The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-02-24
]. s. SENDS
PROTEST ON
zap RULING

Japanese Mandate Over
Island Never Assented
to; Fights Asserted.
Paris, Feb. 24.-(United .Press.)
The League of Nations council
today in effect decided to ignore
protests Of the United States over
the approval Of mandates by pro-
ceeding to the consideration Of class
B mandates.
The United States made no spe
cific protests, against the class B
but in q note to the c0un-
ell, Secretary Of State Colby pro-
tested against action without COM
sultation with America.
The council expected to draft q
reply to Colby's note today, in
in it the suggestion that the
protest should have been addressed
to the allied supreme council, now
in London. It is expected
to state that the league council
merely approves the text Of the
while the supreme coun-
Gil does the actual 9Warding.
The council this forenoon pub
lished the Colby note regarding the
award Of the Island of Yap to
Japan, but thus far has withheld
Colby's correspondence with Great
Britain In regard to Mesopotamia.
Officially there was no comment
but individual delegates were in
clined to the opinion that the Unit
ed States had forfeited her rights
under the Versailles treaty by her
formal withdrawal for associations
OF the powers and her refusal to
enter the league.
Paris, Feb. 24.-(By Associated
Press. THE United States govern
ment, in its note to the council Of
the League Of Nations on the ques-
ton OF mandates, claims an equal
concern and interest with the 9th
er principal allied and associated
powers IN the oyerseas' possessi6Hs
Of Germany and in their DISPOSE
ton.
This was shown today when the
note sent by the American state
department and laid before the
council Of the League yesterday
was made public.
The council again took up the
note this morning. considering it
with particular reference to this
claim advanced by the United
States. Some Of the other mem
bers held that America had for
feited such rights by Withdrawing.
as an associated power, from the
supreme council.
In the summary of the note,
which was made public on We'd
nesday, it was revealed that the
United States declared it had nev-
er given its consent that the island
OF Yap, an important link in the
chain of cable communications in
the Pacific, be included in the ter
ritories subjected to the mandate
Of Japan.
Demands Equality.
The principal feature of the note,
in addition to the points contain
ed in the summary, was the Amer
ican contention of equal right and
interest in disposing Of Germany's
overseas possessions. On this the
note said:
"As one Of the principal allied
and associated powers the United
States has equal concern and in
separable interest with the Other
principal allied and associated
powers in the overseas possessions
Of Germany, and consequently ar
equal voice in their disposition
which it is respectfully submitted
can not be undertaken or effected
without its consent"
r Referring to the attribution o.
the island Of Yap to Japan, thu
note reads:
while this government nevel
assented to the inclusion Of the is
land of .Yap in the proposed man
date to Japan, it may be pointet
out that even II one or more O
the other principal allied and as
sociated powers were under mis-
, apprehension as to the Inclusion o
the island in the reported decision
of May Z, 1919, nevertheless in tn
notes above mentioned the Unitet
| States government makes clear it
| position" -
| to comprised that sent by the Unit
ed States to Great Britain on Nov
20. last, with the copies, submit
ted to the French and Italian gov
| ernments. The notes set forth tn
American position on the RESPONSE
bilities Of mandatory powers. tn,
Japanese mandate was approved b,
the council Of the league Dec. II
! in Geneva-)
! "At the time when these note
were addressed to the respectiv,
| governments above mentioned, al
agreement had not been reached OF
the terms Of the ALLEGATION Of tn,
mandates covering the former Ger
man islands in the Pacine There
fore, the position taken BY tn
president on behalf Of this gov
ernment clearly set forth, neces
sarily had the result Of e6ectivel,
Withdrawing any suggestion. or i'm
plicatien Of assent, mistakenly i'm
! puted to this government. long be
fore Dec. II, 1890, the. date Of tn
councils meeting In Geneva
L