The Japanese delegate baron Tomasaburo Kato at the Washington Conference as described in USA intelligence reports of 1921

On 27 February 1922 received the chief of the Dutch naval staff at The Hague copies of the letters dated 8 November 1921 written by the Dutch military attaché at Tokyo captain Boerstra which were sent to the Governor General of the Dutch East Indies. These in fact intelligence reports which supplies a very and interesting and important view were received from the USA embassy at Tokyo and were dealing with the Japanese representatives at the coming Washington Naval Conference. Together with the Japanese ambassador Shidehara Kijuro was he also involved in the negotations which ended in the Five Power Treaty or Washington Naval Treaty. The Washington Naval Conference was held between 12 November 1921 and 6 February 1922 and which was attended by the USA, Japan, China, France, United Kingdon, Italy, Belgium, Portugal and the Netherlands with Soviet Russia deliberately excluded. All by the American president Warren G. Harding invited countries had interests in the Pacific Ocean-East Asia area. The Five Powers Treaty otr Washington Naval Treat was signed by he contemporary naval major powers, USA, United Kingdom, France, Italy and Japan. This treaty ended the continuously grow of battleship building. Many of these capital ships still under construction were broken up or converted into aircraft carriers. And the sizez of these capital ships were limited to a maximum standard displacement fo 35,000 tons and a maximum caliber of 16” for the main guns while aircraft carriers were maximed to a displacement of 27,000 tons and a main battery of 10-8” guns. All other kind of ships were limited to a maximum displacement of 10,000 tons with a maximum caliber of 8” guns.

The text below dealing with the description of Kato follows the original text for nearly 100%.

The first report was dealing with admiral baron Tomasaburo Kato born at Hiroshima in February 1861 and who studied at the Japanese Naval Academy. In general his attitude dealing with the USA was neutral. The baron was not a member of any political party but affiliated with what was called the esprit de corps of the Satsuma clan. This clan dominated the Japanese navy and possessed large influence in other circles.

Graduated from the Naval Academy in 1866 was he appointed as lieutenant captain in 1899 to become three years later instructor at the academy. His next appointment was in 1904 as section chef bureau of naval affairs, chief of staff combined fleets followed two years later by an appointment as director of the Kure Naval yard, vice minister of marine and commander in chief of the first fleet and finally in 1915 minister of marine during three cabinets.

The report also described the way of behaviour and his physical appearance calling him comparatively tall for a Japanese, very spare, reticent and undemonstrative. He was also credited with an admirable self-control which was despite the general belief outside Japan not common for a Japanese. Being an quick thinker he acted reasonable in stead of emotionally. “He is said to be at heart very warm-hearted and takes great interest in the careers of his subordinates. It is said that at cabinet meting he is ordinarily silent except when matters effecting his own department are concerned, but when invited to express an opinion he does son in a manner which commands respect for the soundness of his judgment. In fact, he is considered to be the strongest man in the cabinet, next to the prime minister, not only in respect to political influence but also in intellectual capacity’. The objections against his appointment as delegate to Washington were caused by the fact that he was a real naval man and responsible for the so-called 8 battleships-8 battle cruisers establishment and therefore probably not neutral during the negotiations. The intelligence report however said that it was believed that he was able to see things in a wider perspective in stead of just naval affairs. Other objections were dealing with the fact that he served in two cabinets of which the policy caused the Chinese problems. While the army was interested in continental expansion, was the navy mainly interested in an expansion to the South.

Kato Tomosaburo (22 February 1861 Hiroshima Domain, Aki Province-24 August 1923 Tokyo) was prime minister of Japan between 12 June 1922 and 24 August 1923. Since 1906 vice minister of Japan, was he on 28 August two year later promoted to the rank of vice admiral, to become in 1909 commander of the Kure Naval District and four years later commander in chief of the combinet fleet. On 28 August 1915 he was promoted to the rank of admiral just after his appointment as minister of marine which he was during the cabinets of Okuma Shigenobu, Terauchi Masatake, Hara Takashi and Takashi Korekiyo. Being self prime minister was he responsible for the execution of the Washington Naval Agreement and changing course in the China policy of Japan.

Sources

Archive Dutch Naval Staff 1886-1942 (National Archive 2.12.18) inv. No 155.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kat%C5%8D_Tomosabur%C5%8D