Billy Hughes and Bill Massey regarded Japan as a proven Pacific ally and doubted American reliability after the First World War. Canada's Arthur Meighen instead feared that the alliance could expose Canada to the United States. Britain also anticipated a future US-Japanese conflict and concluded that either victor could dominate the Far East. Cultural, economic, and family ties favored the United States, while British planners doubted that they could defend Canada from an American attack. The resulting choice encouraged closer Anglo-American planning while retaining a route to operate from Weihaiwei, where a combined fleet could campaign nearer Japan.
Chapter · 34:59-42:29
The dominions and the Anglo-Japanese alliance dilemma
Australia and New Zealand favored renewing the Japanese alliance, while Canada feared its effect on relations with the United States and helped force a British strategic choice.