Far Eastern Strategy and The Washington Conference of 1921 22by Edward Wittenberg
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Far Eastern Strategy and The Washington Conference of 1921-22by Edward Wittenberg
On November 12, 1921 the five principal naval powers of the post World War I world convened in Washington D.C. to discuss naval disarmament. These powers--the United States, Great Britain, Italy, France, and Japan--controlled the largest naval forces in the world at that time(1). Each came to the conference seeking an advantageous settlement. This was especially true in the case of the United States government, which wanted a naval disarmament agreement that could
curb Japanese expansion in the Far East.
From the outset, the United States quickly took the lead. American Secretary of State, Charles Evans Hughes offered the welcoming address at the initial session. His opening remarks, which shocked even the most vehement advocates of naval disarmament, declared that the United States was ready to scrap nearly thirty
capital ships and to accept a ten year moratorium on capital ship construction(2). This address quickly brought the conference into focus, and became the foundation upon which all subsequent discussions were based(3)...