The daily times., 1921-12-14
SETTLEMENT OF
YAP QUEST|ON|S
LEAGUE VICTORY
GIVES UP MANDATE
The Question Comes Up is the
Four Power Pact in Conflict
With the League of Nations !;
Under the Provisions of
That Document the League
Must Pass on the Pact.
(By David Lawrence
Copyright, 1921, by The Daily

Times.)
Washington, Dec. 13.-The United
States has yielded to Japan and has
recognized for the first time an act
of the League of Nations.
That's the significance of the latest
treaty just signed between the United
States and Japan covering the Island
zap. Originally the League of Ma
tions bestowed upon Japan a mandate
or charter enabling her to control
the Island of zap. The Wilson admin
istration under Secretary Colby, pro-
tested and SO did Secretary Hughes
The latter contended for internation-
al control of the island. AS it now de-
velops, the Harding administration
yielded to Japan the right to hold the
mandate originally given by the
League of Nations but asked for GER
tain additional privileges with res
lpect to radio and cable communica-
tion.
If the United States had been
member of the League OF Nations
when the mandates were distributed.
the simple dissent on the part of this
country would have been sufficient to
the Island might have been interna
| ltionalized. AS it is the league went
ahead and gave Yap to Japan, and
the United States afterwards was OBJ
l Aira1n ofi n
| battle to get certain valuable cable
and radio privileges. In order to as
sure herself of the latter America
was compelled to yield something to
Japan and that happens to be the
mandate itself.
| Officials of this administration are
mot disposed to look upon the man
date as of any particular value be-
cause they feel confident the excep-
tions and provisions contained in the
lnew treaty will safeguard American
Interests. On the other hand, in case
of a dispute as to the management of
Yap, America would have been left to
Iwrangle it out with Japan alone ii
the four-power pact governing all
disputes with relation to Pacific is
LANDS had not been concluded. That's
why the United States didn't sign the
|four-power- pact until the Yap agree
ment was reached.
In recognizing the mandate given
by the League of Nations to Japan
koir
United States government has estab-
Ilished under the Harding administra-
ton at least a precedent which will
be called up again and again in fu-
, ture discussion of mandates around
the world.
Secretary f1ughes recognizes what
1.-THE league has done in distributing
the mandates as an accomplished
fact and is trying now merely to see
. to it that the United States doesn
suffer any discrimination under the
mandate. He has made it a stipulation
incidentally of the new Yap agree
ment that Japan must send dupli-
tcate copy of her annual report on
tine VI op W SA~
United States. The original copy is OF
course required by the League Of Ma
ltions which retains the right to trans
4. fer a mandate at any time that II
thinks a country is not administering
}. properly an island or territory under
mandate The treaty of Versailles
4, gave to the principal and associated
powers the right to dispose of Ger
many,s overseas possessions through
1.-THE mandate system and 1t is solel,
e because the United States as a result
tof objections to other parts OF, the
of Nations covenant failed tt
e ijoin the league that numerous fega
: -ltangles are arising as to America
/ rights. Some of the legal experts con
2 Itend that II America had Joined thu
CONTINUED on Page 2.