▁of ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁ 1 2 . 5 ▁million ▁people ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁▁ 4 2 ▁percent ▁were ▁transferred ▁to ▁mand ates ▁of ▁Britain ▁and ▁its ▁domin ions . ▁ 3 3 ▁percent ▁to ▁France , ▁and ▁ 2 5 ▁percent ▁to ▁Belg ium . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Pacific , ▁Japan ▁gained ▁Germany ' s ▁islands ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁equ ator ▁( the ▁Marshall ▁Islands , ▁the ▁Carol ines , ▁the ▁Marian as , ▁the ▁Pal au ▁Islands ) ▁and ▁K ia utsch ou ▁in ▁China . ▁German ▁Sam oa ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁New ▁Zealand ; ▁German ▁New ▁Guinea , ▁the ▁B ism ar ck ▁Arch ip el ago ▁and ▁Na uru ▁went ▁to ▁Australia ▁as ▁mand ates . ▁ ▁British ▁pla cement ▁of ▁sur rog ate ▁responsibility ▁for ▁former ▁German ▁colon ies ▁on ▁white - sett ler ▁domin ions ▁was ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁determined ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁most ▁exped ient ▁option ▁for ▁the ▁British ▁government ▁— ▁and ▁an ▁appropriate ▁reward ▁for ▁the ▁Domin ions ▁having ▁ful filled ▁their ▁" gre at ▁and ▁ur gent ▁imperial ▁service " ▁through ▁military ▁inter vention ▁at ▁the ▁beh est ▁of ▁and ▁for ▁Great ▁Britain . ▁It ▁also ▁meant ▁that ▁British ▁colon ies ▁now ▁had ▁colon ies ▁of ▁their ▁own ▁— ▁which ▁was ▁very ▁much ▁influenced ▁at ▁the ▁Paris ▁proceed ings ▁by ▁W . M . ▁Hugh es , ▁William ▁M asse y , ▁and ▁Louis ▁Both a , ▁the ▁prime ▁minister s ▁of ▁Australia , ▁New ▁Zealand ▁and ▁South ▁Africa .