The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1921-12-29

February p and Immediately referred
proposed amendments TO the covenant
TO committee. President Wilson,
who during January had withdrawn
the American representatives from the
council OF ambassadors and the repa-
ratlons commission, on February %
sent to the league council a strong
protest against the inclusion Of the
island Of zap In territories subjected
TO the mandate Of Japan, and also
formally demanded for America d
voice in the disposal Of the former
German colonies. The council In re-
ply .sald ii was not concerned with
the ALLEGATION of Yap TO Japan and
invited the United States to take part
In discussions concerning the Turkish
and African mandates. A month after
the Republican administration took
Office Secretary Of State Hughes reit-
Grated Mr. Wilson's stand concerning
zap and mandates IN general, and
later France and Italy indOrsed Amer
Ica's position in the controversy over
the island, though Japan formally re-
fused TO give up her mandate. There
after that dispute was the subject of
long drawn-Out negotiations between
the United States and Japan which
led to a treaty by which the United
States was assured equal rights in
zap and other islands inundated to
Japan.
The council of ambassadors in Janu-
ary gave Germany more time to dis
arm, appointed a commission to pass
on Austrlas economic status, decided
that Latvia and Esth0na should 10
recognized as sovereign states, and
then fixed the German reparatiOnS at
228,000000, 600 gold marks, payable in
annual installments, and - per cent
tax on exports during the period Of
payment. This reparatlons decision
created CONSERVATION in Germany and
Berlin at once began efforts to per-
suade the United States to intervene
In her behalf The Wilson administra-
ton made no response, but on April
2 Secretary Hughes Informed Ger
many the United States would not
countenance her escaping full respon-
sibility for the war or getting out of
paying to the limit Of her ability. A
few days earlier, Berlin having failed
to make the first payments, French
troops occupied Dusseldorf, Duis-
burg and RuhrOrt. The British OBJ
jected strongly TO this Independent
action and France withdrew. 1t would
be tedious to detail the negotiations
over the reparations bill. Suffice it to
say that Germany, with Doctor Wirth
as chancellor, was compelled to ac-
cept the figures of 135000,000,000 gold
marks finally decided on by the su-
preme council, made the payments due
during the year but, on December IA,
announced that the In major part Of
the sums due In the early part OF
1922 could not be raised. And since
many economists agreed that to drive
her into absolute bankruptcy would
be disastrous TO the rest Of the world,
toward the close OF the year there
was increasing talk of arranging
moratorium of two to three years for
her. France was the chief obiector
to such delay, as she relied on the
money due her from Germany, but
she showed signs of yielding to the
general view. Division of Upper
Silesia between Germany and Poland
caused lot of trouble A plebiscite
was held there In March, but both
sides asserted 1t was unfair and early
In May the region was Invaded by
Polish irreguars. Thlnly veiled support
was given them by the Warsaw gov
ernment and also by the French and
there succeeded long series of fights
between them and German volunteer
forces. The entente cordiale Of the
allies was near to rupture, but in June
British troops entered the territory
and began clearing out the Poles. The
dispute was referred to the league
council which in october announced
the boundary lines. Neither Germany
nor Poland was satisfied but both ac-
cepted the decision.
All through the year the Greeks
fought the Turkish nationalists in
Anatolia, with varying fortune, while
the allied powers held aloof, though
offering mediation which Greece re-
fused. In November France made
treaty with the Kemallst government
which aroused protests from Great
Britain and led to diplomatic negotia-
tions.
The United States formally made
peace with the central powers, the
treaty with Austria being signed Au-
gust "a, that with Germany August %,
and the pact with Hungary August 20.
In these treaties America reserved all
that was given her by the treaty Of
Versailles which the senate had re-
fused to ratify.
President Harding on July 10 is
sued informal invitations to Great
Britain, France, Italy and Japan to
send representatives to Washington
for a conference on limitation Of
armament and Far East questions.
Acceptance from all was already as
sured by process of feeling out"
and on August IL the formal invita-
tlons went out, China, Belgium, Hol-
land and Portugal being asked to par
ticipate in discussions involving the
Far East. The foremost statesmen OF
these nine powers were named as
delegates and on November u the mo-
mentous conference opened with i'm
posing ceremony. Almost immediate
ly Secretary Hughes put forward
Americas plan for reduction and
limitation Of naval armament, includ-
Ing a naval holiday for ten years, the
scrapping of all shipbuilding pro-
grams, destruction of vessels to a GER
tain point and the maintenance Of