The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-04-18
Declare This Country
Must Establish lmpos-
sible Case to Gus t
Them From T h cir
Toehold on the Little
Pacific Island Which
They Need in Their
Business.

Washington, April 1S.-To maintain
its position with regard to the Pa
cifc island of zap, the American gov
ernment would have 10 prove, not
merely the fact" that President Will
son made reservations concerning it,
but also that the supreme counci
decided in favor of those views the
Japanese government says in note
under date of last February 26, made
public today by the state department
along with the other correspondence
between the two governments legaId-
ing Yap.
1T must also be remembered Ja-
pan says, that If the decision IN IA
vor OF the exclusion of the island of
Tap-a question of grave concern to
Japan and one on which the Japanese
delegation invariably maintained
firm attitude-had really been made,
as it is implied by the argumen. of
the United States government at The
meeting of the Supreme Council
May Z, 1919, at which Japan was not
represented, it could not bu; have
been regarded as an act of entirely
bad faith
Hughes Note
1t was to this note that Secretary
Hughes replied last April 5. at the
same time sending simila' notes to
the governments of Great Britain,
France and Italy. He declared that
the United States was unable to agree
With Japan's contention that in order
TO maintain its position it would kayv
tc prove not only that President
Wilson pnodo ,ocorvo raoo ;yo.r
Yap, but also that the supreme coun-
ell adopted those views"
AS no treaty has ever been con
cluded with the United States relat
ing to the island of Yap,' Mr. Hughes
add and as no one has ever been
authorized to cete or surrender the
right or interest as it existed prior
TO any action of the supreme council
or of the league of nations can
not recognize the ALLEGATION of the is
land or the validity of the mandate
To Japan. u
No Reply from Japan
Japan has not as yet replied to this
communication SO that to date the
correspondence consists of the two
Eotes quoted above, another formal
rote sent by Acting Secretary Davis
last December by direction of Pres
iGent Wilson and the memoranda with
which the exchanges were initiated
last November after some question
had arisen at the meetings here of the
international communications con-
ference concerning the action of the
supreme council with regard to zap.
In the first memorandum, dated No
vember 8, the secretary of state said
it was the clear understanding of the
american government that the SUI
preme council at the previous request
of President Wilson had reserved for
future consideration the final disposi-
tion of the island in the hope THAI
some agreement might be reached to
place it under international control
and thus render it available as an in
ternational cable station.
Japan's Understanding
The Japanese foreign office replied
in a memorandum under date of No
vember 10, that lit was the definite
understanding of the Japanese gov
ornment that the supreme council on
May Z made the final decision to
place under control of Japan all for
mer German islands north of the
Equator; that the decision involved
no reservations whatever in regard tC
the island of Yap' and therefore the
Japanese government would not be
able to consent to any proposition
which, reversing the decision of the
supreme council, would exclude the
island of zap from the territory COM
mitted to their charge
In response to this memorandum
Acting Secretary Davies despatched a
long formal note to Toxic setting
forth that the American government
could not agree that zap was includ-
ed in the decision of the supreme
council of May T., 1919, as claimed.
and that even on the assumption that
the island had been included in the
mandate, "all other powers should
have free access to the island for the
landing and operation Of cables
Win Exclude U. s. ~'ia
The Japanese reply on February 26
said IL the observation of the Amer
lean govefffment with regard to
cables weHg put forth irrespective Of
the fact ithat the island was within
the mandatorya territory then the
question seems to be one which
should be freely settled by the nation
which has charge of the place, name
ly, Japan.
The note went ON to say thatfif tht
observation were made owing to tht
nature Of the mandate. Japan would
drew flftnfiel' Ikst 'ak tlieR eRfneeting d