Evening star., 1921-04-09
American Diplomatic Moves
Cause FIurry-France Re-
fuses to Make Plea.
LEADERS STILL AT SEA
OVER FOREIGN POLICY
Question of Yap Promises to Be
Particularly Thorny - Secret
: Treaty May Be Issue.
nv PAIL SCOTT MOwRER.

RY PAUL SCOTT MOWRER.
By Cable to The Star and Chicago pahs
Copyright. 1871.
PARIS, France. April 9-lhe la'es'
manifestations of American dlploifaos
have caused a considerable furry and
no little bitterness in Europe. NO
sooner was Rene Vivianfs report that
the United States is determlneo "
turn it's back on both the league ana
treaty. received in Geneva than Leon
Roureeois. the French delegate TO tne
league council. rushed to- Parls anu
Aesought the French government To
make a last appeal TO M 1ne ot, Sa,,o
States to save the league. Inc r rfeheh
government refused.
stances to put forward the ieasus
would serve only to widen the oIeaSii
between the United States anu 'he
allies 1t has therefore on the one
hand sent a special agent to Geneva
TO try to keep the league quiet ana
on the other has instructed NJ: vivian. !.
to accept the American situation as II
is and merely try to get the pest Coh
ditions he can for France w na'
France wants now particularly is the
assurance of the moral support OF tne
United States, or at least moral neu-
trality, in case France is obliged 10
deal with Germany by force OF arms
within the next few months.
Leaders Believed at Sea.
So far France has received no real
satisfaction Professions of friend
ship for France by republican LEADERS
are naturally appreciated. but only at
their face value. Contrary to What
the newspapers have said, the Ameri-
can reply to the German reparations
as not an unmixed delight TO france.
The last paragraph in particular is
generally considered unnecessarily
friendly to Germany. Moreover, Sec
retary Hughes recent note on the
mandates is considered unnecessarily
harsh and sweeping. European lead
ers fail TO understand what the new
administration is driving at.
France in particular was disposed
to help the United States to hnd an
easy way out of the difficulties by
compromise which. without arouslng
the ill-feeling of the rest of the world.
would enable the United States to
obtain the advantages it desires,
while at the same time escaping
European responsibility. 1t seems to
Europeans that the United states. IN
stead of choosing the easy way, is
choosing the hard one. For example,
the possibility of war between Japan
and the United States is being dis
cussed here with anxiety.
Arguments Bring Irony.
The American arguments regarding
the peace settlements are received
with irony. The Paris Midi para
phrases the situation thus:
81 learn with astonishment.' says
Uncle Sam. that the allies pretend to
have signed within the last two years
a certain number of treaties which
they consider binding on the United
States l do not recognize these
treaties, and at the same time l in
tend to profit by them because I
took part in the war But isn't it
true timidly ask the allies. that you
were represented at the peace con-
ference by your own President, which.
Indeed. assured you such an advan-
tage over US who were represented
only by premiers- chat to please the
aforesaid President we even had to
praise solemnly the Monroe doctrine,
OF which We understood nothing?'
"You are wrong replies Uncle
fam. My President was by no means
authorized to represent me. Whatever
he did and said does not count. Do
not oblige me to tell you SO again
10 change whatever happens to an
noy me in your different treaties"
Yap Question Thorny.
The question of the island of Yap
promises to become particularly
thorny. Prior to the entry of the
United States into the war the allies,
under British auspices. in order to
speed up Japan's collaboration made
a secret treaty with the latter in
which they promised to Japan all of
Germany's former islands in the Pa
cific north of the equatorAThis OBJ
viously includes Yap. Arthur Balfour
declared before the peace conference,
and his words are on record, that he
acquainted President Wilson with
these secret treaties at the time of
his mission to the United States in
the course of the war. 1t is true
that Mr.. wilson made what the French
call a vague verbal reservation re-
garding Yap at the session of April
30. 1919. but he was present on May
when the islands were given under
sthe Japanese mandate and there is no
record apparently of his having pro-
tested. This decision was published
the same day in all the newspapers
People in Paris. therefore, have diff
fculty in understanding Mr. Wilson's
statement that he was not aware of
any such decision. In any case
France and Britain are bound in the
matter by the treaty with Japan and
I cannot easily betray their sigma
lures.