The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-03-05
BY Vice Admiral Isanu Takeshita,
imperial Japanese Navy.

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| Copyright, by the independently.
That the world is growing smaller
is due to the advancement in science,
! the development OF means of trans
! portation, and the more rapid COM
munication on land and sea, under the
sea and in the air. 1t follows, then,
j that the countries which constitute the
| commercial political and social world
hold interests which are increasingly
common to all. The countries border
I ing on the Pacific are no exception:
/ so we find Japan and the United
| States discussing many more matters
! of common and mutual concern than
at any time in the history of their re-
lations. To develop these mutual con-
Germs in harmony and to prevent dis
cord it is responsibility devolving on
advanced nations and civilized peo-
pies. It is true that increasing COM
munity of interest does increase op-
portunity for differences of opinion,
but at the same time-as thought and
knowledge broaden and as narrow
mindedness ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and
understandings become more easy to
reach.
| In the Chino-Japanese war of 1894
95 and in the Russo-Japanese war of
/ 1904-05, Japan fought successfully
against what We're considered great
powers. but these facts should by no
means give rise to an inference that
! Japan is an aggressive and warlike
nation.
In those days Chosen (Korea) was
extremely unsta BILE and if the powerful
ineighbors of Korea, following an ag-
gressive policy, had made with her an
offensive alliance and so had secured
paramount influence or had estab-
lished bases for naval and military
purposes, the situation would have
been intolerab1e to Japan. Obviously
it would have been a strategic men
ace Let me suggest an analogy,
wiret would he the situation If the
United States found that Canada.
Mexico, or Cuba We're making alliances
with strong powers hostile to the
/ United States? Let me ask what at
titude the United States would as
sumo. 1t was to avert the imminent
danger of such situation in the far
east that Japan fought against China
and against Russia Politically and
strategically. these were purely defen-
sive wars. They We're fought for the
| very existence of Japan. 1t was be-
cause they were defensive and not at
all aggressive that it was possible. to
mobilize our national strength: and it
was because of the call for defense of
home and country that our soldiers
and sailors fought like the Spartans
of old. Indeed, it may be said that
4 the very fact of these contests over
Korea testifies TO the firm belief of the
i Japanese nation in the necessity for
! a union between Japan and Korea.
/ Japan is short of raw material and
food. The deficit must be imported
from abroad and must be paid for by
the export of our own productions.
The industries of Japan, therefore. are
gradually developing and her foreign
commerce is expanding. During the
war. some of the powers, from their
own necessities and rightly, put an
embargo on exports and imports of
certain articles. This brought to the
people of Japan. who are not self-sup-
porting or self-sustaining, the reaiiza-
ton that their industries and even the
necessities of their every day life de-
pend upon friendly foreign exchange.
Consequently, Japan is now giving
most earnest attention to the question
of raw materials and food, the funda-
Imentals of the existence of the people
iand of the trade of the country.
| An island power, circumstanced as
lis Iapan must have adequate ship
ping The navy of such power must
! he able to some extent to protect the
rrade-routes TO and from the sources
| of supply and demand; IL must in the
best sense be equal to the task OF safe
guarding the existence of its people.
The Japenese navy exists simply and
solely as a guarantee of the national
existence of Japan. Politically and
stra teeicaIIy, our ambition is salts
protective and defensive uses. The
idea of the use of japanese naval
forces for any aggressive designs is
foreign to the government and people
of Japan. Even a modest ambition or
program to show a naval strength
equal TO that of any foreign power is
not entertained as a part of our naval
policy.
The United States is a completely
self supporting country. 1t is rich, its
people are highly civilized, progressive
and energetic. Production increases
there steadily. Its foreign trade now
occupies the first place in the world
of commerce: and now as the result of
"a policy TO carry as far as possible its
trade in its own bottoms, Americas
merchant marine takes now the second
place in the world of shipping. Amer
ica's foreign investment of capital in
various forms amounts to A fabulous
sum, increasing with great rapidity.
Necessarily. therefore. the interests of
the United States is the Pacific ocean
and the countries bordering on il, in.
crease and expand as much as Amer
lean trade spreads eastward across the
Atlantic The United States navy.
consistent with this situation. is be-
coming stronger and always stronger.
a.