The League of Nations and the East Asian Imperial Order, 1920–1946 (New Directions in East Asian History)

Well-grounded on abundant Japanese language sources which have been underused, this book uncovers the League of Nations’ works in East Asia in the inter-war period. By researching the field of social and other technical issues, namely, the trade in narcotics, the trafficking of women and the work in terms of improving health provision and providing economic advice to Nationalist China, it not only examines their long-term impacts on the international relations in the region but also argues that the League’s works challenged the existing imperial order of East and Southeast Asia. The book offers a key read for academics and students of international history and international relations, and others studying Japan or East Asia in the twentieth century. Acknowledgments 6 Contents 8 Abbreviations 11 Notes on Japanese and Chinese Names 13 1 Introduction 14 Part I The League of Nations as Forums and Actors 27 2 Social and Humanitarian Issues of the League of Nations 28 The Emergence of Social and Humanitarian Issues in the Covenant of the League 28 Japan’s Participation in the League of Nations 35 The League’s Arrival in East Asia 44 3 Challenging the Imperial Order: Control of Opium 54 Setting the Scene—Until the First World War 54 Establishing the OAC 58 The OAC at Work on East Asian Questions 62 The Participation of the United States 65 The Geneva Opium Conference 67 Change in the Opium Policies in the British Empire and the Commission of Enquiry 71 Lack of Reforms in the Japanese Empire 75 The Bangkok Conference and Further Reforms 77 The Impact of the OAC and Its Limits 79 4 Expanding the Range: Japan’s Reaction to the Technical Co-operation with China 89 The Developmental Phase 90 Co-operation in Flood Relief 99 The Manchurian Crisis 103 How to Finance the Co-operation 106 Technical Co-operation Politicized 112 5 The TWC as Another Forum and Women 121 The TWC and the Commission of Enquiry 122 Russian Women Refugees in China and the Remaining Imperial Order 124 Difficulties in Solving the Problem 126 The Lack of Financial Resources 130 The TWC as Another Forum 131 Part II Contested Power and Authority 136 6 Japan’s Withdrawal and China’s Request for a Seat on the Council 137 Trying to Continue Partial Co-operation 138 China’s Failure to Be Re-elected to the Council 146 Enter the Soviet Union 149 China’s Aspiration to Be a Permanent Member 150 Japan’s Formal Departure 153 A New Non-permanent Seat for an Asian State 155 7 Who Controls the Co-operation?: Technical Co-operation after the Outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War 165 The TCC in 1936 165 Technical Co-operation after the Outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War 170 Continuing for the Second Year 175 Who Controls the Co-operation? 178 Aid to China 183 The League or the Local Authorities 187 8 The Question of Empires: Co-operation in the Yunnan–Burma Borderland in 1939 194 The South-Western Part of China 195 Robertson’s Epidemiological Survey on the Burma Road 196 Co-operation or Intervention 201 The End of the Technical Co-operation 204 9 The Limits of the League’s Control of Opium 211 To the United States 212 The Declaration of the British and the Dutch Governments in November 1943 213 Examining the Application of the New Policy 218 Prepared ‘Policy as Regards Opium in Burma’ and Its Limits 220 The League of Nations and the Question of Opium Eating 224 10 East Asia in the Architecture of the Post-War World: From the League to the UN Economic and Social Council 228 The Bruce Report 228 Rajchman’s Plan for the United Nations Health Organization 231 Establishing the ECOSOC 234 Establishing the CND 238 The Prospect of the CND and Burma’s New Policy 242 The Experience of the League of Nations 246 11 Conclusion 253 Achievements and Continuities 253 Discontinuities and a New Departure 256 Bibliography 261 Index 286 Front Matter ....Pages i-xiii Introduction (Harumi Goto-Shibata)....Pages 1-13 Front Matter ....Pages 15-15 Social and Humanitarian Issues of the League of Nations (Harumi Goto-Shibata)....Pages 17-42 Challenging the Imperial Order: Control of Opium (Harumi Goto-Shibata)....Pages 43-77 Expanding the Range: Japan’s Reaction to the Technical Co-operation with China (Harumi Goto-Shibata)....Pages 79-110 The TWC as Another Forum and Women (Harumi Goto-Shibata)....Pages 111-125 Front Matter ....Pages 127-127 Japan’s Withdrawal and China’s Request for a Seat on the Council (Harumi Goto-Shibata)....Pages 129-156 Who Controls the Co-operation?: Technical Co-operation after the Outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War (Harumi Goto-Shibata)....Pages 157-185 The Question of Empires: Co-operation in the Yunnan–Burma Borderland in 1939 (Harumi Goto-Shibata)....Pages 187-203 The Limits of the League’s Control of Opium (Harumi Goto-Shibata)....Pages 205-221 East Asia in the Architecture of the Post-War World: From the League to the UN Economic and Social Council (Harumi Goto-Shibata)....Pages 223-247 Conclusion (Harumi Goto-Shibata)....Pages 249-256 Back Matter ....Pages 257-295