The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-04-11
NO SURRENDER COMES
FROM UNITED STATES
Although Not Party To Treaty Of
Versailles Government Reserves
All Rights, Says State Depart.
ment Communication To
Other Nations.

Other Nations.
Washington, April7 The Am
erican government, although not a
party to the treaty epf Versailles,
has surrendered none of it's rights in
the overseas possessions Of Germany
secured to the principal allied and
associated powers by that treaty,
the governments Of Japan, Great
Britain, France and Italy are in
formed by Secretary Hughes in
similar notes dispatched by the
state department last Monday.
Specifically, the communication
deals with the award to Japan by
| the supreme council at Paris May z,
1919, of a mandate over the island
of Yap, an important cable center
in the Pacific ocean and Mr.. Hughes
says the American government
"trusts that this action. which it
must assume was taken under a mis-
apprehension, will be reconsidered." -"
The notes are the first important
diplomatic communications penned
by the new secretary of state and
they make, it plain that the change
of administrations in Washington
has resulted in no modification Of
the previous position of the United
States that, as one of the principal
contributors to the common victory
over Germany, it must insist upon
the exercise of it's full rights in the
disposition of the former German
possessions.
Only one of, the communications
that to Great Britain-was made
public. Those to, France and Italy
are understood to be substantially
the same, but the state department
in giving out the note to the London
foreign Office tonight, explained
that the note to Japan contained
Traditional paragraphs referring to
previous correspondence between
the two governments" It added
that the correspondence with Tokyo
"is not made public at this time" !"
but no official explanation was
forthcoming.
Reply to Tokyo
The note to Japan is in reply to
one on the subject Of Yap received
from that country March 2. This
communication and those to the 9TH
er three allied powers were supple
mental to previous notes on this
subject from the United States to
those governments and also to the
council of the league of nations. The
series was begun by Secretary Colby
November 9 after the international
communications conference had
convened here to dispose finally 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
overseas possessions Of Germany
now under confederation without the
assent of the United States" Secre-
tary Hughes points out that the
treaty of Versailles does not "pur-
port to secure to. Japan or to any
other nations any right in the over
seas possessions of Germany save as
an equal right therein should be Sc
cured to the United States"
"On the contrary" he says, car
ticle 119 of the treaty of Versailles
provides: Germany renounces in
favor of the principal allied and as
sociated powers all her right and
titles over her overseas possessions
It will not be questioned that one of
the principal allied and associated
powers in whose favor Germany re-
nounces her rights and titles is the
United States. Thus not only the
position of the government of Japan
derives no strength from the treaty
of Versailles but the terms Of thas..
treaty confirm the position of the
government of the United States,