THE RIVAL NAVIES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, February 5.

Otago Witness, Issue 2604, 10 February 1904, Page 27

THE RIVAL NAVIES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, February 5.

Mr H. F. Wyatt, one of the honorary secretaries of the Navy League and a member of the Executive Committee of the league, arrived in this city to-day. Asked his opinion as to the probable result of a naval encounter between Russia and Japan, Mr Wyatt said that a great deal would depend on the actual naval force that Russia had been able to accumulate in the East, and it was just on this point that there was no certain information. An English newspaper published in Japan which he had recently received credited Russia with having eight battleships and four large cruisers on the spot, but he noticed by a cable message published this morning that the number of battleships was given as 10. It was extremely possible that Russia was merely bluffing, out there was no doubt that if the whole Russian fleet was in Eastern waters it would be large enough to overthrow the Japanese fleet. A great deal would depend on the result of the first great naval action. If the Japanese were beaten then the whole game" would be up. If they won the victory would be the forerunner of a tremendous Struggle on land.