The Washington Naval Conference

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The Washington Naval Conference

• ALSO KNOWN AS THE WASHINGTON ARMS CONFERENCE

ALYSON CHWATEK
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• 12 November 1921 -
• 6 February 1922

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• Involved
• Britain
• The United States
• France
• Japan
• Italy
• Belgium
• China
• Portugal
• The Netherlands
• But not Russia

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• Conference was called to order by President
  Warren G. Harding of the United States

LETS WORK THIS OUT
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DID YOU KNOW..?!?!?!

• The FIRST international conference held in the
  United States, is considered to be a model for
  successful treaty making!
• Also the FIRST disarmament conference in HISTORY

MEMORIAL CONTINENTAL HALL WHERE TREATY WAS MADE
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GO AMERICA
Resulted in THREE major treaties! Along with
other smaller ones, but these are the most
recognizable.
1 4 power treaty
2 5 power treaty
3 9 power treaty
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Let us never negotiate out of fear. But, let us
never fear to negotiate. -John F. Kennedy
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INSIDE PEAK AT THE WASHINGTON CONFERENCE..
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ObJeCtIvEs Of tHe TrEaTy

• American Secretary of State, Charles Evans Hughs,
  wanted to prevent the Japanese navy from
  expanding into western Pacific waters, especially
  because there were valuable islands in which
  naval bases could be set up.

Intimidating Japanese Naval ship
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The Four Power Treaty, what was it all about?
In this treaty, all the parties involved in the
treaty agreed to maintain status quo in the
Pacific. The parties agreed to not try and
expand into the Pacific, and that if some sort of
problem was to arise, that they would all
mutually try and work it out. THERE IS NO i in
TEAM! Another effect of this treaty was the
ending of the Anglo-Japanese alliance of
1902. The Anglo-Japanese alliance was an
alliance between Japan and Britain. It contained
six articles in which the countries decided how
they would help each other in times of war and
such. When Japan entered the Washington
Conference it felt that Britain did not have its
best interests in mind, and therefore leaned
towards ending the alliance. There was much
mistrust between Japan and Britain, and this
mistrust and the way that the alliance was ended
can be looked at as precursors to Japans
involvement in WWII.
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What on earth was the Five Power Treaty all about
then?
In this treaty, the United States, France,
Britain, Japan, and Italy all decided upon the
limitations to naval armaments.
553 ratio, The Japanese Felt insulted
-The British Navy was allowed 525,000 tons of
Capital ships and 135,000 tons of aircraft
carriers. -The United States was allowed the same
ratio that Britain was. -Japan was allowed
315,000 tons of Capital ships and 81,000 tons of
aircraft carriers. -France was allowed 175,000
tons of Capital ships and 60,000 tons of aircraft
carriers. -Italy was allowed the same ratio that
France was.
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(No Transcript)
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The NINE POWER TREATY
This treaty affirmed the Open Door Policy in
China. All nations would have equal boundaries
and trade rights in their spheres of influence in
China. China was to maintain her integrity.
The nine nations were, the United States,
France, Britain, Italy, Japan, China, Belgium,
the Netherlands, and Portugal.
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Now, what did the United States desire out of
these treaties?

• Well first of all the U.S. wanted
• To relieve Anglo-American tension by ending the
  Anglo-Japanese alliance.
• To agree on a naval ratio between the U.S. and
  Japan AND Britain
• And lastly, to have the Japanese agree to
  continue the Open-Door Policy in CHINA

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United States Motives Cont..

• Why did the United States want Japan to stay out
  of the Pacific?
• SO THE UNITED STATES WOULD HAVE NO COMPETITION!

To ensure the success of the treaty, the United
States offered to get rid of almost thirty
capital ships and take a ten year break on the
construction of them. They meant business.
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Well what about Britain? What did she want?
Britain naturally desired most of the same things
that the United States did, but they did not
approach it in the same manner. While the United
States went into the treaty seeking several
specific agreements, Britain was more open-minded
and open to negotiation as long as the Pacific
looked something like it wanted it to.
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WHAT ABOUT JAPAN!?!?!

