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Racial Equality refers to the fair treatment of all races, you are treated the same and have access to the same opportunities and resources no matter what race you are. Japan proposed racial equality at the Paris Peace Conference their proposal was for ‘equal and just treatment in every respect making no distinction, either in law or in fact, on account of their race or nationality.'⁴

Albeit, it was a broad statement their goal wasn't to achieve universal equality but a more self serving purpose. Japan wanted racial equality to make them equal to Western powers particularly in relation to the formation of the League Nations. They didn't want to be disadvantaged by being an Eastern power and suffer from ‘racial prejudice’.⁵ It was also, to stop mistreatment of Japanese peoples and to fix immigration problems within Western Countries⁶. This proposal did not make it into the Treaty of Versailles despite a majority of support for it as Great Britain and The United States of America rejected it, as well as Australia.

4. ’Preliminary Peace Conference, Protocol No. 5, Plenary Session of April 28, 1919’ PAPERS RELATING TO THE FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES, 3 (1919).
5. N. Kawamura, ‘Wilsonian Idealism and Japanese Claims at the Paris Peace Conference.’ Pacific Historical Review, 66/4 (1997), 515.
6. N. Shimazu, ‘Japan, Race and Equality : The Racial Equality Proposal of 1919.’  (London: Nissan Institute/Routledge Japanese Studies Series, 1998), 5.

'Victorious Great Powers', (1919).

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Self determination is when countries have the freedom to govern themselves and decide their futures without the influence from another nation.

Self determination was introduced in the Paris Peace conference by the president of The United States of America, Woodrow Wilson in his fourteen point peace plan. He told the conference that ‘peoples may now be dominated and governed by their own consent’¹ it was a vague and broad statement. But, his idea was in relation to European countries and to countries that the League of Nations saw ready to govern themselves. It was also a way to solidify democracy throughout Europe by allowing the nations to decide their fates. This gained support from many different peoples and nations including Czechoslovakia, Ho Chi Minh and the Arab Nations. They all supported Woodrow Wilsons idea, because they wanted to have independence and to be free from colonial rule. China and India, also saw hope in Wilsons ideals but when this promises wasn't fulfilled they turned to Lenins offers of self determination². Although, Russia wasn't involved in the peace conference discussion due to their early exit of the First World War, Lenin was also a promoter of self determination but from a Bolshevik perspective³.

1. ‘The Paris Peace Conference, 1919’ Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 6 (1946), 815.
2.  E. Manela, ‘Imangining Woodrow Wilson in Asia’ American Historical Review, 111/5 (2006), 1330.
3. S.W. Page, ‘Lenin and Self-Determination’ The Slavonic and East European Review, 28/71 (1950), 342.

Marcus, 'I wonder if self determination is meant only for Europe?', Life (1919).

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Japan was the instigator of the racial equality proposal in the Paris Peace Conference. They did not prose it for universal suffrage but rather to create equality between them and the other super powers within the League of Nations. They wanted this to be made an amendment in the Treaty of Versailles and a policy of the League of Nations.

It had majority of the votes including support from Italy, France and Greece but the Britain voted against and America did not give a for or against, President Wilson didn't pass it on the grounds of not being a unanimous decision.

President Wilson did not support the proposal although he didn't actually reject or support it because he  didn't want to create tensions between the USA and Japan Although the USA as a nation did not support it many African Americans did as they saw it as an opportunity for them to achieve equality in America. A. Philip Randolph, was an African American civil rights leader who signed the petition to support Japan but not without criticism of their motives. He believed that they were not concerned by the discrimination faced by people of colour instead was a way to disrupt the peace negotiations⁷.

Australia was strongly opposed to the amendment, as it contradicted The Immigration Restriction Act 1901 (White Australia Policy). Australian Prime Minster at the time William Hughes, saw it as an attack on Australias ‘White Australia Policy’ because it contained restrictive immigration laws that stopped people of colour from coming to Australia. Canada, the USA and New Zealand had similar restrictive immigration laws and held the same fear in relation to the proposal. With the introduction of a racial equality amendment he feared that it would led to immigration of Japanese and other people of colour to Australia but also that it would be ‘political suicide’ for Hughes⁸.

7. R. Kearney, ‘Japan: Ally in the Struggle Against Racism, 1919-1927’ Contributions in Black Studies, 12/14 (1994), 2.

8. C. Bridge, ‘William Hughes: Australia’ (London: Haus Publishing, 2011), ch6.

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Bridge, C., ‘William Hughes: Australia’ (London: Haus Publishing, 2011).

Kearney, R., ‘Japan: Ally in the Struggle Against Racism, 1919-1927’ Contributions in Black Studies, 12/14 (1994).

Kawamura, N., ‘Wilsonian Idealism and Japanese Claims at the Paris Peace Conference.’ Pacific Historical Review, 66/4 (1997).

Manela, E., ‘Imagining Woodrow Wilson in Asia’ American Historical Review, 111/5 (2006).
Marcus, 'I wonder if self determination is meant only for Europe?', Life (1919).
Page, S.W., ’Lenin and Self-Determination’ The Slavonic and East European Review, 28/71 (1950).

Shimazu, N., ‘Japan, Race and Equality : The Racial Equality Proposal of 1919.’  (London: Nissan Institute/Routledge Japanese Studies Series, 1998).

‘The Paris Peace Conference, 1919’ Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 6 (1946).

Preliminary Peace Conference, Protocol No. 5, Plenary Session of April 28, 1919’ PAPERS RELATING TO THE FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES, 3 (1919).
'Victorious Great Powers', (1919).