New-York tribune., 1921-06-20
Surrender by League ON
Mandate Issue and
Japan's New Attitude
Indicate Progress Made
President Against
Haste at This Time
Association of Nations
Plan to Await End of
Present Controversies
By Carter Field

WASHINGTON, June 19.--The ship
of state is we'll on its way toward
smooth international waters. Numer-
Gus snags have appeared since March
4, although even then the channel
looked extremely tortuous, but, without
any great furor, without taking aboard
any special pilots, and without calling
for dredgers or snag removers, Captain
Harding has made steady progress, un-
til now considerable percentage of
the snags are astern.
There was very genuine relief last
week when the League of Nations
Council, by what appeared from the
dispatches to be unanimous sentiment.
on motion by the retiring and incoming
presidents, deferred to the Unitad
States in the matter of mandates. The
league action in voluntarily declining
to take Jurisdiction on this question
and referring it for adjustment to the
Allies and the United States, solved an
annoying problem for this government.
The question prior to that was how to
force the Allies to consider this cues
ton outside of the league Jurisdiction.
since the Harding Administration had
set its face against having anything to
do with the league.
Logical Result of Policy
This step, important as it is. was
only the natural and logical culmina-
ton OF the action OF President HARDING
IN placln2 representatives of this coun-
try on the Supreme CouncI, the Coun
ell OF Ambassadors and the Repara-
tlons Commission. This shuwnj the
Atled statesmen clearly tnat this GOV
ernment was willing to discuss and
consider European problems where
the United States had al interest,". but
that such discussions must be outside
the league.
AMe danger was that the league cy-
ecutives. fighting for the existence ard
usefulness Of their organization,
would naturally attempt to retain
every bit of power and authority 20
which they could possibly lay claim.
Washington opinion naturally expected
that. 1t has been used to watching
bureau chiefs fight to the last ditch
When any other governmental agency
attempted to take part of their func-
tions
1t was expected all the more because
there are many keen observers here
who have thought ever since Colonel
Harvey was named to the Supreme
Council that the Allies would welcome
this form of participation in European
affairs by the United States, and, beng
glad to. have this country sit in on
any terms, would permit the League of
Nations organization to die from lack
Of use.
Critics Confounded
Those who hold this view are all The
more convinced of its soundness now
that the league has virtually sur.
rendered to the Supreme Council the
settlement OF mandates, a function
which not only was granted to the
league organization by the peace treaty
but TO which the league organization
had already laid claim.
Coming as it did so shortly on the
heels of the action of Japan in stating
that it could not discuss disarmament
until the league organization had taken
up the question, this surrender TO the
known wishes of the United States was
all the more pleasing to the Admins
tration and confounding to critics.
1t is true, as evidenced by the letter
CT Hamilton Holt, that there are many
who are not satisfied because more
obvious progress has not been made
toward an association of nations. The
President does not believe that anv-
thing would be gained at this time bv
the proposal of tentative drafts and
discussion of them. That stage win
not be reached, he is known to belie~e
until some of the controversies now
pending between this country and vari-
Gus of the Allies shall be settled. This
includes Yap, for example, and the oil
concessions of Mesopotamia.
This is the explanation of the Official
denial at the White House Friday that
any draft for an association had been
prepared or started there It NAV
safely be predicted that no draft will
be prepared by this government, or Sc.
rIously considered by this government
for time.
1t is pointed out by those close to
the Administration that the chief rea-
son that the Wilson League of Nations
plan was unacceptable to this country-
aside, OF course, from the central idea
OF a superstate--was that it was
worked out with so many temporary
controversies in connection with the
versailles Treaty negotiations and was
Continued on next passl
yT@E