84 The Defects of the System of Mandates By HERBERT ADAMS GIBBONS, PH.D. Princeton, N. J. mandatory scheme was un- and Great Britain as colonies. How HEdoubtedly proposed by Mr. Wil- could Italy argue that her Allies had son with an altruistic end in view. It increased their African possessions? was adopted, however, by the Euro- The former German colonies were pean statesmen as a scheme to disguise simply &dquo;a sacred trust.&dquo; under a cloak of virtuous self-abnega- The French and British Govern- tion the intentions of the conquerors ments have never at any time, either of Germany to divide among them- before or after the signing of the Treaty selves Germany’s overseas possessions. of Versailles, taken the mandate idea In his recent book, Mr. Lansing at- seriously. It is not difficult to prove tempts to explain Mr. Wilson’s infatu- this assertion. It is based upon hard, ation on the mandate question by a cold facts, of which the Wilson Admin- disconcerting analysis of his former istration did not seem to be aware until chief’s mental processes. Mr. Lansing the end of the year 1920. The proph- believes that &dquo;a sufficient and very ecy of Isaiah about &dquo; seeing ye shall see practical reason&dquo; for the willingness of and shall not perceive,&dquo; was certainly Clemenceau and Lloyd George to ac- fulfilled at Paris, not only in regard to quiesce in the mandatory plan was the former German colonies in Africa that in this way &dquo;Germany lost her and the Pacific, but also in regard to territorial assets, which might have the Ottoman races. The mandatory greatly reduced her financial debt to articles of the Covenant were being the Allies, while the latter obtained the violated at the moment of drafting, and German colonial possessions without during the two months before the the loss of any of their claims for in- Treaty of Versailles was signed. Mr. demnity.&dquo; Wilson should have been aware of the An additional and equally compel- intents of his associates. As the man- lipg reason might have been adduced datory question is now becoming an by Mr. Lansing had he been aware of international issue, through the notes the embarrassment and alarm of the of Secretaries Colby and Hughes, it is French and British premiers over important for the American people to Italy’s insistence upon the fulfillment realize that the American Government of a clearly worded article in the secret has no reason to be surprised at the treaty of 1915. One of the promises attitude of the French and British and exacted by Italy as the price of her Japanese Governments. intervention in the war was &dquo; adequate MANDATORY POLICY OF THE ALLIED territorial compensation&dquo; in case the PREMIERS war should bring &dquo; an increase in the colonial possessions of France and Concealment of mandatory inten- Great Britain in Africa.&dquo; President tions, and denial of the authority of Wilsonwas the deus ex machina. Togo, the League of Nations have been the Kamerun, German East Africa, Ger- consistent policy of the Allied Premi- man Southwest Africa, belonged to the ers. Since April, 1919, the allotment League of Nations. The Treaty of of the mandates, the drawing of bound- Versailles did not give them to France aries and the rules for governing man- Downloaded from ann.sagepub.com at WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY on June 4, 2015 85 dated territories have been matters of The Anglo-Belgium agreement trans- direct negotiation between the powers ferred an inland portion of German in actual possession of German and East Africa to Belgium, thus proving Ottoman territories at the time of the that the British and Belgian Govern- Armistice. These powers did not wait ments did not believe either that the until the Council of the League was title of the conquered territory was formed. The residuary trustee idea is vested in the League of Nations or in a farce, since the Entente Powers are the five principal Allied or associated interested in the League of Nations powers, or that a former German colo- only as a convenient instrument to use ny as a mandated territory should be in furthering their own foreign policies. preserved in its territorial integrity. This is natural. Who can deny that The world, and this includes the United the authority and activities of the States Government, has never been League in all matters that count are told of the terms on which Great Brit- under the direct control of the Allied ain agreed to divide the former German Premiers, who think of the League colonies in the Pacific with Japan and simply as a Doctor Jekyl-a false front what other terms were reached concern- to shield their Mr. Hyde doings? ing the German islands south of the The mandates for the former Ger- equator