AustLit
Troubled Waters : Australian Spies in the Pacific : Glimpses from the Early Twentieth Century
single work
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First known date:
2010...
2010
Troubled Waters : Australian Spies in the Pacific : Glimpses from the Early Twentieth Century
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'This paper traces aspects of intelligence history and culture in the Pacific in the first quarter of the 20th century from an Australian perspective. Following Federation in 1901, Australia began to develop an intelligence capability in the Pacific. This was characterized by small-scale, 'lone ranger' operations by individuals such as William Bridges in places such as German Samoa, New Caledonia and New Guinea. Although a degree of national self-interest was involved, such exercises reinforced Australia's role in the British empire. Coverage extended to Japan before and after the Russo-Japanese war. Over time, the focus on Japan became paramount. Whereas previous activity among colonial possessions in the South Pacific had mainly involved military reconnaissance, Australian intelligence concerning Japan involved more complex, far-reaching strategic considerations. The contributions of Edmund Piesse and writer and scholar James Murdoch gave depth to Australian analyses of Japan during and after the First World War. Their advice brought them into significant conflict with Australian Prime Minister Hughes. This paper suggests that human intelligence benefits from the study of literature, culture and history. Pacific stories such as those of Louis Becke and fictional works set in Japan such as A.G.Hales's Little Blue Pigeon or James Murdoch's stories open the imagination to foreign ways of thinking and feeling. A corollary to this paper is the need for collaborative comparative studies of intelligence cultures and their histories on both sides of the Pacific.' (Author's abstract)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Last amended 23 Feb 2011 13:55:27
209-223
Troubled Waters : Australian Spies in the Pacific : Glimpses from the Early Twentieth Century
Subjects:
- Homing In : Essays on Australian Literature and Selfhood 2006 selected work criticism essay autobiography
- Pacific Tales 1897 selected work short story
- Narrating the Other : Australian Literary Perceptions of Japan 2008 single work criticism
- From Australia and Japan 1892 selected work short story
- No Casual Traveller : Hartley Grattan and Australia-US Connections 1995 single work criticism biography
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