U.S. COLONIAL TERRITORIES

Evening Star, Issue 25470, 28 April 1945, Page 5

U.S. COLONIAL TERRITORIES

USE OF STRATEGIC BASES SAN FRANCISCO, • April -26. The United States ■ has_ decided its policy on colonial territories ai'ter .the war, and has ..received the support of the other nations primarily says the ' New York Times 'correspondent here. The policy provides, hrstj tor a distinction between strategic bases and other colonial territories where the welfare of colonial peoples-and the 1 presence of valuable natural resources are the major considerations;' secondly $ the United States is willing-that jls bases in other colonial territories should* be subject to some, jurisdiction by the new- league; and, thirdly,- the United States insists .that the islands essential' to the security, of a' particular.nation, should be assigned to that nation, provided it has the necessary power to' defend it, and that strategic points should be available to the new organisation whenever enforcement action' against a potential belligerent Power is taken. . •••'■■

Quoting Okinawa as an. example, the correspondent says the- United. Stateswould asik. that one. particular, part of the island be assigned to them as a military and naval base. .The'right of the new league to inspect.the bass, would probably be conceded,. bu,t for all practical "purposes, it.would; be, aUnited States and through the veto power the United States - could; keep anyone else from. using it if -it so desired. However,, the rest "ofOkinawa -would be assigned- to the United States under an international ■ trusteeship, with, an obligation- "to abide by certain standards of treat-' ment for natives- and- the- exploitation, - of the natural resources of the island. In addition, the new league would have far more authority for inspection. ' „ This distinction between a strategic and a trusteeship area'is a compromise in a long controversy between .the American State, War, and Navy ,De-: partments. Strategic bases would be" under the supervision ,of the world security council and a, military staff committee, but ■ the trusteeship areas would be supervised by the- general, assembly and.the trusteeship council, which would .'be under the authority of the general assembly. The.!.American plan does not preclude the possi-* bility of placing . certain -areas !.or islands under the trusteeship of several nations, though this- would riot apply to regions where there are important strategic bases. . •/■'■•■■ Apparently the idea of-strong United

Nations bases flying tie United Nations' flag and'open to all. the'"United" Nations, has- - been abandoned.' There is a tendency to say that.these bases / must be available to the council in the A event of action against, a belligerent, but in general America has devised-a, scheme under which, she would - get general control, of a whole string .ofbases in the Pacific, protected by the American veto. . .-, , --..'.-. - -•--" The conference will not even discuss t what bases America will, get, - but the United States has accepted* the policyoutlined. It is supported ,by the British and the Russians, and all the Latin-American republics. Therefore, it is the basis of, what is-almost certain to provide the United States-with vast new opportunities for defence, ' and large responsibilities for the control and protection of colonial "peoples, particularly in the. Pacific. "'./.".--