The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-02-23
Note Couched In Exceedingly Firm Language Dispatched to League Council In Paris, Differs With British View That Only League Members May Consider Mandate Agreement
Bx Associated pross

Washington, February 22,--Equal opportunities for the citizens of all of the allied and associated powers, whether members of the League of Nations or not, in former enemy ter ritories to be administered by the al- lied governments under mandates is insisted upon in note dispatched by the state department to the council of the league, now in session in Paris.
 The note went forward last night to Ambassador Wallace, who is to pre- sent it to the council tomorrow. It's text was withheld. but state depart ment officials described it today as being virtually identical with the one on the same subject sent to the Brit ish government last November by Sec retary Colby. s
 That note was couched in cx-
 'ceedinRly Erm language. In 1t
 MT. Colby took issue with the Britt
 ish position that mandate agree
 ments and treaties were to be con-
 sfdered only by states, members of
 the Iengue, and declared that the
 United States, as contributor to
 the common victory in the World
 wnr, could not consider .'nny of the
 associated powers, the smallest not
 less than itself, debarred from
 PAhtlchputhOu Tn tnc rfSnIS Nu0
 privileges secured under the man
 dates provided in the treaties of
 peace.-
 SUGGESTED BY BRITAIN
 Initiation of this, the first action to be taken by the United States to tic council of the league, was at the sug- gestion of one of the allied powers, understood to have been Great Britain. The British foreign office never has replied to MT. Colbys note in which he asked that the United States be per- mitted to examine the draft mandates before their submission to the league council for approval Meantime how ever, Great Britain has sent the draft mandates for Mesopotama and Pales- tine to the council and it is under stood that it was for this reason thar it suggested that the United States present it's views to the council. Action by tlee council on tf,e man dates at the present session had been iexpected, and It was explained that it was on this account that the present administration decided to present it's arguments direct to the council. De- spite the fact that only 8 little more than two weeks remain before the new administration will. come into power. Dispatches from Paris today said that, independent of the action of the l<NAAiSA fS~H 6ofCihHitHlr 6 SoHSl0tI dliOIl4 Jl 1.-the mandates governing Mesopotamia, Palestine and Syria had been rost- poned until the April meeting of the council so that Winston Churchill the recently appointed British secretary 1 for the colonies, could have an op- portunity to study the questions in. volved.
 It was said here tonight that this would give the Harding administra- tion time in which to study the ques- 1 tion and come to a decision as to its policy with regard to mandates. l The principal point at issue between l the United States and Great Britain I is the so-called San Reno agreement between Great Britain and France for the development of oil resources in the mandate territories in the near east. Cndersecretary Davis of the state de- paftment has said that leading repub- lican senators. who are expected to ihave a voice in shaping policies of the new administration, have approved the tposition taken by the state department On this question.