AMERICA AND JAPAN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 29, 16 November 1894, Page 20

AMERICA AND JAPAN.

(From the Pilot ) On September 17 a fleet of eleven Jipanese war sripa convoying two armed transports sighted the enemy'd fleet of fourteen ships of war and four gunboats. The Chinese, though superior in numbers, tried to run away, but were pursued and forced to give battle near the mouth of the Yalu liver. Tha fight which ensued lasted several hours and resulted in the destruction of four Chinese war Bhips and the disabling of one or m^re of the Japanese The combitants mus' have fought with remarkable courage on both sides, for the battle beginning at noon did not end until dusk. The victory rested with Japan, but it did not involve the capture of the enemy 'b fliet ; although the moral effect is almoßt as great as if it had. The issue cf the battle probably settles the question of Japan's supremacy on the Eastern seas and col firms Captain Mahan's theory of the influence of sea rower in determining a nation's greatness. Americans have arother reas >n for feeling p"oud nf the result, besides this endorsement of our naval writei'd opinions. The officers commanding tha Japanese ship 9in the late encounter are graicatei of our naval acadtmy at Annapolis. All of the SPV^n captsias ncost distin^uishei in their country's service cime from the Annapolis bcolol. The first Japinega graduate of thit school is at the head of the naval establishment, and the accord is a rear admiral ccmnunding the famous N iniwa which &ui,k a Cr inese iroL-clad a few weeks ago. Lieutenant Commander Oibso , U.B.N , pays : — I " The bhips are all commanded by Annapolis graduates, and ihey made me feel proud cf the work done at cur naval school. The captains are all young men, full of z hi in their profession, and know its details thoroughly, It ncale soon of us feel ihe alowi.ess of promo« tion at borne to see the boys we educated full captain", commanding vessels ibat would be a credit to any nation's fleet. The methods, exeicisep, discipline, are all piec sely as ttuy would be on an American thip c f the same class. TheJip ne*o are born sai.ors, fu<l of daring, and quite (qual in professional acquirements and practical knowledge to ary c fficers of their experience in our navy cr that of Englacd. The ships are fully manned, anl their batteries are four 8-incb and 6 inch r fle°, Aimstroug guns, besides the usual complement of rapid firing g r.s. ' If our na 103 were inclined 'o asg.essive action in the Eas f , as happily it is not, we might fiuil some day that in training those ppltndid sailors for the Japa ese navy we had been catt'ng a stick wherewith to whip ourselves ; but < ur rel .tuns with Japan are aLd hare been almost unifoim y amicable. Only in the late Hawaiian imbroglio di i there seem a possibility cf collision ; but Japan behaved with great forbearance throughout that episcde, and there cannot be any doubt of her thorough fr.endship for the only Christian nation which has treated her wi.h j jstice ever sit ca the opening cf her ports to foreign traife an j diplomitic relations.