The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-04-07
UNITED STATES
WILL NOT ABIDE
BY YAP MANDATE
Allies Informed We Will Insist
Upon Rights
NOTES FROM SEC. HUGHES
Failure to Participate in Ver-
sailles of Treaty Creates
No Abrogation
NOTES FROM SEC. HUGHES

| Washington, April 6.-Failure of the
United States to ratify the treaty of
Versailles will not be allowed to de-
tract from this country's right to par
ticipate in peace settlements Secretary
Hughes declared in notes addressed
to Great Britain, France, Italy and
Japan.
The note to Japan differed from the
other three in that ii referred more
specifically to the Japanese mandate
over the Island of Yap. All four OF
them reiterated the, contention that
the United States had sacrificed no
rights in the peace settlement by rea-
son of it's unwillingness to join the
League of Nations,
THE fact that the United States has
not ratified the treaty OF Versailles
the notes said cannot retract from
rights which the United States had
already acquired and it is hardly neces-
sary to suggest that treaty to which
the United States is not a party could
not affect those rights"
1t should be noted that the treaty
OF Versailles did not purpose to Sc
cure to Japan it was pointed out, or
to any other nation any right in the
overseas possessions Of Germany ex-
cept that an equal right should be
secured to the United States.
Article 1l9 of, the treaty provides,
Mr. Hughes said, that Germany re-
nounce in favor of the principal Allies
and associated powers all her rights
and titles In her overseas possessions.
The secretary then emphasized that
the United States is one of the princi-
pal Allied and associated powers, and
that the position Of the government Of
Japan could derive no strength from
the treaty of Versailles or from any
discussion preliminary to It.
Continuing. Secretary Hughes said:
"As the United States did not enter
into this convention or into any treaty
relating to the subject. this govern
ment is unable to understand upon
what ground it was thereafter attemp-
ted to confer the mandate without the
agreement of the United States. 1t is
manifest that the League of Nations
was without any authority to bind the
United States and that the confirma.
tion of the mandate in question and
the definition of its terms by the coun-
Gil of the League Of Nations in Decem-
ber, 1920 cannot be regarded as hav-
ing efficacy with respect to the United
States
The attitude Of former-P President
Wilson upon the disposition of Yap
was set forth in statement which
he made to the State Department on
March 3, 1921. The President
was quoted as saying that his first
information of a contention that the
so called decision of May Z, 1919" by
the council OF four, assigning zap to
Japan was given TO him by Mr. Norman
Davis. Mr.. Wilson then said that he
informed Mr.. Davis he had never con-
sented to such an assignment.
Mr. Wilson said that on several
occasions he had made specific reser-
yations regarding the island of zap
and had taken the position that it
should not be assigned under any man.
date to any one power but should be
internationalized for cable purposes.
Secretary Hughes insisted in his
note that any omission to make pro.
test against the assignment of Yap
to Japan could not operate as a ees-
sion of its rights since the proceedings
OF the Supremen Council did not and
could not have finality.