Page 147 - Micronesia
P. 147
ritain took measures to try to prevent Ja- for Japanese naval units to assist in anti-sub- was hard to refute at this time that Japan
marine patrol work in the Mediterranean. In was already established in Micronesia and
B pan from establishing a permanent claim making this agreement, Britain rationalized that during each of the five years of occu-
at the time that it was inevitable that Japan pation it had consolidated it presence and
to its Micronesian spoils. The new course of would retain these islands anyway. Australia, the islands had virtually become a Japanese
action was to utilize diplomacy to bolster a major force in the British Empire, was able colony. Such were the major arguments that
Britain’s view that all respective British and to convince the British the agreement was would be considered by delegates the 1919
Japanese occupation of Germany’s Pacific necessary as it was similarly determined to Paris Peace Conference; all concerns would
territories should be considered a temporary retain naval garrisons in New Guinea and the be tied to the most critical concern amongst
wartime measure and the final disposition of Bismarck Archipelago thereby providing a the participants, the issue of strategic value.
the islands should be left to discussion be- means of preventing further southward ex- The disposition of the islands had become an
tween the Allies following the end of the war. pansion by the Japanese. With an agreement international issue of global significance.
Japan’s answer was to immediately increase in place for Britain’s support, Japan was then
its presence in the islands. able to bargain for similar secret treaties A llied representatives met in Versailles in
from other Allies including France, Russia, January 1919 to establish the League of
J apan was still able to extract promises and Italy. Nations and to decide the issues of the war
regarding the islands from both Britain including the Japanese claim to Micronesia.
and Australia that the United States was not T hroughout Japan, there was a wide- Japan’s delegates argued that Micronesia
informed of. An agreement was forged out spread supposition (especially with naval should be awarded to them because of its
that would guarantee Britain’s support for planners) that they should be rewarded with record of humanitarian accomplishments in
Japanese claims to ex-German Islands north the islands for their contribution to the war the islands.
of the equator in return for likewise Japanese effort and for the security of the nation. A
support for British claims to others south of no-retreat stance on the issue was consid-
the equator. This agreement was reached ered by many a matter of national honor. It
after Britain sent appeals for help in the Eu-
ropean war theater ... in particular, a request
