Page 53 - Il Mediterraneo quale elemento del Potere Marittimo - Atti 16-18 settembre 1996

RISING SUN IN THE MEDITERRANEAN
THE SECOND SPECIAL SQUADRON, 1917-1918

YOCHI HIRAMA

Scholars such asJulian Corbett and Henry Newbolt are famous for their great
achivements in the field of naval history of the First World War, but except for
Paul H. Halpern's A Naval HiJtory of World War and Ian Nish's Alliance in Decline,
only a few studies of the First World War history in English have paid attention
to the Japanese role, especially of the naval actions in the Mediterranean. Even the
work of Halpern, which presents in full detail the naval history in World War I,
makes only a few references to the Japanese naval activities in the Mediterranean.
This paper deals with the Second Special Squadron which was despatched to the
Mediterranean. The object is to examine what the Japanese Navy did in the Medi-
terranean and how their activities were assessed, why the Japanese Navy hesitated
to send large ships (Battleships and Battle Cruisers) to the European waters and
why destroyers were applied in the Mediterranean, and to consider what they ac-
complished in diplomatic terms.

Japan's Entrance into the War and limitation of the Operational Area
Great Britain and Japan had been allies since 1902, and the Japanese Navy
was predominant in the Far East at that time. The First World War began on 28
July 1914, and the British ultimatum to Germany expired at midnight on August
4. At the begining, Japan's entrance to the War was not welcomed, and by the
nature of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance, there was no obligation for Japan to auto-
matically join in hostilities even if Britain declared War. On 3rd August 1914,
British Ambassador Sir Conyngham Greene visited Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Kato Takaaki, and showed him the telegraph which said "Sir Edward Grey did
not think that the interests dealt with by the Anglo-Japanese Alliance would be in-
volved, nor did he think it likely that His Majesty's Government would have to
apply to the Imperial Japanese Government under the terms of that Alliance'' < >.
1
Acknowledging this British intention, the Japanese Government declared neutrali-
ty on 4th August. However, Japan added that in the event that "Great Britain be-
comes involved in the general conflagration and the object of the treaty of alliance
between Japan and Great Britain is placed in jeopardy, the realization of which
events the Imperial Government sincerely wish not to take place, Japan will be obliged
2
to take those steps necessary for the preservation of the object of the treaty" < >.