Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-04-19
JAPS CLING TO YAP
MANDATE DESPITE
STAND OF THE Us.
Situation Over Control OF the
Island Extremely Tense. Com
munications Reveal.
TOXIC CLAIMS UNFhIRNESS

aituat ton existing between the United
States and Japan was disclosed yester-
day when the State Department fnahe
public the correspondence which has
passed between Washington and Toxic
on the Island of Yap. Three American
and two Japanese communications were
released for publication.
The Japanese position in regnrd 10
the former German possession IL that
the records show II was placed under
the mandatory of Japan by tho Su-
preme Council on May 7. 1912. and no
dissent from that ALLEGATION wsa made
by the United States for year and
n half thereafter. This is tho last com
munication on tho subject and was made
In the closing days of the Wilson Nd
ministration.
II preaident Wilson voiced any reaer-
vations In respect to Yap they were In
formal I'm the Japanese view and did not
at all affect the final decision. Con
soquently japan holds 10 the mandate
and is unwilling tn internationalize the
Island or 20 give FREQ and unhampered
access to IT, or the use Of II. to other
powers for the landing or operation Of
cables. IA demanded by the United
States
rs AE8fnHt Japan - fEHAntR Rf ~
ALLEGATION by tho Supreme Council.
Secretary Hughes or April replied
fsimilar notes were sent ~ aroat
rritain. France and Italyl That the
United States was unable to agree with
Japans contention that in order -
maintain its position u would have ~
prove not only that President WI
son made reservations regarding Yap
but also that the Supreme Council adopt
81 those views.
"Aa no treaty has ever been con
cluded with the United states relating
to the Island of Yap. the note said
and no ono has ever been authorized
70 cede or surrender the right or Interest
~ tho United states ~ the island thus
Government must insist that Il hrs
not lost its right or interest as II eF
sted prior to any action of tho Supreme
council 81 of the League ~ Natinns.
and cannot recognize the ALLEGATION II
the island or the validity of the mandate
| 10 japan.
As 10 tho question uf fact. Mr.. Hughes
| takes the poaltiop that II was resolved
| not only by the American reservations
made los both Mr.. Wilson and Mr. lans
| ing ard duly recorded at sessions Of the
supreme Council pre- etilng that of May
| euuivocally ~ Mr. Wllson In HE memo
randdm Of March q. 1927. SO far as
| the fact" is concerned. therefore, tie
/ Tinted atataH considers the question
| definitely and finally closed As yet
Japan has not replied 10 The Hughes
| note.
II appears in one of the United States
notes that April -. 1919. President vii
| son reported to Premier Lloyd George
| aud CIeuenceau a conversation uf that
| morning with llarnn Maxine and Count
| Chinda. ln which he reminded the ia.
| paneRo doloRates that ia the mandatory
| to be issued To Japan FOR the Pacific
| islands tho Island Of Zap was reserved
| as no considered Zap should be interna.
| tionai April 30. at a meeting Of the
| Foreign Ministers. Secretary LANSING
| t.ave notice Of a wish To diEcuHB the
Observation-Disclosures of Yap. May /. -
a meeting in 81 Pichons room. Preai.
| dent Wilson declared that Zap shoulf
| not pass into the hands OF any on.
| power. May 8. when mandates wers
| under discussion. President wilson as
| sented 10 a mandate 20 Japan. with a.
| explanatory statement that ths open
door policy would apply. with equal op
portunity for the trade and commerce,
| of other members of the League
Japanese note Of April shows viii
what stubbornness Japan has beer
olinEiug to the contention that she i
entitled to exclusive Jurisdiction Owe
Zap, even to the exclusion OF othe
nations from the use OF that island or
equal terms with Japan as mid
Pacific communication center TIL
Japanese note of February 26. last. wa
sharp and curt in tone. Between IL
lines appears some display of feelin,
on the part of the Japanese foreign
office.
II contended that as long ago as Ma,
Z, 1919 the supreme council of tn
Allies at Paris made a final" decision
| to place the whole" OF the Germal
Islands north of the Equator under tn
mandate of Japan. with no reservation
whatever" regarding zap. and informe
the United States Government tina
the Japanese Government would b
unable to consent to any propositio
which. reversing the decision of tn
Supreme Council, would exclude va
from the territory committed to thei
charge"
c Then in a very pointed fashion. tn
Japanese government called on III
: United States ito prove not merely th
: fact that President Wilson and Secrt
. taTy lansing had made reservation
r concerning Ysp. but also TO provee ths
the Supreme Council had decided
favor of such reservations. The pos
ton taken by the United States govern
: ment was characterized. IN another pa
OF the note, as involving "an extraol
binary and an unreasonable content1o
q with which no 'one would be likely
= concur" and il was argued that. If
= decision had been made by tne Supreu
e Council in favor of the exclusion of va
; at the meeting of May 7, 1919. at whic
9 Japan was not represented. -1t cou
not but have been regarded as an az
8 OF bad faith"
I The Japanese note on Fob. 90 WI
: honeycombed with similar expression
. including a declaration that "the que
= ton seems TO be one which should
freely settled by the nation which h;
u charge OF the place, namely Japan"
: In the light OF these revelations r
: specting the position OF the Japanes
. government, the Identical note wink
= Secretary Hughes sent on April to q
: governments Of Great Britain. Franc
Italy and Japan stands out in Gle;
relief as Of farreaching consequence
defense of rights that this country col
- tends 1t acquired through its particip
" ton in the World War. Secretal