The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-03-21
ISN'T WORTH, FIGHTING ABOUT

American opposition to japanese
manufactures in the Far East is not
confined to the Island of zap but, as
Indicated on February q. 1921. in the
note Of former Secretary of state
Colby to the League of Nations, 10
all of the islands in the Pacific ocean
aorth of the equator which formerly
belonged to Germany. These "gen1s
of the oriental seas, of which zap
;s one, aggregate 127 and are conf
rris ed in four groups, namely the
arolines with 62, the Marshall with
80, the Marianne Tor Ladrone) with
rs and the Pelew with eight. They
form a kind of strategic semi-circle
around the Philippines.
While chief interest in the discus
sions of the Allied Communications
Conference, which began in Washing
ton on Octaber 8, 1920. to determine
the ALLEGATION of these islands, has
centered in zap by reason of its i'm
portance as a cable station, the
problem of zap is overshadowed by
the larger international aspect of the
control of all the 1877 islands. The
contention of the United States de-
partment of state has been that zap
should be "internationalized". The
Allied Communications Conference,
attended by representative of the FIVE
allied powers, becoming deadlocked
in February 1921, the questions were
referred to the Foreign Relations
Committee of the United States SEN
ate. Date of the conference has not
been announced.
Opposition to Japan's mandate over
Yap, expressed by Mr.. Colby to the
president and members of the council
of the League of Nations, included
declaration that zap constituted an
indispensable part of any scheme or
practical arrangement of cable COM
munication in the Pacific and that
it's free and unhampered use should
not be hampered or controlled by
any one power" Under the man
datory, agreed to by France and Eng.
land, "fulf power of administration
and legislation" over zap was vested
i'm -Ee Toxic government and zap was
to be considered IAN integral part of
the Empire of Japan" Another OBJ
JeItion by the United States is that
it sees. in the zap situation the pos
sibility &c foreign nation exercis-
ing censorship over it's communica-
tons to Europe and Asia.
The fact that the former German
operated cable from Shanghai, China,
which passes drought zap was taken
over by Japan and it's oriental term
mus to Toxic was another occasion
for the American protest. Control
over zap by Japan was granted by
the Paris peace conference on May z,
1919, when it was decided that the
mandate for the Pacific islands north
of the equator formerly belonging
to Germany should be awarded to
the Toxic government and the man.
date for those south of the equator
to Australia and New Zealand.
It is not generally known that the
Island of zap was originally called
Guap or Wap, cognomen given by
Spanish navigators, who discovered
it in the 10th century. Until 1885
Yap, like all the other of the Caro-
lines, was owned by Spain. Germany
ut this time cast covetous eyes upon
zap, realizing that it was well situat,
ed for communication with Japan,
China, the Philippines, the Dutch
East Indies and New Guinea and
that it was convenient station on
the trans-Pacific route via Honolulu
to San Francisco.
Suiting action to desire the German
gunboat Tits, in that year, raised the
Germang flag on zap and other
islands. 1t created considerable ex.
element in Madrid and an appea,
was made to the Vatican with the
result that the Pope decided in favor
of Spanish sovereignty. Fourteen
years later, after the Spanish-Ameri
can war. Spain sold the Carolines, in
GLIDING Zap and the Pelew and al
OF the Marianne (Lardone) island
except Guam. to Germany for $4,000,
600. The United States had acquire,
Gaum from Spain in 1898. 1t i
$50 miles from zap.
The Importance of zap and Guam
as cable bases is shown by the fac
that today an all-Ameriean cable run
from San Francisco via Honolulu
Guam and Manila to Shanghai, Will
from Guam another cable. the South
ern part under American control, tn