Kanji Kato

Admiral Kanji Katō in 1935

Kanji Kato or Kanji Katō (1870–1939) was a Japanese Naval Officer during World War I.

Biography

Kanji Kato was a naval attaché at the Embassy of Japan in London in 1909. He had opposed the signing of the 1930 Treaty of London, which established limitations on arms between Japan, the United States and Great Britain. Widely seen by the militarists as a threat to the growing power of Japan, Kato was the leader of the anti-treaty faction. In 1930 resigned rather than attend a dinner in honour of US Ambassador William Richards Castle, Jr., in protest against the naval restrictions negotiated with him.^[1] Kato fought against the treaty limitations, and the treaty of 1936, finally dying after writing his memoirs, widely regarded as a treatise on why Japan was disadvantaged by the treaties. His actions prevented him from advancing in rank and probably cost him a seat in the government. He had an active antagonistic relationship with Yamamoto, who used his influence to prevent Kato from advancing.^[2]

Career

• Captain of the Japanese cruiser Tsukuba from December 1913 to May 1914.
• Captain of the Japanese battlecruiser Ibuki.
• By 1930 Admiral and Naval Chief of Staff.

References

Bibliography

• Lawrence Sondhaus (2004). Navies in Modern World History. Reaktion Books. pp. 217–219. ISBN 9781861894557.

External links

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