YAOS or AJAWA, a Bantu-Negroid people of east-central Africa, whose home is the country around the upper reaches of the Rovuma river, and the north of Portuguese East Africa. They have spread into the territory south of Lake Nyasa and throughout the Shire districts. They are the tallest and strongest of the natives in the Mozambique country. They were formerly slave traders, but were reduced to submission by the English in 1896.
YAP. This island of the Caroline group, formerly owned by Germany, is situated in the Pacific ocean, south of Japan and east of the Philippines, and north of the equator, in lat. 9.35 N., long., 138.15 E. It has an estimated population of 7,155, almost entirely of Malay origin.
The importance of Yap arises from its cable connections, since it is a station on the direct line from the United States to the Dutch East Indies via Guam, while another cable runs from Yap to Shanghai. On May 7, 1919, Japan was given a mandate over the islands north of the equator previously owned by Ger many, including Yap. The United States Government protested, and asked for a reopening of the subject on the ground that at the Peace Conference it had reserved the right to object to exclu sive control of the cable landings by Japan and taken the position that the island should be internationalized for cable purposes.
Further, it was contended, the United States, not having ratified the Treaty of Versailles, was not bound by it. The supreme coun cil of the Allies expressed its inability to reopen the matter. The controversy was finally disposed of at the Washington confer ence, Dec. 12, 1921, by an agreement between the two Powers, wherein the United States recognized the Japanese mandate and Japan agreed that the United States should have free access to the island on a footing of entire equality with Japan or any other nation in respect to the Yap-Guam cable and any other cables which might 'be laid by the United States or its nationals, and also similar rights and privileges in regard to radio-telegraphic service. The United States was also granted free entry and exit for persons and property. The United States Senate ratified the convention embodying this agreement March 1, 1922. (See WASHINGTON CONFERENCE.)