It seems that SAIONJI wanted to fend off the army's intent of virtually establishing a military regime by placing a military administrator in Karafuto, and sent Nakagawa, a faithful person to him, to Karafuto in order to block the army's plan.
そこに軍人長官を置いて実質的な軍政を敷こうとする陸軍の要求をかわしたい西園寺が、これを阻止すべく自分の息のかかった中川を樺太に送った人事と見られる。