The Star. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1920. THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 16 December 1920, Page 4

The Star.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1920. THE PACIFIC OCEAN.

tfeliwrad every e»enlng by 3 o'clock Id Hawara, Hanau, TSJonnaaby, Ofcaiawa, Eltham, Mangalokl, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakefao, Monutatii, Alton, Hurley- ■\ villa, Pafcea, Waverley.

Mention was made in the cable messages on. Monday of the .Magellan Straits celebrations and Japan's indignation that she was not invited. This year marks, the four .hundredth anniversary of tie discovery of the .Pacific by Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese sailor who gave the Pacific Ocean its name. The -dangerous strait which bears his name was discovered by him and also many of the islands in the Pacific. Magellan .met his death at the Philippines, being killed in a battle between.the forces of rival princes in. 1521. Magellan's name also appears in Magellanic clouds,. the name given by Andrea' Corsali in 1516 to the two oval cloudlike patches of nebulous light near the south pole, of the heavens...Magellan's voyage was. a most remarkable undertaking, and as one writer puts it '•in the whole history of human undertakings there is nothing that exceeds, if indeed there is anything that equals, this voyage of Magellan's. That of Columbus- dwindles. away in comparison,. It is a display of super-' human courage, superhuman perseverance." For three months and twenty days Magellan sailed on the Pacific without a sign of inhabited land. The sufferings of himself and the crew of the five vessels were terrible, and they" •were compelled to strip the pieces of skin and leather from the bindings on i the rigging in order to get food. The fresh water had become putrid with standing, and the voyage was disagreeable in the extreme. However Magellan held on in spite of the loss of some of his men who died from their terrible sufferings, and finally he succeeded in crossing the Pacific. Only one of his boats returned to Europe. Magellan, prior to his famous voyage, had sworn allegiance to Spain, Being disgusted with the inadequate recognition of his services in the Indies by the Portuguese. The Pacific Ocean was in truth pacific in those -ays. What of its future? The nation which was indignant because it was not invited to take part in the celebrations is not regarded without-fear by many people in America and Australasia, and it i& not easy to follow what its intentions are, though we have great faith in the influence which Britain has been able and is still able to exercise in restraining Japan. There are

dangerous possibilities in the relationships between Japan, and the United States, but they have existed for many years now and do not seem to become worse. To the people of' this Dominion and Australia the course of events in the Pacific Ocean is of specjal interest. Our friends across the Tasman Sea do not view the Japanese position with equanimity, and there is much more heard of dangerous possibilities in Australia than there is in New Zealand. Whether or not New Zealand should undertake a heavy naval policy has not been decided upon, though Lord Jellicoe's report made it clear that in his opinion the Pacific •Ocean would be the great storm centre should there be another big war. There are so many uncertainties about the international future that it is impossible to state with any degree of finality to what extent the young nations of Australia and New Zealand should commit themselves in prepar-1 ing their naval defence. The most that they could do would be of little avail against a very powerful enemy, and our greatest hope centres in a satisfactory renewal of the AngloJapanese Alliance next year. The Monroe Doctrine will probably prevent the United States from taking part in any such alliance, but with Britain holding, the balance between these two nations the prospects of peace in the - Pacific Ocean in the future are, in our opinion, better than many of those think who fear that Japau may become aggressive. Let iis hone that the ocean discovered by Magellan may always be entitled to its name, the Pacific, and that Mr Daniels' big navy will never be

needed