Arizona republican., 1921-02-25
COLBY'S NOTE TO LEAGUE COUNCIL INSISTS UNITED STATESASSENT NECESSARY
 IN DIVIDING WAR SPOLS
Governments Exception to Japanese Mandate Over All Pacific Islands North of Equator Demands Island of Tap Be Excepted Indispensable Part of Communica ton System of All Governments And Must Not Be Limited Controlled By Any One Power
[RepubIican A. p. Leased wireJ

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24-The Ameri- can government has taken an uneQuiv- ocal stand as to it's right to voice in the disposition of the former over seas possessions of Germany.
 Secretary Colby. in his note to the league of nations council made public tonight at the state department. sub mits that the disposition of those pos sessions cannot be undertaken or ef- fectuated' without the assent of the United States.
 He states that the United Sates, as one of the principle allied and associ- ated powers" has '.an equal concern and an inseparable interest" with the oth- CTS of these powers in the territories taken from Germany and "concededly.s an equal voice in their disposition-rI
 Declaring that the American 4 ment cannot regard itself as boz 1 the terms of the mandate given 1 pan over the Pacific island of YsI the league meeting at Geneva last cemoer 17, the secretary requests ths the council having obviously actes under misapprehension of the factsk in assuming that the United States ha,.e approved Japanese mandate over the island. reopen the question for ..the fur ther consideration, which the proper settlement of it clearly requires"
 Clears Road for Harding
 l1lScuSSIlS the note today state de- partment officials declared that in act ing now the present administration had strengthened the position of the new administration. The opinion also was expressed that there might be con- ference of the. interested powers to dis cuss the question. It is understood such a course would be acceptable to the United States. although state depart ment officials said the modus operandi was of little concern to the American government
 Referring the Tap mandate. Secra- tary Colby says in his note that dur ing the discussions at Paris, President Wilson was particular to stipulat,'' that it had been reserved for future consideration and that the United States in notes to Great Britain, France Italy and Japan. .tset forth its conten- ton that Tap had in fact been ex- cepted,'' from the proposed mandate to Japan for the Pacific islands north of the equator formerly held by Germany.
 The information was further con veyed." MT. Colby states, that the re- servations previously made by this gov ernment regarding Tap were based on the view that Yap necessarily consti- tutes an indispensable part of any scheme or practicable arrangement of camble communication in the Pacific and that its unhampered use should not be limited or controlled by any power.'
 Not Japanese Controversy Under-Secretary Davis made it clear today that the controversy as to Tap was one between the United States and the allied powers and not one between. this country and Japan. It is around the future status of this island that much of the controversy in the inter national communications conference here has centered.
 Advices received in official circles today said the Netherlands government had become a party to the controversy over the German cables seized by Japan and emanating from Yap.
 : One of the lines connects Yap with
 Menado. in the Dutch East Indies, and l the Dutch government is said to have addressed request to Japan for pos session of this cabinet.
 | Japan, according to advices replied. proposing joint ownership of the line. but the Dutch government is said to l have reiterated its request for out right possession.