ABSTRACT
In 1924 when the new Labour government was considering whether or not to cancel the construction of the Singapore naval base, the First Sea Lord, Admiral of the Fleet Sir David Beatty, produced an extensive memorandum that set out what he saw as the potential costs of abandonment. Above all else, Beatty stressed the danger posed by Imperial Japan to British interests in Asia. In so doing he eluded to the most recent example of Japanese ambition, noting:
The behaviour of Japan during the late war should not be forgotten. Seeing us in the throes of a great struggle, she did not scruple to attempt to stir up trouble in India. The extent to which we can rely on her good will or trust her solemn undertakings, must be reckoned in the light of this recent experience.1
