The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-07-01
LAUGHS AT RUM0R
Naval Officer RidiCHlGS Idea
Of War.
IMPORTANCE OF U. S. NAVY
Is Several Times Larger
Than That of Japan. !.
Various Persons Speak of Pros
pects--Anyone May Be
Pleased Here.

Japan go to war with the United
States over the Hawaiian question:
said a naval officer yesterday, after
reading extracts from Japanese news
papers, Il think Motif Japan is wise.
The American Navy has % armored
vessels, against dozen or less of Jap
an. She has nearly 40 unarmored yes
sells, against "a of Japan, and l believe
America has five times as many men
in the service.
inexperienced in practice? Yes;
but we have the experience of those of
the officers, now in active service, who
were in the navy during the war of
the rebellion. 1 admit that Japanese
naval men have had more recent ex-
perience, but what would it amount to
if they were pitted against Anglo-Sax-
ons? Their fight with China is no CT t.
terion. The Japanese are progressing,
and in that war they went up against
a lot of coolies, who ran away directly
they saw an armored cruiser coming
toward them. 1t required little more
than to steam in the vicinity of a Chi
nese warship to capture her, and I am
quite sure that would not be the case
in a war with the United States.
Take the Oregon, for instance, with
her 40 guns and $50 men-more guns,
by the way, than are on all five arm
ored ships of the Japanese Navy-do
you think it would be a case of
smudge? The Oregon has her guns fore
and aft and broadside She can shoot
in any direction, if occasion demanded
it, and she could shoot astern, if she
was getting away from anything-a
highly improbable condition of affairs,
however.
81 have heard it suggested that
England might be behind Japan in
this affair, but that is as preposterous
as anything 1 have yet heard. Just
think Of the millions of pounds ster-
ling of British capital invested in the
United States, and think also, of the
enormous value of the commercial in
terests between the two countries. So
far from England siding with Japan,
the fear which racks the heart of one
enterprising writer in the Orient is
that England may interfere with the
Japanese rushing in where angels
fear to tread
so far as warlike preparations are
concerned, l do not believe Japan has
any thought of it. They have a very
high opinion of their abilities as fight
ers, have no doubt, but Count Okuma,
with his vigorous foreign policy, is
not going to bring down the wrath of
the powers upon his shoulders. Japan
has too much at stake with Russia
for the world knows that should Eng
land take sides with Japan, Russia
would Immediately jump in and help
America-if she needed her assistance.
You and every one else can set
aside the idea of war in Hawaii over
this troublesome question. To me- it
is matter entirely for the. diplomats
to settle, and now that the matter Of
annexation has been revived, and the
Islands are on the verge of becoming
a part of the Union, the matter will be
quickly settled, for you will readily
understand that the United States will
hardly take over new territory with a
chance of having international diff
culties on her hands,
These views, it must be understood,
are those of an individual who keeps
in close touch with affairs of the world.
There are hundred-perhaps a thou
sand-others who believe that the
Mariposa this morning will bring news
of the ratification of the treaty by the
United States Senate One Govern
ment official remarked yesterday that
"the Senate would probably take time
to debate on the question There has
been but one investigation and report,
and that was by Blount Of course, the
Morgan Senate committee investigated
but not on the ground
MY opinion is that within a month
after this extra session of Congress
closes the greater part of the Foreign