The Press Friday, April 22, 1921. The Yap Dispute.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17126, 22 April 1921, Page 6

The Press Friday, April 22, 1921. The Yap Dispute.

The dispute between America and Japan over th§ mandate for Yap is developing into something like a deadlock; Yap id enß af the inlandsnorthof the Equato* which, have been mandated* t<>

Japan, and its importance lies in tho fact that it' is tihe cable centre connecting tho American Pacific (.'oast, through Guam, With the Philippines aHd (Shanghai. To the American objection to the Japanese control of'the cables from Yap tihe reply has been made that beforejthe '* war American messages thttitigh Tap went through German hands over German lines. The American Government's contention is that the cable station should be«iriterfltttidHaiißetii itM that there was an tifidefstandlHg at Versailles that Yao Stolid Hob be in* eluded in the island's banded e«r to Japan., Th* latest AdVlc!«s We td.the- ' tjffect that,iia6rie& is Itffitlgljjr insisting upon the 6iValldity 8f fend Mandate end that the J&pan§B§ So*e?hmefifc) whosd views were 1 ««pWBBed bf Baron Hayashi a few days agd,/Intends to stand firm in her claim o*6* Yftg. The poSitldli is & very*Blifibus one } Arid illustrated that on. occasion the people at Versailles Were very careless. The Cotifldil of the League of Nations approved of tho Japanese mandate in December last, arid the t£Xt of the mandate cdfctalhed the lihrag'er frintiijal Allied '' " and Associated Powers agreed th&t in "accordance with Articleftlfrl,Part 1.

. " Covenant Of the league of Nations, A mandate-should B§ eoHferred upoii phis Majesty the Ehnperor of Japan J'to adniinlstetf the |Sai3 islands, etc." \fhe American Jlovernment haa point dd "out to the other towers that this stated ment is .incorrect, inasmuch as the United States, which Is &nd ol' the Ass*» ciate,d fcowefej did not agree td the

mandate at all, and has never its consent to the inclusion of Yap. It was further pointed out in a Note issued in February that at the time of a discis-

sion of a mandate .over the islands Mr * Wiiion tfas particular to stipulate that Yap should be reserved. Subsequently the; American Government was informed that certain of the .Powers were under

the impression that the Supreme Council : in Alay, 19l8j included or inserted' Yap in tho proposed mandate. Steps' were taksn bf Mr "Wilson' to" inform the Power* inSfc it could not concur iti the

Tfsrted l decision dt itfay, 15i9, and tho Ani«ri6aa GtoVtSftimehts fflflintains thflb.aa t its' objeotions were lodged before a final .agreement had been reached, and long before De&mbe* lalt, when tho Council ' of the League, inet in Genefd, tks mandate i§ nt)t validi later Notes, summarised ill a cable fiiessage printed on •\* Wednesday, refer to repealed warnings ' Witsu'nj during Versailles Government's attitude. The impression is given that the other Powers onricurfed with tho American view, but tho Japanese Government declares that its delegates were not present oil any slick occasion, and practically <bollenges too American Government to prelfS that its theinternatlnnalisatlotl of Tag Ws agreed to by thomierabers or theSuprenlo Council. In the Japanese . Diet on TebTuary 18th Count tJchkla declared that Japan had no intention of giving np any of her lowers over thg cables acquired tinder the mandate. It is qdite clear that %he Amfcridan view waa. not T)rft&ea -to' & tonciurieb at Vfetcdllfis, and *bat there is nothing in, wflting as to a decision by the Pdwers re-teeaented there. This extraordinary oarelesaness, of trustfulness, sSdnU Ukely ' < io lead to a severe {.training of the rev Jations between Japan and America, and • ft will afford an interesting test of the,

attitude of Britain and the otlher Allied Powers towards the contending parties, Since the settletrient of the dispute, if it can be settled, rests with. them.