Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-04-18
i. S.-JAP NOTES
BARE TENSITY'
IN YAP MATTER
Imperial Government IRE
vOcably Refuses to Con-
slider Protests.
LAST ONE SHARP IN TONE

WASHINGTON, April 18.-The
tensity of the situation existing be-
tween the United States and Japan
over the Island of zap was revealed
officially for the first time today
when the State Department made
public the entire correspondence be-
tween the two governments, consist
ing Of three American and two jap
anese notes, exchanged during the
past six months.
| The correspondence, which is distinctly
curt in tone, reveals that each governments
has stood soHdly on it's original position
and that each has so far fatty refused
to give way in the slightest to tile con-
/ tentions of the other. The United States
is adamant IN its refusal to concede that
! Japan is entitled to exclusive possession
Of the small, but highly important island,
/ and Japan clung stubbornly to the posi-
ton that zap was awarded her by the
/ allied supreme council and the matter is
! thus closed chapter SO far as America
/ Is concerned.
The last communication from Japan
under date Of Feb. %, just on the eve
Of the retirement of the wilson Admins
| tration, is rather sharp in tenor and In
spots tnclines to be somewhat ironical.
| Certain Of the theories advanced in the
/ American note Of Dec. last are referred
to in the Japanese reply Of Feb &c as
1 extraordinary, even unreasonable, in
which no one would be likely to concur"
Another line Of argument pursued in the
/ same American note leads to a concIu-
sion which the Japanese government
characterizes as wholly at variance with
the facts and cannot be thought by any
/ one to be convincing"
/ To this, Secretary of State Hughes re-
piled on April 5, rejecting the Japanese
contentious in their entirety, and setting
forth that the treaty Of Versailles spe-
cifcally states that Germany surrendered
her possessions in the Pacific to the al
lied and associated powers"
/ CORRESPONDENCE
BEGAN NOV. o. 1920.
! 1t will not be questioned" said the
! note, that one Of the principal allied
| and associated powers in whose faNr
/ Germany renounces her rights and titleSA
is the United States"
! Neither the supreme couEil nor the
| League of Nations, Secretary Hughes
| stated, has any right whatsoever to speak
| for the United States with respect to
/ zap or any other matter.
| The correspondence began on Nov.
/ last, with the dispatch by the State De-
| partment of brief cablegram setting
/ forth that it was the understanding OF
/ this Government that President Wilson
/ had made reservations at the peace con-
! ference concerning the Island of Yap.
! looking to Its Observation-Disclosures for
cable purposes.
JAPAN's STAND
is ADASIANT.
This was followed on Nov. 10. ten DAYS
later, by brief reply from Toxic. stat.
! ing that the matter already had been
| definitely decided by the allied supreme
/ council and the japanese government
would not be able to consent to any
| proposition which, reversing the de-
cision Of the supreme council would ex-
cIude the Island Of Yap from the terri
| tory committed to their charge
/ Both of these communications were
! very brief
few weeks later, on Dec 6, the Amer
lean State Department replied to the
japanese message with a 1,500-word note,
setting forth in detail this Governments
understanding Of the Yap affair 1t
stated at length that President Wilson
| az the peace conference had made re-
reated objections to the award of Yap
TO Japan and that 1t was his understand
| AAAe' dS wen as IIS understanding OF the
United States, that the matter was lefs
open for future negotiation.
DENIES COUNCIL
DISPOSED OF YAP,
1t was further pointed out that as a
result OF President Wilson's reservations
the final memorandum on mandates
drawn up by the council on May T. 1919,
awarded Japan certain" and not "alI''
Of the former German possessions north
of the equator. This note of Dec. 6 con-
cluded with this passage: IT am d.
rected by the President to inform you
that the Government Of the United States
cannot agree that the Island Of Yap was
included in the decision Of May Z, or In
any other agreement Of the supreme coun-
Gil" The hope was expressed that Japan
would see and concur in the American
view that even If Yap should be assigned
under mandate to Japan all other powers
should have free and unhampered access
to the island for the landing and opera
| ton Of cables"
Japan allowed more than two months
to go by before making any reply to this
note. Then, on Feb. 20, she replied In a
2,J00-wOrd note, curt in tone, which
stated that the Toxic government was
Continued Page Two)