Evening star., 1921-03-14
Oriental Leaders Deny They
Were Responsible for Su-
preme Council Act.
ASSERT THAT AMERICAS
QUARREL is WITH LEAGUE
Records Are Declared to Make No
Reference to Reservation When
Mandate Was Taken Up.
BY JUNIUs b. WOOD.

BY JCNIUS b. WOOD.
BY Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily News.
Copyright. 1921.
TOXIC, Japan, March 1.-THE jap
anese governent in connection with
the Yap controversy disclaims re-
sponsibility for the action Of the
supreme council in placing the former
German islands in the Pacific under
Japanese and British manufactures.
This was the assertion made today
by representative of the foreign Of
nee mere. 1t was also stated that on
the assumption that Japan was not
directly party to that action. Amer
lca controversy was now with the
league of nations and not with Japan.
For this reason the government con-
siders that the criticism made by
some Americans that Japan is oppos-
ing the wishes of the United States
is unfair.
I'VE have the secretary's report of
the session of the supreme council on
May ., 1919" said the foreign office
representative to the writer. Those
present were President Wilson. Pre-
mier Clemenceau, Premier Lloyd
George and Premier Orlando. Japan
had no representative in the supreme
council and consequently had no voice
in the decision awarding the German
islands in the Pacific north of the
equator to Japan. The copy of the
document in our possession seems to
show that President Wilson agreed to
the decision. 1t does not show that he
entered any exception as to Yap.'
Rests ON Omcial Record.
When the correspondent suggested
the possibility that an objection had
been made but that the secretary had
failed to record it. the official re-
piled:
Japan. not being represented in the
council, is unable to go beyond the
official record of what happened"
The present controversy recalls the
practice followed by the august bodies
celebrating upon the peace terms. It
was considered ludicrous at the time.
the serious consequences not then
being foreseen. Stenographers were
preme war council discussing the
armistice terms. Some Of the other
bodies which later negotiated the
treaty, in Difference to medieval Euro
pean prejudices. permitted longhand
notes to be taken at the sessions by
certain trusted persons deemed
worthy of hearing the great secrets.
These secretaries recorded such por-
tons of the proceedings as they in
dfvidually considered important. their
longhand notes after careful revision
becoming the official record.
In view of the present controversy
it is possibly pertinent to ascertain
whether the reservation as to zap.
which President Wilson claims to
have made. was omitted from the Off
cial rcGord because the secretary
either had the writer's cramp at that
particular moment or personally con-
sidered the matter unimportant.
Rights Of MissIonaries.
Another significant comment on the
mandate situation, in view of the
previous work of American mission
aries in the Caroline. Marshall and
Gilbert groups. was made by the for
eign office representative, who said:
According to the mandate, the mis-
sionaries of any of the allied powers
located on these islands must be per-
mitted to continue as formerly"
The status of the missionaries under
the Japanese mandatory has already
been changed. Numerous schools
have been closed under the naval pol
icy government the islands, and even
tually all missionary secular teaching
will be prohibited.