Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-06-13
MANDATE IDEA
NEW PRINCIPLE
IN GOVERNMENT
Lucid Explanation of Theory
and Practice of Mandatory
Proceedings
THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS
BY FI3RpERIC J. HAsKIN.

BY FIiRDERIC j. HASKIN.
WASHINGTON-Wh is a mandate,
and what IS the relation of the United
States to tne various mandates that have
been handed out by the League of Ma
tions to it's members?
The mandate is asserted by interna-
tional lawyers to be a new principle in
international relations. We are going to
hear a great deal about mandates in the
next few years, and it is very likely that
some Of Us are going to 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 of a certain
nation or piece of territory considered to
be less civilized The ideal of the man
date is that the civilized nations, instead
of exploiting the backward ones, each
as 1t can, should care for them tenderly
and be responsible to the whole world
for the results.
In practice, a mandate is permission
given by the powers which won the late
war to one Of those powers, to super
wise the affairs of some backward coun-
try The mandatory nation enjoys GER.
tain advantages in that territory, but it
also has certain responsibilities to the
League of Nations, which, If enforced
would raise the, development of back
ward countries to a higher level both
from the economic and the humanitarian
point of view. OF course, in this mat
ter, everything really depends upon what
the council of the league wants to do
and is able to do.
The mandate also seeks to keep one
nation from exploiting exclusively a
backward territory, and to give the other
members of the league certain rights in
It, But ii does not do as 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 mandatory territory that they
have, although we bore a full share in
the war.
THREE KIND.
OF MANDATES.
The council of the League Of Nations
acknowledges three chief kinds of man
dates. The A class mandates cover
former Turkish possessions including
Mesopotamia. 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
sense a fourth kind.
1t is often said that A, in mandatory
language, stands for oil. and C stands fof
cables. In the administration Of the B
class mandate, therefore, if anywhere we
will see exemplified that high interna
tional altruism which is supposed to be
the motive Of the mandate.
According to the terms of this mandate,
Samoa is to be administered by New
Zealand; Nauru pheasant Island), in the
Pacific Ocean, a short distance south OF
the equator, by Great Britain; German
Southwest Africa, by the Union Of South
Africa; and former German possessions
In the Pacific south of the equator (other
than Samoa and Naurn), by Australia.
These mandates Of Glass B, provide for
the promotion and material we'll being of
the territories under mandatory poN1E
They prohibit slave traffic and forced la
Dor in these territories except for the es
sential public works for which adequate
remuneration 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 change Of
government In accordance with the
Treaty of Versailles, all of the former
German possessions will be so affected.
Mandates prohibit traffic In arms and
ammunition between the natives of the
mandatory territories and other count
ries. Intoxicants for the natives are pro-
hibited and military training of the ma
tives forbidden except for police and To-
cal defense forces necessary to keep
peace. On the other hand. the power
holding the mandatory right is not al
lowed to build military or naval bases
or to establish any Notifications in the
territory under its authority.
The free exercise of all forms of relig
ious worship is allowed. and missionaries,
nationals of states. members 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.