The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-05-12
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HAsKIN, Director.
washington, ID. G.
WHAT is A MANDATE?


lef the United States to the various
mandates that have been handed out
by the league of nations to its mem
lbers?
| The mandate is asserted by interna-
ltionaI lawyers to be a new principle
lin international relations. We are
going to hear a great deal about man
dates in the next few years, and it is
livery likely that some of us are going
Ito be called upon to- fight about them.
Therefore, let US see, if possible, what
a mandate is.
In theory a mandate is an order
from a league of the civilized nations
of the world to one of those nations,
making it responsible for the welfare
lof a certain nation or piece OF ter
lFitory considered to be less civilized
THE ideal of the mandate is that the
lciyiliZed nations, instead of exploiting
1.-THE backward ones, each as it can,
should care for them tenderly and be
responsible to the whole world for
the results.
! In practice, a mandate is permis-
sion given by the powers which won
1.-THE late war to one of those powers,
Ito supervise the affairs of some back
ward country. The mandatory 'la-
ltion enjoys certain advantages in that
TERRITORY, but it also has certain re-
lsponsibilities to the league of nations,
(which, if enforced, >weuld raise the
development of backward countries to
a higher level both from the economic
land the humanitarian point of view.
lOf course, in this matter, everything
really depends upon what the council
lef the league wants to do and is able
to do.
The mandate also seeks to keep one
nation from exploiting exclusively
backward territory, and TO give the
other members of the league certain
rights in it. But it does not do IS
much for the nations which are not
members of the league. And that is
the chief interest of the mandate for
the United States. By reason of our
failure to join the league, we have
not in the opinion of the members of
the league, the same rights in manda-
tory territory that they have, altho
we bore a full share in the war.
The Three Kinds.
The council of the League of Ma
4 tons acknowledges three chief kinds
of mandates. The A class mandates
cover former Turkish possessions in
Guiding Nesopotania. The B class
mandates cover islands of the Pacific
south of the Equator, and the class
mandates cover islands in the Pacific
north of the Equator. The Palestine
mandate is in a sense a fourth kind.
1t is often said that A, in mandatory
language, stands for oil, and c stands
for cables. In the administration of
where, we will see exemplified that
high international altruism which is
supposed to be the motive of the man
date.
According to the terms of this man
date, Samoa is to be administered by
New Zealand; Nauru pheasant Is
land), in the Pacific ocean, a short dis
lance south pr the Equator, by Great
Britain: German Southwest Africa, by
the Union of South Africa; and former
n Tn fha Dc IL
lsouth of the Equator (other than
Samoa and Nauru), by Australia.
These mandates of class B, provide
for the promotion and material we'll
tory power They prohibit slave traf-
fic and forced labor in these terri
tories except for the essential public
works for which adequate remunera-
ton is paid. These mandates do not
affect the individual ownership of land
in the territories under mandatory
rule. The taxes and general policy
are more or less affected by such a
change Of government. In accordance
with the treaty of Versailles. all of the
j former German possessions will be so
!. affected.
Mandates prohibit traffic in arms
and ammunition between the natives
of the mandatory territories and other
countries. Intoxicants for the natives
are prohibited and military training
lice and local defense forces necessary
to keep peace. On the other hand, the
power holding the mandatory right is
not allowed to build military or naval
bases or to establish any Notifications
in the territory under it's authority.
The free exercise of all forms of
religious worship is allowed and mis-
| sionaries, nationals of states, mem
bers of the League of Nations, shall be
permitted to travel and reside in the
territories and follow their callings.
Provisions are made for educational
: freedom and advancement. also.
, Position of Associated Powers.
Manufactures are required to report
to the league of nations annually on
the territory under mandatory rule
and the measures taken to carry out
, their obligations in accordance with
the above rulings.
The consent of the council of the
league of nations is required to make
any modification of the terms of a
mandate.
This declaration is deposited in the
) archives of the league of nations and
:, copies forwarded to all the powers
signatory to the treaty of peace with
Germany. 1t is to be noted that
members of the league of nations"
are granted special privileges. accord
ing to the terms of such mandates as
the above, but associate powers are
not necessarily included in these privi-
leges on mandatory territories. The
United States is. of course, an asso-
ciated power. having never Joined the
league of nations or signed the peace
treaty.
1t is upon just this exclusion of our
government from a voice III these mat
tiers and above mentiened privileges
granted to members of the league OF
nations, that the United States gov
eminent protests. This exclusion is
carefully stated in the Mesopotamia
Palestine, and zap mandate drafts. as
well as in the B mandates.
In a note te the secretary of state
= (then cambridge Colby the president
| | of the council of the league OF ma
. tions tGastano da Cunha) says:
'The most fundamental contention
= brought forward by the American note
r is that the approval of the United
States of America is essential to the
= iaiAr-(nf dntarra1 IN finn which