Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-04-07

YAP AWARD INVALID
Says League Is Without Authority to
Bind This CGuntry-G. S. Assent
Necessary

Washington, Apri.:.~, IN I4nguage
about a.. blunt as a diplomatic n3ie
pernnts, Secretary of State Hughes
has "dviset the world ;>at the United
States mas surrendered none OF IL
rights in the overseas possessions CT
German, secured to nc principal Al
lie! ard Associated. Powers by the
Treaty Of Versailles. This no;e wae
served on the governments Of Japan.
Great Britain. Franc and Italy il
similar ncte; Dispatched by the STATE
Department last Monday.
Specifically, the communications
leal In the award 70 Japan by ths
Slarrrle Council at Paris on May I,
1915 Of mandate ever the ISLAM
OF Y;.p, an important cable center
IN the ;'acif;c Ocean. and Nh Hughe:
savs the American Government
trusts thai this acfion. which i;
must assume, was tak.r under a mis-
apprehension, will be rrccnsiderct.'
The American note disputes the
val.;tv CT the Japans>e mandate on
She following grounds:
F:.st Because the United States
was one Of the associated powers that
won The war and there can ne no dis
position Of the German overseas pos
sessions withou. its assent.
SccorG-Even unde: The treaty our
assent required.
Third Woodrow Wilson consist
-ntly reserved the Island o. Iap
from the possessions mat were TO 90
urdcr mandate and hal demanded th"
int:rnat.cnal:zat:on Of the island foE
cable purposes.
The notes are TIE FIRST important
,iinlomatIc communications penred by
he new Secretary Of State and they
make /. plain that the change CT ad-
m;n;strations in Washington had re-
suited in no modification CT The pre-
yious position of the United States
that. as che Of the principal contri-
butors to-the common victory over
Germany, il must inS:st upon TIE exer
else of,t;ts full rights in the d:sposi-
ton Of the former German posses
SONS.
Only one of the communication
that 20 Great Br;tain--was made pub
IL. Those to France and lta.v arc
understood to be substantially the
came, ;ut the State Department, IN
clv.ng out the note to the London
i!orc:"3 Office last night, explained
that the note to Japan contained 'ad
di.ionai paragraphs referring to pre-
yious correspondence between tnc Two
governments. 1t added that tEc cCr-
rcspondrnca with Tckio Is not made
pui,'ic at this time" but no official!
xp!?raticn was forthcoming.
The note to Japan is in reply to one
cn the subject OF Zap received from
n. country or last March ,. This
communication and those 20 the other
I, rec Allied Powers were supple
mental to previous notes on this sub
i@ct from the United States 10 those
Governments and also 30 the cSun-
c.I cf the League cf Nations. The
series was begun oy Secretary Colby
~. November 9, after the irterna-
tioral COMMUNICATIONS conference had
ccrvened here 10 dispose Of the former
German cables seized by the Allies at
the outbreak Of the war.
Asserting that there could be no
valid or effective disposition Of the
,vcrseas possessions of Germany
now under consideration, without the
assent cf the United States. Secre-
tary Hughes points out that the
T,es:v of Versailles does not ''pur-
port 70 secure 20 Japan Q: to any
oyher raticns any right IN the over
seas possessions Of Germany save a
/: equal right therein should oe sc,
cared 10 the United States.
..On the contrary" he says "Arri'
| c.e ll9 Of the Treaty Of Versatile:
provides: Germany rencunces il
favor Of the principal Allied and As
soc:aced Powers all her rights an
titles over her overseas possessions.
4 will net be questioned that one G
| the principal Allied and Associate
overs in whose favor Germany re