▁The ▁principle ▁of ▁" self - det erm ination " ▁emb od ied ▁in ▁the ▁League ▁of ▁Nations ▁c oven ant ▁was ▁not ▁considered ▁to ▁apply ▁to ▁these ▁colon ies ▁and ▁was ▁" reg arded ▁as ▁meaning less ". ▁To ▁" all ay ▁President ▁[ W ood row ] ▁Wilson ' s ▁susp ic ions ▁of ▁British ▁imperial ism ", ▁the ▁system ▁of ▁" m and ates " ▁was ▁drawn ▁up ▁and ▁agreed ▁to ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁War ▁Cab inet ▁( with ▁the ▁French ▁and ▁It ali ans ▁in ▁to w ), ▁a ▁device ▁by ▁which ▁conquer ed ▁enemy ▁territory ▁would ▁be ▁held ▁not ▁as ▁a ▁possession ▁but ▁as ▁" s ac red ▁trust s ". ▁But ▁" far ▁from ▁en vis aging ▁the ▁event ual ▁independence ▁of ▁the ▁[ former ] ▁German ▁colon ies , ▁Al lied ▁states men ▁at ▁the ▁Paris ▁Conference ▁regarded ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁as ▁the ▁renew al , ▁not ▁the ▁end , ▁of ▁an ▁imperial ▁era ." ▁In ▁deliber ations ▁the ▁British ▁" W ar ▁Cab inet ▁had ▁confidence ▁that ▁n atives ▁everywhere ▁would ▁opt ▁for ▁British ▁rule "; ▁however , ▁the ▁cabinet ▁acknowled ged ▁" the ▁necessity ▁to ▁prove ▁that ▁its ▁policy ▁toward ▁the ▁German ▁colon ies ▁was ▁not ▁motiv ated ▁by ▁ag grand iz ement " ▁since ▁the ▁Empire ▁was ▁seen ▁by ▁America ▁as ▁a ▁" land ▁dev our ing ▁oct opus " ▁with ▁a ▁" v ora cious ▁territorial ▁app et ite ". ▁ ▁Ep ilog ue ▁▁ ▁President ▁Wilson ▁saw ▁the ▁League