ABSTRACT
In 1914, when Japan took over the German possessions in Micronesia, they also became a threat to the American dominance in the Central Pacific (Miller 1991: 92). Micronesia was ruled under Japanese military governance until 1922, when the League of Nations trusted it to Japan as a C-mandate: that is, they were not to fortify the area. Later, this trust was guaranteed by the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 between Japan and the United States (Peattie 1988: 60). In 1935, Japan withdrew from the League of Nations and sealed off her mandated areas to foreigners (Crowl and Love 1955: 201; Peattie 1988: 34). This action, of course, triggered suspicions regarding Japanese activities in the region. After the end of the Second World War, the debate continued as to whether or not the former Japanesemandated areas in Micronesia were fortified before the outbreak of the war (Okumiya 1968). No decisive proof has so far been found.
