A JAPANESE VIEW.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16550, 14 May 1914, Page 6

A JAPANESE VIEW.

A Jai-ant.sk naval officer of high rank, who will not bo suspected of any sinister objections to Now Zealand's local navy policy, has contributed an opportune article to the " Japan Magazine." He says in effect that his country dominates the Pacific at the present time and is not. going to be shaken from that position by any detached squadrons or local fleets. But it is not powerful enough to face a. fleet of the. kind that Britain, the United States or even Germany could send into the. Pacific in ease of need. The situation, in short, is controlled not by the nation which has the biggest force on the spot, but by the Great Powers which could despatch warships in overwhelming strength to tho point of attack. "As a matter of fact," says the Japanese officer, "if any of these small squadrons got into trouble with Japan at any time they would bo completely wiped put before any help could be had from their homo fleets, and if Japan suffered any serious loss in the conflict all repairs could be made ere a foreign foe could reach these shores.' These facts are not disputed by any of the naval authorities, but the Great Powers are indifferent to them simply because tho local squadrons are not expected to undertake the real fighting. "In tho case of a great nation with a big navy and unlimited resources," adds tho Japanese authority, "there is no doubt that she would have little difficulty in despatching to Japan a fleet superior to ours and with innumerable transports and other equipage would easily overawe our present defeneos." Britain, owning nearly all the important bases along the route to tho Ear East, " could not send her whole fighting strength to tho East and thus tempt her enemies at homo," but would be able to spare " thirty-seven battleships in 1917." Japan could send "a paltry thirteon " modern battleships to meet this armada. Probably the estimate of tho number of ships Britain would be able to spare is too high, but that is a minor point. The important fact is that the Imperial Navy is strong enough to uphold British interests in tho Pacific as well as in tho Atlantic, and the Mediterranean. People in this portion of the world will not find it difficult to imagine what the Japanese officer would say about New Zealand's local navy scheme.