George H. Kerr
Encyclopedia
George H. Kerr also known in Taiwan
as 葛超智 (or 柯喬治), was a United States
diplomat during World War II
, and in later years he was an author and an academic. In addition to his published works, his archived papers at the Hoover Institution
provide information about economic and political affairs in Taiwan in the 1930s and 1940s, Taiwan's transition from Japanese rule
before and during World War II to postwar Chinese rule
, Taiwanese rebellion against Chinese rule in 1947, and U.S. foreign policy toward Taiwan. In addition, the archived papers include information about economic and political conditions in Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands after World War II.
. He was a student in Japan
during 1935 through 1937; and he was an English teacher in Taipei
, Taiwan
during 1937 through 1940.
. In 1942-1943, Kerr was an analyst and consultant on Formosa in the U.S. Department of War. In 1944-1946, he was the Director of the Formosa Research Unit at the Naval School of Military Government and Administration for the U.S. Navy at Columbia University in New York.
to the Japanese surrender of Taiwan on 1945-10-25 (Retrocession Day
). George Kerr was present in his official capacity as a civil affairs officer of the U.S. Navy Attache's Office to the Republic of China
government in Chongqing
. He ensured that the English version of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender
did not exclude the official role of the U.S., unlike the Chinese translation. Later, he became a diplomat at the U.S. embassy in China. He was a Foreign Service
Staff Officer and Vice-Consul in Taipei
. He has written about his eyewitness account of the 228 Incident
in 1947. One critic has alleged Kerr actively participated in the Incident.
It was not till the early 1950s that he realized his wish to visit Okinawa, and with it a military commission to write a history, the purpose of which was to revive an independent Ryūkyūan identity. An able team of researcher-translators scoured Japan for historical sources on Okinawa. Then the immense intellectual powers of Kerr's younger days were brought to bear in synthesizing the material. It came out as Okinawa: Kingdom and Province (1953), and then in Japanese as Ryūkyū no rekishi (1955). In the meantime, Kerr absorbed more of Okinawa's history, paid attention to criticisms of the first two books, and published the 1958 volume.
Kerr was deeply concerned about the loss of Ryūkyūan history on the ground. So he pursued his Okinawan interests in a survey of the islands' cultural assets (1960-63). Experience in Yaeyama
and Miyako
told him that his perspective of Ryūkyūan history had been askew. He drafted, but never published, another book on Okinawa that placed far greater emphasis on the southern Ryūkyūs and their early economic interaction with China
.
during 1947-1949; and he was a lecturer at Stanford University
and the University of California, Berkeley
in 1949-1950. For the next five years, he was a Research Associate at the Hoover Institution
.
The open sections of Kerr's papers are available at the Okinawa Prefectural Archives in Haebaru, others at the Stanford, Taipei
and Ryudai
libraries.
from China
, thereby making himself a high-profile enemy to both Chiang Kai-shek
and Mao Zedong
. (Chiang complained and Kerr lost his job at Stanford University
.) While certainly an influential political writer and commentator, his reputation as a historian in Chinese history is questioned by many Sinologists due to his apparent stance against China. He also drafted a long book on 19th century Hawaii
, thus making his life's work of a piece: the history of Pacific Ocean marine frontiers.
He is an author of many books and of numerous articles concerning Japan, Okinawa and Taiwan. Among them are the Formosa: Licensed Revolution and the Home Rule Movement, 1895-1945, Formosa Betrayed (1965), Descriptive Summary: George H. Kerr papers, 1943-1951, Okinawa: The History of an Island People (1958), and The Taiwan Confrontation Crisis (1986).
Formosa Betrayed
was one of the most influential books about Taiwan
's transition from Japanese colonial rule to the rule of the Kuomintang
(KMT, Chinese Nationalist Party) administration. George Kerr was working for the American Foreign Service at the time of the transition and was present in Taiwan for the KMT occupation and resulting aftermath. Formosa Betrayed made a sharp rebuke of the Nationalist administration and made arguments in favor of Taiwanese independence. The book was republished in 1976 by Da Capo Press
. In 1992 a second edition was published by Taiwan Publishing Co. The book is now legally available online (see link below).
Okinawa: The History of an Island People covers the legendary past to the Battle of Okinawa
in 542 very read-able pages. Eleven years before he died, Kerr wrote that 13,000 copies had been sold. The book was out of print for a time, but Tuttle, the original publishers, reprinted it a couple years ago by photo reproduction.
He died at age of 81 on August 27, 1992 in Honolulu, Hawaii
.
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
as 葛超智 (or 柯喬治), was a United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
diplomat during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and in later years he was an author and an academic. In addition to his published works, his archived papers at the Hoover Institution
Hoover Institution
The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace is a public policy think tank and library founded in 1919 by then future U.S. president, Herbert Hoover, an early alumnus of Stanford....
provide information about economic and political affairs in Taiwan in the 1930s and 1940s, Taiwan's transition from Japanese rule
Taiwan under Japanese rule
Between 1895 and 1945, Taiwan was a dependency of the Empire of Japan. The expansion into Taiwan was a part of Imperial Japan's general policy of southward expansion during the late 19th century....
before and during World War II to postwar Chinese rule
Taiwan after World War II
Taiwan after World War II is the history of Taiwan which is ruled by the government of the Republic of China, since 25 October 1945 for present.-Early postwar society:...
