Human Rights in History: Diplomacy and Racial Equality at the Paris Peace Conference*

Abstract

The great and small who assembled at Paris in 1919 were, for short period of time, the arbiters of the world. Their decisions influenced the globe and their peace conference was appropriately described as "the clearing house of the Fates." It is hardly surprising that the Japanese should have been concerned about the issue of equality among races in international relations. The Japanese delegates understood perfectly well, however, that any successful resolution on human rights would come not from words in the press but rather from careful and exacting negotiations with the other representatives in Paris. Upon arrival at Paris, the Japanese delegates immediately, carefully, and methodically began to push for the principle of racial equality. It was with great confidence, therefore, that the Japanese approached the American delegation to solicit support for their plan to include an explicit statement on racial equality in the Covenant of the league.