Taylor was promoted to admiral and appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Asiatic Fleet (CICAF) on April 2, 1931. His command became effective September 1, 1931. He won the position based on a reputation for quick thinking and making decisions without waiting for approval by superiors. His chief of staff was Captain Frank Jack Fletcher (a future admiral who would successfully lead fleets in the Battle of the Coral Sea and Battle of Midway). Admiral Taylor believed that the role of the United States Navy in the Far East was "sitting tight" and not getting involved. He openly counseled American non-intervention in the Japanese invasion of Manchuria (which began on September 19, 1931) and believed that Japan could not be convinced to give up her war-won possessions on the mainland without coercion. Nonetheless, he acted decisively to ensure that the United States was positioned to intervene if necessary. The Asiatic Fleet was based in Manila in The Philippines. After the Mukden Incident, Taylor dispatched four fast destroyers to Shanghai without orders. He then ordered (again without approval from superiors) a troop of U.S. Marines to board his remaining ships so that the Asiatic Fleet had a ground force to use as well. As he prepared to sail, only then did U.S. Fleet Admiral William V. Pratt order him to proceed to Shanghai.