, Taiwanese rebellion against Chinese rule in 1947, and U.S. foreign policy toward Taiwan. In addition, the archived papers include information about economic and political conditions in Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands after World War II.
Early life
Kerr was born in PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. He was a student in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
during 1935 through 1937; and he was an English teacher in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
during 1937 through 1940.
Military career
As a Lieutenant in the United States Naval Reserve, Kerr worked for the U.S. Navy as a Taiwan expert and instructed future military government officers during the Pacific WarPacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
. In 1942-1943, Kerr was an analyst and consultant on Formosa in the U.S. Department of War. In 1944-1946, he was the Director of the Formosa Research Unit at the Naval School of Military Government and Administration for the U.S. Navy at Columbia University in New York.
Diplomatic career
After the war, Kerr returned to Taiwan in 1945 as an Assistant Naval Attaché, escorting the newly appointed Chinese Governor-General Chen YiChen Yi (Kuomintang)
Chen Yi and later Gongqia , sobriquet Tuisu ; 1883 – June 18, 1950) was the Chief Executive and Garrison Commander of Taiwan after it was surrendered by Japan to the Republic of China, which acted on behalf of the Allied Powers, in 1945...
to the Japanese surrender of Taiwan on 1945-10-25 (Retrocession Day
Retrocession Day
Retrocession Day is an annual observance in the Republic of China to commemorate the end of 50 years of Japanese colonial rule of Taiwan on October 25, 1945.-Background:...
). George Kerr was present in his official capacity as a civil affairs officer of the U.S. Navy Attache's Office to the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
government in Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
. He ensured that the English version of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender
Japanese Instrument of Surrender
The Japanese Instrument of Surrender was the written agreement that enabled the Surrender of Japan, marking the end of World War II. It was signed by representatives from the Empire of Japan, the United States of America, the Republic of China, the United Kingdom, the Union of Soviet Socialist...
did not exclude the official role of the U.S., unlike the Chinese translation. Later, he became a diplomat at the U.S. embassy in China. He was a Foreign Service
United States Foreign Service
The United States Foreign Service is a component of the United States federal government under the aegis of the United States Department of State. It consists of approximately 11,500 professionals carrying out the foreign policy of the United States and aiding U.S...
Staff Officer and Vice-Consul in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
. He has written about his eyewitness account of the 228 Incident
228 Incident
The 228 Incident, also known as the 228 Massacre, was an anti-government uprising in Taiwan that began on February 27, 1947, and was violently suppressed by the Kuomintang government. Estimates of the number of deaths vary from 10,000 to 30,000 or more...
in 1947. One critic has alleged Kerr actively participated in the Incident.
It was not till the early 1950s that he realized his wish to visit Okinawa, and with it a military commission to write a history, the purpose of which was to revive an independent Ryūkyūan identity. An able team of researcher-translators scoured Japan for historical sources on Okinawa. Then the immense intellectual powers of Kerr's younger days were brought to bear in synthesizing the material. It came out as Okinawa: Kingdom and Province (1953), and then in Japanese as Ryūkyū no rekishi (1955). In the meantime, Kerr absorbed more of Okinawa's history, paid attention to criticisms of the first two books, and published the 1958 volume.
Kerr was deeply concerned about the loss of Ryūkyūan history on the ground. So he pursued his Okinawan interests in a survey of the islands' cultural assets (1960-63). Experience in Yaeyama
Yaeyama
Yaeyama may refer to:* Yaeyama Islands, an archipelago in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan* Yaeyama District, Okinawa, an administrative division covering most of the Yaeyama Islands* Yaeyama language, a language spoken in the Yaeyama Islands...
and Miyako
Miyako
-Places in Japan:*Miyako, Iwate, a city in Iwate Prefecture*The Miyako Islands, including Miyako Island itself**Miyakojima, Okinawa, a city of the Miyako Islands**Miyako language, the Ryukyuan dialect spoken on Miyako Island and other nearby islands...
told him that his perspective of Ryūkyūan history had been askew. He drafted, but never published, another book on Okinawa that placed far greater emphasis on the southern Ryūkyūs and their early economic interaction with China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Academic career
Kerr was a lecturer at the University of WashingtonUniversity of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
during 1947-1949; and he was a lecturer at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
and the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in 1949-1950. For the next five years, he was a Research Associate at the Hoover Institution
Hoover Institution
The Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace is a public policy think tank and library founded in 1919 by then future U.S. president, Herbert Hoover, an early alumnus of Stanford....
.
The open sections of Kerr's papers are available at the Okinawa Prefectural Archives in Haebaru, others at the Stanford, Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
and Ryudai
University of the Ryukyus
The , abbreviated to Ryūdai , is a national university of Japan. It is located in the town of Nishihara on Okinawa Honto in Okinawa Prefecture. There are also campuses in Nakagusuku and Ginowan. It is the westernmost national university of Japan and the largest public university in Okinawa Prefecture...
libraries.
