The Yap Cables.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17104, 28 March 1921, Page 6

The Yap Cables.

V As recent cable messages sufficiently • indicate, one of the outstanding questions between the. United States and Japan is the question of the political Btatua of the, island of Yap, and of the . dispqml of the oatyleswlflfch .radiate from, that island, as i| centre. Yap is a small island some seven or eight thousand inhabitants, lying north of Nov Guinea, and east of the Philippines, and forming, in the days of German role, the administrative centre of the Western Caroline, Pelew, and Marianne groups. It derived, aod still derives, its main importanoe from the fact that it is linked by submarine cable to Celebes, and Guam, the U.S.A. naval station in the Marianne or La drone . group. As a link in the cable communication between the States and Eastern Asia, both continental and in- | sular, Yap is almost as important as |. Guam itself, for thei cables that have been laid from it provide alternate routes in case tha Guam*TokiQ, or the Guant-Manila cables were, broken. This is the reason why the States resented the alleged inclusion of Yap in Japan's mandate over the late bermsn insular possessions in the North Pacific, and the resentment was intensified by tho action of Japan in disconnecting cables - which had a landing there, and sealing B the cable eAd«,> obTi "

ously detrimental to American trade interests in the Far East. When the disposition of "these various islands first came up, the late President, Dr. Woodrow stipulated that the control of Yap -should be reserved for discussion in the International Conference to be held later, to settle the whole question of the operation and ownership of the late enemy cables. For various reasons the meeting of that conference was postponed until the present year, and not unnaturally Japan came to regard her mandate over Yap as finally settled. In this, however, she appears to have been premature. For, as recent cables imply, tho question of the status of Yap is evidently still open. The International Communications' Conference, now in session at Washington, is said to have reached a tentative agreement, giving the Yap-Guam cable to the States, and tho other two Van cables to Japan, and it is further reported that an official announcement on tho final disposal of Yap is to be made as soofi ni? the assent of France can be obtained. It seems obvious on tylie face of things, that if the States were to control one of the Yap cables, the administration of that island can hardly be left in the hands of Japan. But it is equally obvious that if it is not so left, Japan will be supplied with yet another grievance against the States.