The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1908-09-11
ADMIRAL EVANS
TALKS OF JAPAN

1 I .
S. N, who has just been placed ON the
retired list after forty.eight years Of
active service, said this afternoon with
characteristic emphasis and positive
ness that the Navy of the United
States was superior to that of Japan.
and that in the improbable event of a
war between the two nations the PEG.
pie of this country could rest secure in
the knowledge that they have Navy
fully capable of maintaining their SUI.
premacy.
That there will be such war seems
absurd and preposterous to Admiral
Evans.
"Why, the people of Japan have too
much common sense to go to war with
us, and we have too much forbearance
to force them into a fight he ex-
claimed. "Despite what some lurid
newspapers say and despite the harm
they do, there won't be any war be-
tween Japan and ourselves-not for
the present, anyhow.
81 believe" said Admiral Evans
'"that at present our Navy could de-
feat that of Japan. The marksman.
ship of our gunners is unquestionab,y
superior to that of the japanese. We
can shoot better than they can, but
the reason for this can be readily seen.
Compare the amount of money this
country can and does expend annually
on giving its sailors target practise
with the amount Japan can and does
expend for the same purpose. You
will see how much more we spend;
consequently, how much more practise
our gunners are able to get. Japan
hash t got the money to spend on tar
|, get practise that we have; she can It
afford it. This, then, is one material
reason why we are superior in gun
manship to the Japanese. But what
: fine gunners we have!"
"Admiral, officer to officer, enlisted
man to enlisted man, don't you con
slider the personnel of our Navy supe.
rior to that Of Japan?'
Japanese Equal as Fighters.
81 do not,' he answered. GAS q
fighting people l consider the Japa,
nese unexcelled by any people in the
world. They have magnificent cour
! age. They fight intelligently and die
a without fear in their hearts. No, il
e man for man our sailors equal those OF
9 Japan they will do all that can be ask
II courage the Japanese is unexcelled
e You may sink their ships-you'll hav'
to, to win, for they never surrender
1 Before Japanese will haul down hi
4 flag his ship will be lying fathom'
: deep under water, and he-dead.
/, The admiral further said that ia
pan g attitude toward China was great
g ly misunderstood in this country; thai
1 it was not her desire to colonize China
, but that she merely wanted to havG
hand in directing her policies. He
$ said the only interest the United
!, States should have in China was to
e maintain the "open door" Further
than that the United States could moi
expect to gain anything, he declared
, The United States is in duty bound
to maintain large navy, he declared
l He had always held that the best guar
antee of perpetual peace was to be SC
. strong that other nations would be
afraid to attack.
"We 81 ould have twenty four bat
tleships in both the Pacific and the At
lantic oceans,'' said the admiral
$ HSixteen of these should be in com.
mission in each ocean all the time,
. with eight held in reserve
!, Admiral Evans thought for few
Q moments, gazing out into space, ap'
d parently lost in meditation. "Ot
? COURSE" he began abruptly, 81 am
i talking of the two navies as they are
). now. Whether our navy could defeat
= the Mikado IS ten years from now
: don t know and won't make any pre-
o dictions. 1t depends entirely upon the
, naval programs of the two nations. y
y Then the question of speed in con
: struction work suggested itself, and
70 Rear Admiral Evans said:
y "The japanese seem to have a won
Il derful facility for building battleships
y rapidly. They build much more quickly
q than we do. Why, it was not long age
= :. that one of their cruisers was com
J. pleted within year of the laying OF
Is her keel. But think if there was any
q necessity for it we could build oul
h ships more rapidly than we do now
ID When asked if he thought there wal
i a possibility that this country might
~ ~ become engaged in another war within
ID the near future, Admiral Evans sait
II there was nothing to indicate any sucl