The New York herald., 1921-04-19
Japan's Last Word to Wilson.

Japan's Last Word to Wilson.
Japan's notes on the Yap mandate,
now made public by the State Depart
ment, might be at this juncture a
grave international matter were it
not for such a simple fact as the date
Of the last of the four communica-
tions. This date is February 26, 1921.
in the very last week of President
WILSON'S Administration.
From the tone of that letter, cocly
If not impertinent, the Japanese For
eign Office appears to have yielded to
the testy impulse to regard the Will
son Administration as of little or no
consequence in its dying hours. Other
wise it is difficult to account, in polite
diplomatic intercourse, for so raw an
answer-in regard to the American
proposal that the Island of Yap should
be open to all nations for cable sta
question which "seems to be one
which should be freely settled by the
nation which has charge of the place
namely, Japan"
But whatever the explanation of
that aud other extraordinarily un-
gracious language and undiplomatic
conduct, the truth Is that the han
ding OF this whole matter by the State
Department under Mr. WILSON is
shown by the official record to have
been one of the very solid and adj
mirable performances of his Admins
tration. He built up so strong case
in truth. and maintained il so well
that since the new Administration
came in Secretary HUGHES has been
able to stand on the selfsame struc
ture with firmness and confidence.
Because Of the circumstances sur
rounding the Japanese replies in their
very unusual form and spirit ii is
well worth while TO emphasize some
or the salient points Of the Wilson
position drawn from the underlying
cold. hard facts OF the case. These
are:
Secretary Colby on November o.
1920. advised Japan that Yap was
not included in the mandatory award
of July Z, 1919, by the Supreme Coun-
Gil. as the question Of Yap had been
reserved by President WILSON until
future date SO that an agreement
could be reached for Its information
aliZntion as q cable station.
The Japanese Government replied
that it would not be able to consent
to any proposition which, reversing
the decision of the Supreme Council,
would exclude Yap from the terri
tory committed 10 her charge"
Acting Secretary OF State DAVIS
then on December 6, 1920. gave Japan
the four distinct dates-April q,
1919; April 30. 1919; May /, 1919.
WILSON and Secretary LANSING served
notice on the Allied Supreme Council
Of our reservation that zap should
not be included. Our State De
partment further advised the Jap
anese Foreign Office that II. in spite
Of these explicit and accepted reser-
vations, any announcement-by the
Supreme Council, the League Of Ma
iions Or anybody made Of q
decision in contravention Of these
specific reservations. '"the erroneous
publication of such decision Of
which this Government was not
aware would not validate IT,"
The President Of the United States,
Mr.. WILSON, japan was informed,
''rccollects no proposal offered in this
meeting TO change the decision Of
May q. and Is certain he agreed 10
no variance of the original PROPOSE
tion."
When the japanese Foreign Office
hnd made the remarkable reioindcr 10
the foregoing that lis delegates had
not been present ~ The aforesaid
meetings Of April -. May 9 and May
Z. and therefore did not know what
our delegates had said or done IN the
matter, It further added that anyhow
IT did not matter unless the American
representations ''were accepted by the
Council and the latter decided TO ex-
clude yap from the mandatory" n
was following this assertion that the
surprising slap came in the declara-
tIou, on the cable internationallzatio
that Il was now nohody's business but
Japan's.
Since then, however as is now well
known. Secretary HuGHEs has made
Il clear 10 japan aud the other Allies
that the present Administration
stands on the ground of the previous
Administration that neither those