Australia fears of Japan before 1914
The colonies of Australia combined when Australia
became a federation in 1901. During this time the Immigration restriction Act was
enacted, which would be used to restrict the immigration of anyone who were not
of white European stock especially when Australia wanted to keep Australia pure
and untainted. The Act was also known by another name, the White Australia
policy. Australia did not have its own navy to defend its shores as the young
country relied on the British Empire’s Navy to support Australia and other
dominions within the Pacific Ocean. Australia had large amounts of undefended
coastline and trade relied upon open trading routes from the ocean. The ocean
was the main source for supplies to ship to and from Australia. Not everything
with the neighbours was cool calm and collected as Australia did worry about
invasion from the Asian countries to the north especially Japan as it was
closer to Australia than Europe. Japan did not like the Immigration act as they
could not take the dictation test, which was in any European language. They
complained to Britain and the rules did change in 1905 to include all languages.
Before federation there was a naval agreement in 1887 between
Britain, Australia and New Zealand to subsidise an Australasian fleet made
completely of British vessels. This would mean there would be no real interest
for the dominions to provide ships for their own protection in the early 1900s.
The Act known as the Australasian Naval Agreement Act expired when Australia
became a federation in 1901and the two countries had no interest
during the time to renew the act. The British navy at the time was one of the
dominant fleets in the Pacific, which was used both for diplomacy and a
strategic force of deterrence. The debate during several Imperial Conferences
was for the creation of an Australian navy, which would be independent of
Britain. The first ships arrived in Australia in 1910, but the new Australian navy
officially entered Sydney in 1913. Australia could now be considered to be
independent of the British Empire.
Australia did consider Japan to be a threat to them,
although they were part of an alliance with the British Empire known as the
Anglo Japanese alliance. The alliance began in 1902, which was something that
made Australia very wary. The purpose of the alliance was for Britain to slowly
withdraw its fleets from the Pacific. The alliance was renewed in 1905 and
again in 1911. Australia’s fear of Japan was not unfounded especially since the
country had defeated Russia in 1905 in the Japan Russian war. Japan did visit
Australian ports in 1903 and again in 1906. The media of the time did give
mixed reactions to the visit, but people did flock down to where the ships were
docked. Other navies did also visit Australia especially the Great White Fleet
from America in 1908 on Australia’s invitation and Japan did see this as a
threat especially when Britain had objected. Australia was looking for
alliances that could help in case something happened in the future. Japan was
not considered to be the only threat as Germany did also have their own plans
for Australia well before World War One. They did know about the lack of
resources when it came to defending its soil.
German navy ships did visit Australia and were well
known in the ports. The German spies did know the coastal cities were
undefended and that we had no navy of their own. Many newspapers did publish
anti German views on occasion. The British withdrawal from the Pacific was due
to the militarisation of Germany in Europe and Britain wanted their ships to
counter the new vessels being built especially when new dreadnaughts were under
construction and Britain feared there was going to be war in the future. An
Australian senator did make the observation after visiting both Germany and Japan
that Japan was the biggest threat.
At the beginning of World War 1 in 1914, Australia
and Japan both did seize German occupied territory. Japan took the islands
north of the equator such as the Marshall Islands and Australia claimed the
islands south of the equator. Australia was under the impression that Britain
would give the territory to Australia. Britain actually supported the islands
occupied by Japan and didn’t consider them to be a threat at all. A conference
with Britain was postponed indefinitely after the outbreak of war in Europe.
Throughout the war there would be friction between Australia and Japan in
regards to the islands. Japan did escort Australian troops being transported to
Europe, which would have raised many different issues during the time. The
issues between Australia and Japan would continue until after the war and would
change Japan’s outlook on the world.
Sources
Author unknown, ‘The royal visit to Melbourne’, The Star,
16 May 1901, p. 1, http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=TS19010516.2.5,
accessed 27 March 2014.
Author unknown, ‘Japanese Squadron visiting
Australia’, Ashburton Guardian, 23 May 1906, p. 2. http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=AG19060523.2.24&cl=CL2.1906.05&e=-------10--1----0-all-
, accessed 27 March 2014.
Beddie, B. D. ‘The Australian Navy and Imperial legislation’, War
and Society, 5, 1987, pp. 73 – 85.
Bennett, Neville ‘Consultation or information?: Britain, the
dominions and the renewal of the Anglo – Japanese alliance, 1911’, New
Zealand Journal of History, IV, 1970, pp. 178 – 194.
Briggs, Mark ‘Genesis of a navy’, Journal of the
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Horner, D. M. ‘Australian estimates of the Japanese
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Meaney, Neville ‘No parallel in our history: The
menace of Japan’, A history of Australian defence and foreign policy 1901 –
23, 2, Sydney, Sydney University Press, 2009, pp. 77 – 111.
Nish, I. H. ‘Australia and the Anglo – Japanese alliance, 1901
– 1911’, Australian Journal of politics and history, IX, 1963, pp. 201 –
212.
Overlack, Peter ‘Australian defence awareness and German naval
planning in the pacific, 1900 – 1914
1900 – 1914’, War and Society, 10, 1992, pp. 37
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Overlack, Peter ‘German assessments of British –
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