and German Southwest Africa. man colonies and Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire had been sim- were decided upon before the Cove- ilarly taken care of by secret under- nant of the League of Nations was standing, concluded in 1915 and re- adopted. The ownership of these ter- vised at the instance of Russia in 1916. ritories had been a matter of secret The facts concerning the Sykes-Picot negotiations among the Entente Pow- agreement of 1916 between Great Brit- ers during the war. Mr. Wilson’s ain and France, and concerning the intervention at Paris changed nothing. British pledges to Zionists and Arabs, Mr. Wilson was humored to the extent must have filtered through the press to of being allowed to invent a new name. the White House long before Mr. Wil- That was all. &dquo;What’s in a name?&dquo; son sailed for Paris. These agreements The mandates for the former German should have demonstrated to the Amer- colonies were allotted to those who held ican negotiator-I use the singular- them by those who were holding them. the absurdity of Article XX of the On the day that the Treaty was handed Covenant, but if Mr. Wilson needed to the German delegates Mr. Wilson another warning of the intention of his agreed to recognize that a de facto sys- colleagues to give him the shadow while tem already existed. He seems to have they kept the substance, he had it in remonstrated only on the question of their failure to comply with the &dquo;wish- Yap, and that reservation was not es of the inhabitants &dquo;-I am quoting written into the minutes. France and from the text of the Treaty of Versailles. Great Britain had already made an THE OTTOMAN MANDATE agreement to swap lands, when Bel- gium kicked about being frozen out. It has been frequently asserted by Her statesmen appealed to Great Brit- apologists for the League and Mr. ain as the owner of German East Africa Wilson that the United States was and not through the League of Nations. excluded in a share in the Ottoman King Albert flew to Paris and an agree- mandates of our own volition. This ment was reached without thought or is not true. France and Great Britain reference to this residuary trustee. never suggested, even indirectly, that Downloaded from ann.sagepub.com at WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY on June 4, 2015 86 we participate in the inheritance of the unprovided for contingency has arisen Ottoman Empire in any other way at the present time. The fault does than in relieving them of the burden not lie at the door of the Allied Pre- of the barren and mountainous portion miers. The League of Nations was of Armenia, cut off from the sea and presumably an American conception, from the regions of Armenia that were and the mandate scheme was a con- rich in cotton, copper and oil; and in cession to the American President. regard to this thing may I say The sponsor of the mandate idea did that I myself have seen with my own not know how to be its defender. eyes the report on this question of The Colby notes of November 20, General Franchet d’Esperey to the 19~0, to Great Britain onMesopotamia, French Foreign Office. and of February ~l,19~1, to the League Article XX provides that &dquo;members Council on the former German colonies of the League severally agree that this are admirable documents, and present, Covenant is accepted as abrogating all with fidelity, the American point of obligations or understandings inter se view. This is proved by the fact that which are inconsistent with the terms the Harding Administration has con- thereof, and solemnly undertake that tinued the same policy, and Secretary they will not hereafter enter any en- Hughes follows the same line of argu- gagements inconsistent with the terms ment. But are we not crying over thereof.&dquo; spilled milk? It is the statesmen’s In justification of Mr. Wilson one duty to care for the interests of his might advance the argument that he country at the moment the danger relied on this stipulation, to prevent arises, or, better still, to foresee and secret understandings, from nullifying provide against all possible attempts of the stipulations of Article XX. We others to take advantage of his country. must give Mr. Wilson justice in this The &dquo;equal concern and inseparable matter, and we can believe that he interest with other principal powers in provided for it, but international diplo- the overseas possessions of Germany, matic language must be specific. &dquo; In- and concededly, an equal voice to the consistent with the terms thereof&dquo; disposition,&dquo; ought to have been means nothing, unless &dquo;the terms claimed by the Unitetl States before thereof&dquo; are explicit and comprehen- hostilities ended, or, at the very latest, sive.