Show 9 TAN MAY Of BE FELT AT GENEVA Washington Awaits Developments Developments Develop Develop- ments of Action Takeno Taken o oil on i Mesopotamia WASHINGTON Nov Nav 26 The 26 The United Unit unitt Unit Unit- ed States having absolutely telY repudiated the Anglo Anglo on Mesopotamian Mesopotamian Meso- Meso oil officials here today await reaction from Europe to Secretary Secretary of of State Colby's Colbs note of protest to toO Great Great Grea t Britain The Tho note Is e expected to influence In Influence influence in- in fluence the league of nations meeting at Geneva Geneya on the question of methods of administration of mandates Great Britain holds th the mandate ma mandate d t over Mesopotamia Meso Meso- What at effect Colby's note will have in inthe inthe inthe the light of Germanys Germany's recent protest against the distribution of mandates over her former formel colonies by br the principal principal prin prin- cipal allies also is awaited with in interest in- in terest NATURE OF PROTEST The Colby note addressed to toO British Foreign Minister Curzon was was in pr protest pro protest pro pro- test against the San Remo agreement between Great Britain and France foran for foran foran an apparent division of the oil supplies of Mesopotamia The note made the following important Important important tant points The United States holds it is 18 of the utmost importance to the future peace of the world that alien territory transferred as a result of the war with the central powers should be held and administered in such a way as to assure as assure assure as- as sure equal treatment to the commerce and to the citizens of all nations It was upon an understanding to this effect that President Wilson at the Paris peace conference was persuaded that the acquisition under mandate of certain enemy territory by the victorious victorious victorious victo victo- rious powers would be consistent with the best interests of the world BRITISH ASSURANCE Great Britain pledged in her previous previous previous ous note to this government on the question that the natural resources of Mesopotamia are to be secured to the people of Mesopotamia and the fu future ure Arab state to be established in fn that region and that it is the purpose of the British government not only to se secure secure secure se- se cure those resources to toO the Mesopotamia Mesopotamia Mesopotamia tamia state but also its absolute freedom freedom free free- freedom dom of action and in particular that It t is far from the intention of the mandatory mandatory mandatory man man- power to establish any kind of monopoly or preferred position of its own Interest The United States finds difficulty in reconciling its pledge with the special special special cial arrangement In th the San Remo agreement in view of Great Britain's assurance assur nce that it has no intention of establishing any kind of monopoly Colb Colby said COLBY'S VIEW I am at some loss to understand how to construe the provision of the San Remo agreement that any private petroleum company which may develop the Mesopotamian oil fields shall be under permanent British control says the secretary The note requests that Great Britain submit to the United States the mandates mandates mandates man man- dates now being drafted for Mesopotamia Mesopotamia Mesopotamia tamia and Palestine by Britain before their submission to the council of the league of nations and that the drafts of these mandates be made public |