Norwich bulletin., 1921-04-14
Various Views on : Question: Mandates .Po..iF sa Meeting of
 Pow ashington.

w aSt 10.-NBy the A. F. J --A1nq1 lomatic circles here to- day evelop any disposition to challens youndness ofi.tre announce ed positions the American government
 that the- United States has an equal right with the allied powers ins the disposal of the former German overseas possessions
 While France alone / has replied to
 Secretary Hughes notes to the four great
 powers on this subject, it is gathered
 from these inquiries that the exchanges
 now believed to be in progress between
 Japan and Great Britain will result in the
 admission of such American rights It is expected. however, that there will be
 some variance of views regarding the
 practical application of the general prin- ciples.
 France, in her note transmitted through
 Ambassador Jusserand, is understood to
 have accepted the American view, and Italy, it is said, will give her full sup port to the claims of the United States l Italy alone of the larger entente Eu- [-FoDean powers failed to receive man date for' any former enemy territories and her statesmen are said to have felt that some regard should should have been mad for. that proVis on Of the treaty of 1 L5nGon which guaranteed Italy a fair snare ot the territor.es of the common
 enemy, especially in the eastern Meuiter- i! Ianean. Japan also is understood to accept the 1 declaration of principles laid down in I Secretary Hughes notes, but its reply is I expected to point out the difficulties Cf I applying these principles to the sat tis- faction of all parties and to invite prac- | tical- suggestions for solution or. the problem. In many cases the former, eIi- emy territories are beng administered b3 the mandatory powers and only yesterday it was reported from South Africa that the British authorities had formally tax en over under mandate large portion oi lferman last Africa.
 , In Japanese quarters, it is asserted that it would not be practicable to establish an internationalized government ever ,tnt 1 Pacific island of Tap as demanded by n, United States because the island is pup
 ulated almost entirely by native Poiy eSnment for the former German city O
 Danzig was possible because of tn Il highly civilized population there.
 I There is some talk in diplomatic cir
 cles of the possibility of a conference be
 | ing called in Washington of the repre- , sentatives of the powers interested in tn mandates, but it is iRtimated that be } fore this can be done an effort will b. made to ascertain whether the" America , governments concern in the matter .
 mandates is limited to the terrtorie
 where the United States has spcial in
 trests, such as cable facilities in Iap, o .I whether it intends to have a voice | I each and every mandate. ? The position of the Harding adininis
 l tration with regard to. such direct neg si tiations remains ,ts"be defined. but it wa : Indicated today by some. officials who dis I cussed reports from Tokio that Japa l. might propose a conference here to talk Y, up various problems at issue 0etwee e. that country and the United States ths s.l ap admission of the American contentir -] with regard to, this country's rights oI the former German territories properl h sould come first.
 }. Count Shidehara, the Japanese an :: bassador, called today at the state d, k pertinent and was in conference for S short time with Under-Secretary FleJcl Q I'er.' His mission was not disclosed, bi n was understood that it did not have Y do with the mandate question.