ISLAND OF YAP

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 51, 1 March 1921, Page 7

ISLAND OF YAP

CONTROL OF CABLES

JAPAN'S CLAIM UNDER

MANDATE

(UMTBD PRBBS ASSOCIATION,—COTTMOHT.)

(AUSTRALIAN • NEW ZEALAND CASH ASSOCIATION,) TOKIO, 27th February.

It is understood that Japan has suggested that tho United States should lay a cable direct to Shanghai from, Guam as a substitute for the Ya.p route. Japan takes the stand tha^the mandate given her means control of the Yap cables on the same basis as Germany had before the war. Ja,pan during the war diverted the Yap end of the cable from Shanghai to Loochoo Island, between Japan and Formosa, for administrative purposes. Gable- communications from the United States-to Shanghai, via Guam and Yap, therefore, do not exist.

The newspaper Nichi-jSichi-Shimbun takes the view that the United States is not in a position to interfere, because she has not ratified the Peace Treaty, and has not entered the League of Nations, but says that' considering America's sliare in winning the war Japan has ho right not to consider America's contention.

The Hoehi Shirabun expresses the opinion that America's absence from the 1 League of Nations does not imply that she renounces the right to qu«stion de-. cisions by the Leaguft affecting important world affairs.

An authoritative opinion holds that Japan will insist upon her mandate over Yap. The United States' protest to the League of Nations has aroused great interest. It is explained that Japan bases her claim upon the final decision of the Supreme Council, in May, 1919: It is contended that if President Wilson made orol reservations previous to the deliberations of the Council, Japan was not represented, and has no official cognisance thereof.

Naval strategists regard President Wilson's claim to thp, island of Yap as importantly affecting the future balance of foresee in the Pacific (states the Sydney Sun's representative in ' London). It appears that,the destination of Yap Jia-s been referred to a special conference, which later on will decide the question of German cables taken over during Che war. President Wilson admita that the American claim to the island is due to the' strong report of naval .experts, who insist on the necessity for American bases in the Western Pacific. This may be inspired primarily by American interests in the Philippines, but America's decision to straddle the Pacific obviously has an important bearing on Australian defence.

Yap ia a sm;."Jl volcanic island in the Carolina Group, about 800 miles north of Now Guinea. The island is about ten miles in length, and is fertile and well watered. It was, like the rest of the group, formerly a German colony. Further pToof of the determination of the United States to establish herself firmly in the Pacific ivas supplied in a recent cablegram, which stated that Mr. Daniels (Secretary of the Navy), when open-, ing the Pearl Harbour dry dock at Honolulu,. Eaid thot he expected to make Pearl Harbour one.of.the world's great-est-marine stations. The island of YVip has already been the subject of^n international dispute. It originally belonged to Spain, but the German flag was hoisted there in 1885. The. resulting ,dispute, between Germany and Spain was settled by Pope Leo XIIT. by the awarding of the Carolines to Spain. In 1899 the group was purchased by-Ger-many.