Later life
Kerr's books on Taiwan are numerous. He championed the cause of Taiwan independenceTaiwan independence
Taiwan independence is a political movement whose goals are primarily to formally establish the Republic of Taiwan by renaming or replacing the Republic of China , form a Taiwanese national identity, reject unification and One country, two systems with the People's Republic of China and a Chinese...
from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, thereby making himself a high-profile enemy to both Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
and Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
. (Chiang complained and Kerr lost his job at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
.) While certainly an influential political writer and commentator, his reputation as a historian in Chinese history is questioned by many Sinologists due to his apparent stance against China. He also drafted a long book on 19th century Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, thus making his life's work of a piece: the history of Pacific Ocean marine frontiers.
He is an author of many books and of numerous articles concerning Japan, Okinawa and Taiwan. Among them are the Formosa: Licensed Revolution and the Home Rule Movement, 1895-1945, Formosa Betrayed (1965), Descriptive Summary: George H. Kerr papers, 1943-1951, Okinawa: The History of an Island People (1958), and The Taiwan Confrontation Crisis (1986).
Formosa Betrayed
Formosa Betrayed (1965 book)
Formosa Betrayed is a book written by George H. Kerr, a US diplomatic officer in Taiwan, who witnessed the 228 Incident and the corruption and killings committed by the KMT in Taiwan after World War II.-External links:...
was one of the most influential books about Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
's transition from Japanese colonial rule to the rule of the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
(KMT, Chinese Nationalist Party) administration. George Kerr was working for the American Foreign Service at the time of the transition and was present in Taiwan for the KMT occupation and resulting aftermath. Formosa Betrayed made a sharp rebuke of the Nationalist administration and made arguments in favor of Taiwanese independence. The book was republished in 1976 by Da Capo Press
Da Capo Press
Da Capo Press, is an American publishing company with headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1964 as a publisher of music books, as a division of Plenum Publishers. it had additional offices in offices in New York City, Philadelphia and Emeryville, California...
. In 1992 a second edition was published by Taiwan Publishing Co. The book is now legally available online (see link below).
Okinawa: The History of an Island People covers the legendary past to the Battle of Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
in 542 very read-able pages. Eleven years before he died, Kerr wrote that 13,000 copies had been sold. The book was out of print for a time, but Tuttle, the original publishers, reprinted it a couple years ago by photo reproduction.
He died at age of 81 on August 27, 1992 in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
.
Selected works
- 2000 -- Okinawa, the History of an Island People. Tokyo: Tuttle PublishingTuttle PublishingTuttle Publishing, originally the Charles E. Tuttle Company, is a book publishing company that includes Tuttle, Periplus Editions, and Journey Editions...
. 10-ISBN 0-804-82087-2; 13-ISBN 978-0-804-82087-5 (paper) ... with Mitsugu Sakihara. - 1986 -- Formosa Betrayed. Honolulu: University of Hawaii PressUniversity of Hawaii PressThe University of Hawaii Press is a university press that is part of the University of Hawaii.The University of Hawaii Press was founded in 1947, with the mission of advancing and disseminating scholarship by publishing current research in all disciplines of the humanities and natural and social...
10-ISBN 0-824-80323-X; 13-ISBN: 978-0-824-8032-3(cloth) - 1986 -- The Taiwan confrontation crisis. Formosan Association for Public Affairs, Formosan Association for Human Rights.
- 1976 -- Formosa Betrayed. New York: Da Capo Press. 10-ISBN 0-306-70762-4
- 1974 -- Formosa: Licensed Revolution and the Home Rule Movement, 1895-1945. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. 10-ISBN 0-824-80323-X; 978-0-824-80323-0
- 1965 -- Formosa Betrayed. Boston: Houghton MifflinHoughton MifflinHoughton Mifflin Harcourt is an educational and trade publisher in the United States. Headquartered in Boston's Back Bay, it publishes textbooks, instructional technology materials, assessments, reference works, and fiction and non-fiction for both young readers and adults.-History:The company was...
. - 1961 -- Bibliography of the Ryukyus. Nishihara, OkinawaNishihara, Okinawais a town located in Nakagami District, Okinawa, Japan.As of 2008, the town has an estimated population of 34,869 and a density of 2,201 persons per km²...
: University of the RyukyusUniversity of the RyukyusThe , abbreviated to Ryūdai , is a national university of Japan. It is located in the town of Nishihara on Okinawa Honto in Okinawa Prefecture. There are also campuses in Nakagusuku and Ginowan. It is the westernmost national university of Japan and the largest public university in Okinawa Prefecture...
. ...with Higa Shuncho. - 1959 -- Science Information Services in Japan, a Brief Survey. Tokyo.
- 1958 -- Okinawa, the History of an Island People. Tokyo: C. E. Tuttle Co.
- 1953 -- Ryukyu Kingdom and Province before 1945. Pacific Science Board (US), National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council (US).
- 1952 -- The Ryukyu Islands: A Preliminary Checklist of Reference Materials Arranged Alphabetically. ... with Higa Shuncho and others.