Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1921-12-30
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS


The League of Nations, though
functioning without the cooperation
of the United States, accomplished
much during the year, chiefly through
its council, which met in Paris on
February q 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who during January had withdrawn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-
rations commission, on February %
sent to the league council strong
protest against the inclusion of the
island of zap in territories subjected
to the mandate of Japan, and also
formally demanded for America a
voice in the disposal of the former
German colonies. The council in re-
ply said it was not concerned with
the ALLEGATION of zap, 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-
y
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 treaty by which the United
States was assured equal rights in
zap and other islands inundated to
Japan.
The council of ambassadors in Janu-
airy gave Germany more time to dis
arm, appointed a commission to pass
on Austria's economic status, decided
that Latvia and Esthonia should be
recognized as sovereign states, and
then fixed the German Preparations at
226,000,000,090 gold marks, payable in
annual installments, and II per cent
tax on exports during the period of
payment This reparations 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 PREPARATIONS bill. Suffice it to
say that Germany, with Doctor With
as chancellor, was compelled to ac-
cept the figures of 135,O00 100000 gold
marks finally decided on by the SUI
preme council, made the payments due
during the year but on December IA,
announced that the 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 objector
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 it was unfair and early
in May the region was invaded by
Polish irregulars. Thinly yelled support
was given them by the Warsaw gov
eminent and also by the French and
there succeeded a long series of fights
between them and German volunteer
forces. The entente eordiale of the
allies was near to rupture, but in June
British troops entered the territory