ing ▁the ▁former ▁German ▁New ▁Guinea . ▁B orden ▁was ▁pre occup ied ▁with ▁maintain ing , ▁as ▁the ▁one ▁positive ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁continued ▁Ang lo - American ▁co operation . ▁A ▁bre ach ▁in ▁the ▁Canadian - Austral ian ▁relationship ▁over ▁the ▁fate ▁of ▁Germany ' s ▁Pacific ▁colon ies ▁was ▁only ▁narrow ly ▁a vert ed ▁when ▁officials ▁de vised ▁a ▁comprom ise ▁that ▁satisfied ▁both ▁Hugh es ' ▁desire ▁to ▁an nex ▁New ▁Guinea ▁and ▁B orden ' s ▁wish ▁not ▁to ▁al ien ate ▁American ▁president ▁Wood row ▁Wilson , ▁who ▁was ▁committed ▁to ▁the ▁principle ▁of ▁self - det erm ination . ▁ ▁B orden ' s ▁successor ▁as ▁prime ▁minister , ▁Arthur ▁Me igh en , ▁was ▁not ▁so ▁luck y . ▁There ▁could ▁be ▁no ▁dis gu ising ▁the ▁differences ▁that ▁divided ▁Australia ▁and ▁Canada ▁over ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁renew ing ▁the ▁Ang lo - J apan ese ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁ 1 9 0 2 . ▁In ▁Australian ▁eyes , ▁this ▁mut ual ▁defence ▁p act ▁remained ▁the ▁best , ▁and ▁perhaps ▁the ▁only ▁effective , ▁guarantee ▁against ▁Japanese ▁ag gression . ▁However , ▁Washington ▁strongly ▁opposed ▁the ▁treat y , ▁which ▁effectively ▁ex cluded ▁it ▁from ▁a ▁major ▁role ▁in ▁polic ing ▁the ▁Pacific . ▁Although ▁Me igh en ▁was ▁a ▁sta unch ▁imperial ist , ▁he ▁could ▁not ▁ignore ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁renew ing ▁the ▁Ang lo - J apan ese ▁al liance ▁would ▁almost ▁certainly ▁stra in ▁Ang lo