Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-08-19
u. S. to SolidiN Pacific Security
Viii Seek Cordial Disposition Taken
Peace and Bar Repetition of
BY Joseph II. Baird

vital to their own protection as 1t is
to the security of the United States. 49,
1t is virtually certain, however, that
in addition to our Philippine bases, the
United States will want to establish air
fields and naval establishments in some
of the Japanese inundated islands,
which include the Caroline, Marshall
and Gilbert groups, as we'll as on some
of the islands that were formerly out
right japanese territory.
The Navy Department has not indi-
Gated publicly what new bases it con-
siders necessary for postwar defensive
establishment in the Far East. How
ever, obvious strategic factors indicate
that this country very likely will want
or Saipan, or BOTH which guard the
eastern approaches to the Philippines;
in the Marshall Islands, which flank
Hawaii to the southwest, and probably
on Okinawa, which is within easy
bombing range of Japan and also guards
the approaches to China's east coast.
Bases on still other islands may be in
Guided in yet-secret defense plans for
the Far East.
Guam, of course, is already an Amer
lean possession, but the establishment
of bases on the other islands mentioned
would necessitate either outright acqui-
sition or mandatory rights.
u. S. Protested Jap Mandate.
Japan acquired its mandates in the
Marshall, Caroline and Mariana groups,
former German possessions by de-
cision of the Allied powers after the
World War and held them, theoretically,
as an agent of the League of Nations
until its withdrawal from Geneva in
1892.
After the United States had de-
cided to stay out of the League, Secre-
tary of State Hughes protested the &C
ton of the other Allies in giving Japan
control over these areas without Amer
lean consent. However, after long and
spirited negotiations, the United States,
in convention signed February II,
1922, agreed to the japanese mandate
on certain conditions.
Among these was the provision that
mo military or naval bases shall be
established or Notifications erected in
the territory" Japan further agreed to
send the United States duplicates of its
reports to the League of Nations on adj
ministration of the mandates and also
promised that American citizens might
enter travel and reside" in the islands.
Events proved that this agreement was
not worth the paper it was written on.
When American forces captured islands
in the Gilbert and Marshall group in
1894, with heavy loss of life, they
found Notifications which obviously had
been started long before Pearl Harbor
In prewar years, recently published
State Department documents show,
nearly every time American ships asked
to enter the harbors of these inundated
islands, japanese officials concocted fake
reasons for refusal.
Japs Record Black.
Japan's record as mandatory power
is black one. Quite aside from the for
tunes of war, there are adequate legal
and moral reasons why Tokyo should be
stripped of control of these areas
The prime question which Washington
must decide is whether to seek an agree
ment with the other Allies providing
outright possession of needed naval and
air bases in the mandates and other
Japanese islands, or whether to admins
ter them as a mandatory power Tor
trustee" to use the newer language of
the United Nations Charter. Before
the San Francisco Conference, there was
sharp difference of opinion between
the Navy and State Departments, the
former urging outright possession of new
naval bases and the latter arguing fors
the right of mandate only. The Amer
lean formula proposed and adopted at
the conference was compromise be-
tween the two points of view.
The Charter separated mandates Cor
"trusteeships'D into two categories-
strategic" and "nonstrategic" areas.
Reports on mandates of the former,
which would include areas used as
naval or air bases, are to be made only
to the Security Council, while general
supervision of the latter were placed
under Trusteeship Council of the
General Assembly. Moreover, the
Charter provides that reports on man.