WAR PREDICTION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23231, 28 December 1938, Page 12

WAR PREDICTION

BRITAIN AND JAPAN : NAVAL OFFICER'S BOOK [prom oitr own* correspondent] , 1 NEW YORK/ Nov. '23 "Japan Must Fight Britain," is the title of a book written by an active Japanese naval officer, Lieut.-Com-mander Tota Ishimaru. It is intended to bo read in the light of the conviction, gradually gaining strength in Japan, that Chinese resistance is being bolstered up by the British, and that the present war on China masks » struggle against Britain. The writer predicts victory for Japan< assuming that the United States and Russia remain neutral, and that Japan can strike before the British battle fleet arrives at Singapore. He recalls that thb secret of Japan's victory over Russia in 1904 was that she struck at Vladivostock while the Russian fleet was in Europe. . • • i The author's plan is for an init># blow at the Suez Canal, either b.Y - rebellion in Egypt, or among t Arabs, or by blocking the canal submerged ships. A Japanese squad would occupy Darwin, ior use asi « air and submarine base. British i. Borneo would be occupied for a si purpose. . T -_. After these "preliminaries, the Jag anese fleet would then stream India, to engage the British which is expected to arll \ c ii Capeway of the canal, but round j. y The defeat of the Britain mamjj> would be followed by the P Singapore and Hongkon . • 1; 0 f then realise her secret ambition . _ - dominating Asia. • inA, Although the hook is i«' j t j 3 many quarters as a pl ? e c ' t j's re- ?'.-?■{* known that the I nitcd arming rapidly, for the continued complications may lead to war.