The Cordova daily times., 1921-05-23
U.S.REFUSEST GRANT ALLIES
 ALL OF SP0ILS
BY COL. WINFIELD JONES

ignored Ill the final settlement Of the World war, and particularly in the disposition of territory taken from
 the enemy. The United States will
 not allow the allies to distribute the
 spells of war according to their own
 will. The matter came to head because of the Japanese mandate
 over the Island of Yap, and the viz | orous Hughes note served notice on the allies that Yap cannot be handed
 over to the Japanese without ap-
 proval of the United States.
 Frances reply to the Hughes notes
 is regarded as satisfactory in Wash ington. This reply gave assurances | that at the next meeting of the su- preme council of the League of Ma tions the United States protest will
 be carefully considered, and every
 effort will be made to find solution satisfactory to this country.
 In the meanwhile the Japanese are
 greatly exercised over the Yap dis
 pute and are clamoring loudly that
 they cannot give up the mandate be- cause of their "honor'' Tokyo is
 known to be exchanging notes over the situation with Great Britain
 France and Italy.
 Briefly stated the position of the United States is that as one of the victors of the World war it has equal rights with the other allies and does not propose to see the Allies distri- bute among themselves the conquered German territories and islands with
 out reference to the wishes of this
 country
 Premier Briand's note, replying to the United States protest, gives the impression that the supreme council
 of the league has power to reopen the whole territorial question, and to bring about a cancellation or rear engagement of all the mandates over kconquered territory.
 It is now the general opinion in Washington that the supreme coun- Gil will reopen the whole question
 of the mandates, and< give satisfac-
 tion to the United States. If this is not done the United States must take other steps to enforce it's rights in the disposition of conquered German possessions. This country cannot back down now and it will not. The vigorous Harding administration gives every indication that it will insist upon American rights in this matter. Reasons for believing that the supreme counil will agree to the claims of the United States are principally that this country demands
 nothing but it's rights; that the allies are well aware from Secretary Hughes note that the Harding ad- ministration intends to insist upon all American rights in the final set tlement; that it will be to the ad- vantage of the allies to allow with
 out quibble and immediately all rights claimed by the United States, and to the allies great disadvantage if any attempt is made to deny
 single one of these American rights,
 The United States, having rejected
 the League of Nations, now looks to the allies for it's rights in the final
 settlement, and it is evident that this country proposes to hold not the league but the allies responsible for any attempted infringement on the rights of the United States
 What will be the attitude of this country if these rights, so vigorously demanded in the Hughes note, are
 evaded or refused? It is not prob able that the United States would go
 to war with the allies over such re- fusal, but pressure of various kinds
 can be brought which would have almost as disagreeaDie results as war itself. Tie United States could de-
 mand payment of the $l) G''U OO1 900 the allies owe this country. Congress
 could arrange tariff bill that would
 greatly damage the foreign con- merce of every ally. Worst of all,
 the United States will feel a hostiI- ity against it's one-time allies that
 will not conduce to the future peace
 of the world, and which is certain to be extremely detrimental to the international relations of the Euro
 pean nations.
 It is of course possible that this
 country, in the last extremity, would
 go to war with Japan, and even with
 the whole world, if it became neces-
 sary, to enforce the internationaliza-
 tion of Yap. But this is improbable
 Japan will have to back down from
 her insisteIce that she will continue
 to hold the mandate over Yap. She