We often see modern day Navies giving humanitarian aid to disaster-struck countries, but, my question is this; Did this ever happen pre-WW2? In the days of the dreadnought, did international Navies ever give aid to countries which were not part of their empire? Any answer appreciated, Cheers.
Yes-Tameichi Hara recalls the US Navy sending significant amounts of aid and manpower to help Japanese citizens after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. Proportionally, the amount of aid (as a portion of GDP) given by the US at the time was equivalent to about $3 billion today.