Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-04-07
Hughes Insists That United
States Has Surrendered No
: ~. Rights In Possessions
CONTINUED from Page ~

Japan. thus recognizing the right and
interest of the United States and the
fact that the proposed action could
not be effective without the agree
ment Of the United States as one of
the principal Allied and Associated
powers.
League Lacked Authority.
AS the United States did o enter
into this convention or into any treaty
'lelattng to the subject. this govern
ment is unable to understand upon
what grounds it was thereafter at
tempted to confer the mandate with
out the agreement of the United
States. It is manifest that the League
OF Nations was without n authority
to bind the United States, and that
the confirmation OF the mandate in
question. and the definition Of its
terms blythe council OF the League
sef Nations in December 1920, cannot
be reEarded as having efficacy with
Respect to, the United States.
1T should, hesskoAed that this man
date NOT only recites Article 119 or
The 'rsatS' of Versailles, to the effect
Y Germany renounced in favor of
-. principal Allied and Associated
" wers allSher rights oyer her over
81 . possessions, including therein the
8" ups Of islands in the Pacific ocean
- I = VI LA1S c4udIOI, puI dISu
' r""ites that the principal Allied and
= 'ociated powers agreed that in ac-
scordance with Article 22. part 1. .(cov-
eoant of the League of Nations), of
the said treaty. A mandate should be
conferred. upon His Majesty the En-
-peror-of Japan to administer the said
islands and have proposed that the
mandate should be formulated as
set forth. While this last quoted re-
nffo1 o0 hn0 o1~ool,- i,Ao~ ~~t~&ol ~,,%
In previous communications by this
government. is inaccurate in its terms,
inasmuch as the United States as one
# the principal Allied and Associated
Powers had not to agreed and pro-
posed, the recital again recognizes the
necessity Of participation OF the Unit
ed States in order to make the pro-
posed disposition effective.
Examination Of Minutes Unnecessary.
LAS. in the absence of any treaty
with the United States relating to the
matter. there was no decision on MAY
Z. 1919. binding the United States. it
is deemed to be Unnecessary again to
examine the brief minutes of the
aneeting Of the supreme council on
thar date. 1t may, however, be prop
er TO say that the minutes Of this
meeting. although obviously without
any fnality. could not properly be
Construed without due regard to the
other proceedings of the supreme
council and without taking account of
the reservations which President Will
son had already made in the previous
meetings Of the supreme council OF
The attitude Of President Wilson is
sufficiently shown by the following
statements which he made to the de-
partn1ent of state on March 3. 1921:
I. Wilson Is Quoted.
"I beg to return the note received
yesterday from the japanese govern
~ the proposed mandate covering the
Island Of Zap:
My first information Of a conten-
ton that the so-called decision /of
May I, 1919. by the council of four
assigned to Japan q mandate for the
island OF zap. was conveyed to me
by Mr.. Norman Davis in October Ia st.
then informed him that / had never
consented to the assignment Of the
island of Zap to Japan.
a II had not previously given par
.lcular attention to tina wording of
The councils minutes ofyMax I. 1919.
which were only recently called to my
attention. I had on several occasions
prior to the date mentioned, made
npecifc reservations regarding the Is
lsnd Of Tap and had taken the posi-
son that It should not be assigned .un.
Der mandate to any n power but
sl1ould be Internal onalized for cable
Turposes. assume that this position
would he duly considered in onnec
tior with the settlement of the cable
Question and that it therefore was no
Finger a matter for consideration In
connection with the peace nesotia-
tions. J never abandoned or modified
ms position in respect to the Island
III zap. and l did not agree on May
!! 1878. or at any other tin1e,>that the