Pacific Mandates

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XII, Issue 238, 20 September 1922, Page 2

Pacific Mandates

POWERS OF COMMISSIONERS. THE NAURU PHOSPHATES. DIRECT PURCHASE BY BRITISH. Geneva, Sept. 15 The political committee of the League of Nations presented the Assembly with the mandates report. The following passages relate to the Pacific :— The committee noted with great satisfaction the intention of the permanent Mandates Commission to investigate further the questions of indentured labour in the Pacific islands, also the land tenure in mandated territories. The committee is confident the mandatory Powers will do everything to facilitate the task of the commission in its further labours. The committee notes with pleasure that the mandatory Powers have realised the importance of the duties which the covenant of the League imposes upon them by adding to the official report required by the covenant full replies to the questionaires framed by the permanent Mandates (.Commission With regard to Nauru, the committee deems it advisable to prevent possible misinterpretation by taking note: — (1) That the British Emprre, which is responsible for the Nauru mandate, consists of Britain together with a number of territories, all owing common allegiance but distinct in respective powers of government. The mandatory authority of the British Empire can therefore only be exercised by some one or more of the several Governments of territories composing the Empire. If for the statement in the report that the British Empire had transferred responsibility for the administration partly to Britain, Australia and New Zealand there were submitted the statement that the British Empire had provided for the administration of the island by Britain, Australia and New Zealand, the position would be defined with greater precision and exactitude. (2) That the statement in the report that the Governments of Britain, Australia and New Zealand had reserved to themselves the exclusive rights of the administration of the nch deposits of phosphates, which constitute the wealth of the island, is capable of misinterpretation, without explanation. That the three Governments acquired by direct purchase through voluntary sale on the part of the owners, not through the mandate, the exclusive rights granted befofS the war by the German Government to a private company. The committee had the advantage of perusing the explanatory document presented by the representatives of Australia and Japan, as well as the statement handed in by the Australian delegate, and recommends that these documents be read together with the report by the permanent Mandates Commission. The committee, having considered the matter of the right of petition, expresses the hope that this right may be defined in such a manner that all petitions emanating from inhabitants nf the mandated areas should be sent to the permanent Mandates Commission through the intermediary of the local administration and the mandatory Power. All petitions concerning the welfare of inhabitants emanating from other sources should not be considered by the permanent Mandates Commission before the mandatory Power has. had a full opportunity of expressing its views thereon. Mr. Justice Rich added the following declaration; “The statement in the report and context that it is not clear what powers and means of con-1 trol the Australian administration possesses in regard to this organisation seems to be capable of misinterpretation without the explanation that political and economic powers are unct. The administrator is paramount. He is invested with power to make laws for peace and good government of the island. The commissioners’ powers are confined to control over business connected with _ phosphates, free from Government interference in such business. They, in common with other citizens, are subject to the laws made by the administrator. They hold office during the pleasure of their respective Governments.”—(A. and N.Z.)