneva, repudiating the section
of the treaty which deals with the
former German colonies. The issue
is much larger than the disposition
of the colonies. Germany's maneu-
yer looks like an effort to drive dag
ger into the vitals Of the treaty, with
the place of attack carefully chosen.
The inspiration, without doubt, is
Americas failure to ratify the treaty.
There is a certain degree of moral
justification for the Berlin note, but
let nobody doubt that Germany is
taking advantage of this slight justif-
cation, in order to establish a prece-
dent of treaty reputation. The pre-
cedent, if established, can be utilized
later to destroy other clauses and ul-
timately the whole document.
The Allies, who controlled the
League of Nations council and dis
tributed the mandates, violated the
spirit of the League covenant when
they apportioned the colonies. Not
one desirable colony went to any ma
ton outside the ranks of the Allies,
nor was a single award made which
ran counter to the interests of the ma
ton most vitality concerned from a
commercial or military standpoint.
The Pacific islands north of the equa-
tor went to Japan because Japan had
captured them and would have gone
to war rather than give them up. The
islands south of the equator went to
Australia, logically enough, but the
paramount consideration was the stra-
tegic position of those islands with
reference to the British possessions
The African mandates were designed
to cement British control of that con-
tinent.
Nations which received mandatory
power over the German colonies or
grounds of military and commercial
self-interest will naturally take ad.
vantage of their opportunity to reap
all the benefit they can. They will
minimize their responsibility to the
League of Nations, and come as near
as possible to treating the inundated
regions as part of their own realm
And the league council, in making
awards on basis false to the spirit
of the covenant. weakens its power to
hold the mandatory nations to &C
count. Suppose, for instance, the
league should undertake to shift man.
datories in the interest of the native
population of one of these former Ger.
man colonies? Having made tht
original award for the benefit of the
mandatory instead Of the natives
wouldn't it have merry time putting
the shift into effect?
But this gives Germany no warrant
whatever for denouncing the articles
of the Treaty of Versailles which dea
with the colonies or with the man
dates. Germany renowned all inter
est, in her colonies, not to the league
but to the principal Allied and Asso
ciated Powers" There was not tn,
slightest qualification of the absolut,
remuneration of German national inter
est in oversee territories. Article III
says:
ain territory outside her European
frontiers as fixed by the present trea
ty, Germany renounces all rights, ii
ties and privileges whatever in or ov
er territory which belonged to her O
to her allies, and all rights, titles an,
privileges whatever their origin whicl
she held as against the Allied and As
ISOLATED Powers. Germany hereby un
dertakes to recognize and to conform
to the measures which may be take
now or in the future by Principal AL
lied and Associated Powers in agree