The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-03-30
UNITED STATES IS
AGAINST MANDATE
Questions Right of Japan to
Possess Island of
zap
SPOT SHOULD BE
INTERNATIONALIZED

Place Is Pivot Of Group of Islands,
Gems of the Oriental Seas" That
Form Semi Circle Around the Phil
ipDine Possessions.
WASHINGTON, March 30.-Ameri-
can opposition to japanese manufactures
in the far east is not confined to the is
land of Zap, but, as indicated on Febru-
airy u last, in the note of former Secre
tary of State Colby to the league of ma
tions, to all of the islands in the Pacific
ocean north of the equator which formerly
belonged to Germany. These gems of
the oriental seas of which zap is one,
aggregate 127 and are comprised in four
groups, namely, the Carolines with 62,
the Marshall with 81, the Marianne tori
Ladrone) with -. and the Pelew with
eight. They form kind of strategic
semi circle around the Philippines.
While chief interest in the discussions
of the allied communications conference,
which began Pm Washington, October s,
1920. to determine the ALLEGATION OF these
islands. has centered in Zap by reason
of its Importance as a cable station, the
problem of zap Is Overshadowed by the
larger international aspect OF the control
o All Ile ~ lSIdIuS. Inc COultlliloli Vi
the United States department of state has
been that zap should be international
lied" The allied communications confer
ence, attended by representatives OF the
five allied powers. becoming deadlOcked
in February, 1921. the questions were
referred to the foreign relations commit
tee of the United States senate. The date
Of the resumption of the conference has
not been announced
Wants zap Free.
Opposition to Japan's mandate over
zap. expressed by Mr.. Colby To the Presi-
dent and members of the council of the
league of nations. included the declaration
that Zap constituted an Indispensable
part of any scheme or practical arrange
ment of cable communication in the Pa
citc and that its free and uuhampcred
use should not be hampercd or controlled
by any one power" Under the manda-
tory. agreed To by France anu England.
/ full power of administration and lcgls-
lation' over zap was vested in the
Toxic government and zap was to be
considered IAN integral part of the en-
! pire of Japan
Another objection by the United States
| is that it sees in the Zap situation the
| possibility of Il foreign nation exercising
I a censorship over its communications to
| Europe and Asia.
! The fact that the former German
| Operated cable from Shanghai, China,
which passes through zap, was taken over
| by Japan and its oriental terminus re-
: the American protest. Control over Zap
/ by Japan was granted by the Paris peace
| conference on May Z. 1919. when it was
/ decided that the mandate for the Pacific
! islands north of the equator, formerly be
| longing to Germany, should be awarded
| 10 the Toxic government and the mandate
for those south of the equator to Aus
/ tralla and New Zealand.
Sketch of Zap.
| 1t is not generally known that the is
| land of Zap was originally called Guap
or Wap, a cogRomen given by Spanish
navigatorS, who discovered ii in the 10th
century. Until 1880 zap, like all the
Iother of the CarolineS, was owned by
| Spain. Germany at this time cast covet-
GUS eyes upon 1ap, realizing that it was
lwell situated for communication with
Japan. China. the Philippines the Dutch
East Indies and New Guinea and that
it was a convenient station on the trans
Pacific route, via Honolulu, to San Fran
cisco.
Suiting action to desire the German
gunbOat Tits, in that year. raised the
German flag to zap and other islands.
1t created considerable excitement in
Madrid and an appeal was made to the
vatican, with the result that the pope de-
cided in favor of Spanish sovereignty.
Fourteen years later, after the Spanish
American war, Spain sold the CarolineS
Including Zap and the pelew and all of
the Marianne I4adrone) islands. except
Guam, to Germany for S42O0.000. The
United States had acquired Guam from
Spain in 1898. 1t is $50 miles from zap.
The Importance of zap and Guam az
cable bases is shown by the fact that to-
day an all-American cable runs from San
Francisco via Honolulu, Guam and Ma
Mia to Shanghai, while from Guam an
other cable, the southern part under
American control the northern under Jap
aneSe, goes direct to Yokohoma. The
former German cable runs from Guam to
Zap, whence one line goes on TO Shang-
hal, and another from zap to Mcnado, in
the Dutch East Indies. The Nap-Guam
cable, it is said, was of great service to
Americans as it gave them an alternative
to the Guam-NIanila cable for communica-
ton with China.
Japan Seizes Islands.
When the great war began, japanese
naval forces seized the Ladrone, Pelew
and Caroline islands, including zap, and
held them until Japan was made their
mandatory. Germany, in accepting the
treaty of Versailles, renounced her cables
in the far east in favor of the allied and
associated powers and the final alloca.
ton of them among the powers is the
object of the international cOmmunica-
Itions conference, which is to be resumed
in Washington at an early date.
Aside from its tactical advantage in the
Pacific the island which has cause,a such
an international diplomatic stir. is not