The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-07-21
us. DENIES IGNORING
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
Communications Are Taken
Up With Nations, but Not
Through That Body.
POSITION rs CLARIFIED
Washington Has No Official
Correspondence With Super
Government Body.
Special Despatch to THE New York HEsAID.


Special Despatch to THE New YoRK HERALD.
New. York Herald Bureau.
Washington. d. c., July 70.
Denial was made from official sources
to-day of the repeated press reports from
abroad that communications from the
League of Nations are being ignored by
the United States Government. The de-
NAL carries the intinlation that in at
tempting to deal with the United States
concerning certain questions that or
sanization has exceeded its authority.
The effect of the explanation is to
write additional lines to the epitaph on
he league which Ambassador Harvey
wove into his first public address in
London.
While making II clear that the league
communications are not ignored It Is
explained that matters referred to have
been taken up directly with the nations
making UP the league. adding point to
he fact that the United States Is not a
member of the league. does not recog-
nize 1t as super-governmental body
ard very plainly does not intend to do
so.
The attitude of the Administration
toward efforts which the league is APP
2arently making to obtain semi-official
recognition by the United States of its
by Secretary Hughes in identic notes
addressed to the Powers to the effect
that Germany, having coded her rights
to certain territories to the Allied and
Associated Powers. further cession Of
rights which Injured to the United States
as a co-victor must be done in a treaty
and that no treaty has been made.
1t Is shown that the League of Ma
lions undertook to allocate mandates for
territories so relinQuished by Germany
without consulting the United States
That objection applies especially to zap
and more indirectly to Shantung.
The Administration holds that in com
municating its objection to the nations
which are members of the league 1t has
fulfilled it's duty and assumes that the
league must be cognizant of communica-
tons addressed to its members concern
ing matters in which the United States
and those particular members were alone
interested.
Another instance of the leagues SEN
sitiveness is mentioned in connection
with representations concerning the
opium trade. The United States notified
the Netherlands Government that 1t was
party to a treaty which placed control
of that trade In The Hague. and since 1t
had made no treaty superseding that
the only agreement 1t has on the sub
ject.
In another case where efforts were
made to obtain deferment of payment Of
money owing to the United States by
Austria this Government made 1t clear
to the Powers concerned that there was
no authority now resting in the adj
branch of the Government
to defer this debt or to deal with 1t in
any other way than to collect. Again
the inference Is plain that the United
States purposes to continue dealing with
the nations themselves and not with the
league. Of which the United States Is not
a member.
The explanation that this Government
has not been lacking In courtesy in TAX
ing care of its correspondence is polite.
but 1t is pointed. 1t is not carrying
on any official correspondence with the
league.