Martinsburg journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1920-1977, 1921-04-18
5y international News servies.)


il cen the United States and japan
aser the Island of zap was revealed
officially for the first time today
when the State Department made
public the entire correspondence be
tween the two governments, consist
ing Of three American and two Jap
anese notes exchanged during the
last six months
This correspondence. some OF
which is distinctly curt in tone. re
sealed that each government stood
solidly on its original position. and
that each has SO far fatty refused
to give way in the SLIGHTEST to the
contentious OF the other
The United States is adamant In
It's refusal to eoncede that Japan
is entitled to exclusive possession
Of the small, but highly important
island, and Japan has elung stub.
AOrnly to the position that zap
was awarded her by the allied ST..
nleme council and that the matter
is thus closed chapter. so far as
America is concerned.
The last communication from la.
Ian under date of February 20
st on the eve of the retirement
o. the Wilson administration - is
fathar sharp in tenor and in spots
inclined to be somewhat ironical.
Certain of the theories advanced
IN the American note of December
6 last are referred to in the Japan
Sc reply of February %, as EEK,
ttaordinary, even unreasonable, in
hich no one would be likely to
concur" Another line of argument
u~sued in the same American note
ads to a conclusion which the Jap
aaese government charaeterizes as
@sfholly at variance With the facts
sui cannot be thought by any one
to Re convincing
To this. Secretary of State Hugh
es replied on April 5. rejecting the
,1afaneSe contingent in their entire
" and setting foeth that the treaty
e Versailles specifically states that
Germany surrendered her posses.
ms in the Pacific to the "allied
ild associate powers"
1t will not be questioned" said
| tie note, that one of the
| principal allied and associated pow
tlo III lipSS ldN VI GGludHy Ie-
nounces her rights and titles, is the
| United States"
Neither the supreme council nor
the League of Nations, Secretary
i Hughes stated, has any right what
soever to speak for the United
States with respect to zap or any
other matter.
The spondence began on No
. vember last with the dispatch by
. the State Department of brief
cablegram setting forth that it was
the understanding of the govern
inert that President Wilson had
made reservations at the peace con
ference concerning the Island of
Nap, looking to its internationaliza-
ton for cable purposes.
This was followed on November
10, ten days later. bya brief reply
from TOXIC stating that the matter
already had been definitely decided
by the allied supreme council, and
that 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 committed to
their charge"
A few weeks later, on December
the American state Department re.
piled to the Japanese message with
a 1500-word note, setting forth in
detail this governments understand.
Ing Of the zap affair It stated at
length that President Wilson at the
peace conference had made repeat
ed objections to the award Of zap
to Japan, and that it was his I'M
derstanding, as well as the under.
= standing re tho Unit"d States. that
the matter VS. lef open for future
negotiations.
Japan allowed more than two
months to go by before making any
reply to this note. Then, on Febru.
airy 81, she replied in a 2.500-word
note, curt in tone. which stated that
the Toxic government was unable
10 follow" the American contentious.
IT was clearly intimated that If
President Wilson had arrived at
such an understanding regarding
zap he differed in that respect from
all the other powers present.
This communication also asserted
fatty that Japan reserved to herself
entirely the matter OF deciding
whether the open door" policy
would be pursued as regards allow.
ing other powers free and unham.
pered access to the island FOR ca
BILE purposes.
Nor are the imperial govern.
ments alone and unsupported in their
Interpretation of the decision" said
the Japanese reply, for they are in
receipt of authentic information Of
the governments of Great Britain
and France being OF the same opin-
ion as the japanese government on
the matter the statements to that
effect in their replies to the Amer.
lean note in November last
There the controversy rested until
the Harding administration came in
to office week later Then Sec
rotary of State Hughes. on April s,
dispatched his now famous "declara-