The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1921-04-08
u. S. To TAKE FIRM
STAND ON rights
Failure To Join League
Abrogates No Rights,
Hughes Says.

the United States to ratify the Urea
ty of Versailles will not be allowed
to detract from this country's right
to participate in peace settlements,
Secretary Hughes declares in notes
addressed to Great Britain, France.
Italy and Japan.
The note to Japan differed from
4 the otherNthree in that 1t referred
more specifically to the japanese
mandate over the island of zap. All
four of them reiterated the conten-
tion that the United States had sac
rificed no rights in the peace settle
nrent by reason of It's unwillingness
to join the League of Nations.
THE fact that the United States
has not ratified the Treaty of YER
sailles,' the notes said cannot detract
from rights which the United States
had already acquired and It Is hard
ly necessary to suggest that a treaty
to which the United States is not a
party could affect those rights"
II should be noted that the Treaty
of Versailles did not purport to Sc
cure to japan. II was pointed out, or
to an yother nation, any right in the
overseas possessions of Germany ex-
cept that an equal right should be Sc
cured to the United States.
Article 119 of the Treaty provides,
Mr.. Hughes said. that Germany re-
.nounces in favor of the principal AL
lied and Associated Powers all her
rights and titles in her overseas pos
sessions. The Secretary then en-
phasized that the United States is
one of the principal Allied and Asso-
cLited Powers and that the position
OF the Government OF Japan could de-
rive no strength from the Treaty of
versailles or from any discussion pre-
liminary to It.
Continueing, Secretary Hughes
said:
"As the United States did not en-
ter into this convention or into any
treaty relating to the subject, this
Government is unable to understand
upon what ground 1t was thereafter
attempted to confer the mandate
without the agreement Of the United
States. II is manifest that the League
OF Nations was without any authority
to bind the United States and that
the confirmation of the mandate in
question and the definition of its
terms by the Council of the League of
Nations in December, 1920, cannot
be regarded as having efficacy with
respect to the United States"
The attitude of former President
Wilson upon the disposition Of zap
was set forth in a statement which
he made to the State Department on
March 3, 1921. The former Presi-
dent was quoted as saying that his
first information Of a contention that
the "socalled decision Of May z,
1919" by the Council of Four as
signing zap to japan was given to
him by Mr.. Norman Davis. Mr.. Will
son then said that ne informed Mr..
Davis he had never consented to such
an assignment.
. Mr.. Wilson said that on several
occasions he had made specific re-
servations regarding the Island OF
Yap and had taken the position that
1t should not be assigned under any
mandate to any one Power, but
should be nternationalized for cable
purposes
Secretary Hughes insisted in his
note that any commission TO make
protest agaipsf1ke assignment of zap
to Japan g Operate as a ces-
sion of itsS) nice the proceedings
of the Supreme Council did not and
could not have finality.
"As no treaty has ever been con- I
cluded with the United States" Sec
rotary Hughes wrote, relating to the
Island of zap and as no one has ev
err been authorized to cede or sur
render the right or interest OF the (
United States in the island, this Gov
ernment must insist that 1t has not
lost its right or interest as 1t existed +
prior to any action of the Supreme
Council or the League of Nations and
cannot recognize the ALLEGATION OF
the island or the validity of the man
date TO Japan.
This Government" the note con-
tinues, "as has been clearly stated
I'm previous communications, seeks no
exclusive interest in the Island OF
Yap and has no desire to secure any