• Japan first of all desired to form some sort of
  naval treaty with the United States AND Britain.
  On top of forming a naval treaty, Japan wanted
  the world to recognize officially its interests
  in Manchuria and Mongolia. Lastly, Japan wanted
  to continue to hold power over Yap, Siberia, and
  Tsingtao.

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He who has learned to disagree without being
disagreeable has discovered the most valuable
secret of a diplomat. -Robert Estabrook
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• Japan felt that decreasing its naval force would
  leave it venerable due to the fact that there was
  tension between her and Asia (China).
• The United States and Britain wished to continue
  to have naval supremacy over Japan so they urged
  Japan to believe that her national safety was not
  as risk, and that if it was the League of Nations
  would take care of it.

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HOW DID THE TREATY COME TO BE? HOW DID THE
UNITED STATES GET WHAT IT WANTED?

• Well to start, the United States was sneaky. But
  not sneaky in a bad way- The government
  intercepted a message from the Japanese
  government to its delegation in which it
  described the lowest naval ratio it would accept.
  The United States then used this information to
  manipulate the Japanese during the formation of
  the treaty.

THEY SPIED!!!!!!!!!!!
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TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT THE TREATY.. Article 19
follows
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The United States, the British Empire,
and           Japan agree that the status quo at
the time of           the signing of the present
Treaty, with regard to           fortifications
and naval bases, shall be maintained           in
their respective territories and
possessions           specified
hereunder             (1)   The insular
possessions which the United           States now
holds or may hereafter acquire in the          
Pacific Ocean, except (a) those adjacent to
the           coast of the United States, Alaska,
and the           Panama Canal Zone, not
including the Aleutian           Islands, and (b)
the Hawaiian Islands             (2)   Hong Kong
and the insular possessions           which the
British Empire now holds or may          
hereafter Acquire in the Pacific Ocean, east
of           meridian 1100 east longitude, except
(a) those           adjacent to the coast of
Canada, (b) the           Commonwealth of
Australia and its Territories, and           (c)
New Zealand             (3) The following
insular territories and           possessions of
Japan in the Pacific Ocean, to wit           the
Kurile Islands, the Bonin Islands,
Amami-           Oshima, the Loochoo Islands,
Formosa, and the           Pescadores, and any
insular territories or           possessions in
the Pacific Ocean which Japan may          
hereafter acquire(22).
http//microworks.net/pacific/road_to_war/washingt
on_edsessay.htm
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FURTHER FUN FACTS
Ibid., pp. 63-75.  In monetary terms, Hughes'
announcement meant that the United States was
willing to sacrifice approximately 350,000,000
already invested in a shipbuilding program
designed to make the American navy the dominate
naval force in the world. For the U.S. naval
construction program on 1916, see Ernest Andrade,
Jr., "The United States Navy and the Washington
Conference," in The Historian XXXI (1969), pp.
345-363.
The Nine-Power Treaty was designed to prevent
exploitation of Chinese sovereignty by providing
equal access to Chinese markets and offering
favoritism to none.  This "Open Door" policy also
had the goal of allowing China to develop a
stable government without outside interference. 
Charles I. Beavens, LL.B., Treaties and Other
International Agreements of the United States of
America, 1776-1949, Vol 2. (Washington
Department of State, 1969), pp. 375-380.
Wittenberg, Edward. "Far Eastern Strategy and The
Washington Conference of 1921-22."
Microworks.net. Microworks. Web. 12 May 2011.
lthttp//microworks.net/pacific/road_to_war/washing
ton_edsessay.htmgt.
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Success? Yes!
The Washington Conference succeeded in
controlling the amount of battle fleets and ships
that were produced. It prevented new fleets from
forming and put limitations on the pre-existing
ones.
-In 1922 ratifications were made in Beijing. -In
1922, Japan gave Shangdong back to China. -In
1923 the treaty was ratified -by the United
States. -In 1924 it was registered in the League
of Nations. -It was officially registered as part
of the League of Nations Treaty series.