The Washington times., 1922-03-26

act.
Lord Curzon. the British Secre-
tary of State for Foreign Affairs,
had pointed 10 the Philippine avs
and the Jones act in his notes
in rebuttal to the United States
notes regarding the Mesopotamian
oil fields. While the case was not
at all analogous. as the Mesopo-
tamian oil fields are actually part
ly covered the prior American
rights of Rear Admiral Colby NJ.
Chester, u. s. N, retired and his
son, Arthur Chester, and ascot
ates, the Department of State felt
impelled to act.
Protective Law Repealed.
The Philippine Legislature was
asked to repeal the protective law
of August 81, 1920, and few days
ago the State Department was ad-
Vised by General Leonard Wood,
the Governor of the Philippines,
that the Legislature had repealed
that law.
The abrogation of the Jones act
was advocated publicity by Presi-
dent Harding in his message To
Congress on December 6. when he
stated in effect that the act was
never enforced and would not be
enforced by the Harding Admin
istration and that during the life
of the act no Executive has com
piled with the order of Congress-
The way having thus been
cleared, Secretary Hughes last
note has gone TO Great Britain
for
American nationals to the Meso-
potamian oil fields
Having given this new object
lesson in international idealism.
the United States must now watch
Great Britain, else she will grab
the Philippine oil resources with
out opening the doors to the Meso-
potamian oil fields, repeating the
tricks already played several times
on the United States and France
regarding the same oil fields.
FRENCH HOODWINKED.
The French were the first TO be
hoodwinked in the matter They
held the Mosul district, which is
one Of the richest oil districts in
Mesopotamia. To get a quit claim
from France for this valuable dis
trict and other Arab districts IN
1915, Great Britain proposed and
succeeded in causing France TO
agree to recognize Arab independ-
ence.
Great Britain then duped France
by subsidizing Emir Husein, whom
it made nominal King Of liejaZ.
his son Emir Faisai, whom ii made
King of Mesopotamla, another son,
Abdullah, who was made Emir or
Kerak (Transjordania), the Sultan
of Koweit Ton the northwestern
coast of the Persian Gulf,, and
other Arab chiefs who agreed 10
let the British administer the al
fairs of the land over which they
are supposed to rule. -,
Ry this ruse France was checked
out of Arab States and Great Brit
ain retained control.
PACT WITH FRANCE.
Great Britain also hoodwinked
other Allies by entering into the
Syke-Picot secret treaty WIN
France under which she obtained
from France the recognition of her
general claims to Mesopotamia.
During the Paris Peace Confer
ence, when President Wilson in
sisted that the people of Mesopo-
tamia should be permitted to de.
eide their own destinies, Great
Britain agreed that Mesopotatnia
should become a great independent
Arab State. But a few months
later, in April. 1920, at San Reno.
she entered into a separate agree.
ment with France providing for
monopoly Of the MesOpOtamia oil
fields by q British controlled com,
pany, giving France twenty-five
l25) per cent Of the net output OF
crude oil ut current market rates
which His Maiesty's Government
may secure from Mesopotamia
oil fields"
Under this agreement France
agreed to permit the British gov
eminent controlled Anglo-Persiar
Oil Company to lay an oil pipe
across French inundated territory
to facilitate piping the oil to the
Mediterranean Sea.
This agreement was signed ~
April "a. 1890, by Sir John cad
man, director OF His Majesty's
Petroleum Department, and of the
| Anglo Persian Oil Company, repre-
senting England, anu Philippe
Barthelot, director of political anc
commercial affairs at the Fr2ncf
Ministry Of Foreign Affairs, re
presenting France. Ic was con
firmed on April 20 by Lloyd George
and Millerond, the British ane
French prime ministers.
Z
AWARDED A MANDATE.