The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-06-30
EXPERT
CLAIMS JAPAN
CAN LICK SAM
Naval Architect Writes Book on
Sea Power In the Pacific
UNITED STATES is ASLEEP
Critic Says Philippines Are In
viting Prey for Invasion
by Mikado's Forces

London, June 6U.-lI tnere is
ever to be a war between Japan and
the United States. the danger pc
iod is somewhere between now and
1923, because within this period
Japan would have the best chance for
a naval victory in the Pacific
This statement is made in Sea
Power in the Pacific" a book by Hec.
tor C. Bywater. just issued here by
Constable & Co.. which has attract
ed immense attention in military, ma.
val and diplomatic circles.
The author is an associate Of the
British Institute of Naval Architects
and a recognized authority on naval
and engineering problems.
Amazed at U. S. Government.
He is frankly amazed by the way
in which the United States govern.
ment has failed to prepare her fore
es against potential foe in the
Pacific, He points out
First, that while we have gone in
for great battleships, we have de-
layed until now the creation of a
feet of battle cruisers. Result is it
will be 1928 before we have some of
these heayy-gunned, swift-moying in
struments of war, Japan already
has them.
Second, while building destroyers
and submarines, we have neglected
the light cruisers, whose value as
eyes and ears for the navy was so
abundantly displayed in the big naval
battles of the recent war.
Third though we have owned
Hawaii for many years, it is only
recently that we have begun at
Pearl Harbor the kind of fortifea-
tions, drydocks and fuel storage
places that great Pacific feet
needs.
Fourth, though Guam is the key
to our defense of the Philippines We
have not even begun to make it a
place of value to our army and
navy,
Fifth while building big ships, we
have neglected to provide adequate
and sufficient naval bases for them on
our Pacific coast.
Japan lmpregnable
While we have thus neglected the
very A, B, C's of the business, says
Bywater, the Japs have made their
island empire practically impreg-
nable to attack and have built feet
not only with an eye to defense, but
also to offense in the Pacific
In the event Of a war within two
years, he thinks the Japs can take
Guam and the Philippines in two
weeks. He quotes an unnamed dis
tinguished American naval officer
who wrote him:
The Philippines are there for
Japan whenever she likes to take
them and nothing can prevent her
from seizing them when she feels
inclined to do so. AS at present cir
cumstanced we could do nothing
whatever to protect them in time of
wa9."
Bywater points out the old familiar
grounds for the war-makers; the lard
legislation of California, the insist
tance by America that the open door
policy be followed in China, and fin
ally the fear OF the ruling classes that
unless the masses are distracted by
the war call Of patriotism there may
be serious industrial troubles at
home.
Now, in event of war, what? By
water renders full tribute to the Off
cheney of the war machines we build
and to the keenness Of our officers
But he also points out the in
creasng difficulty we are having in
filing the compliments Of our ships
and getting our boys to hear the
call of the blue water.
On the other hand, he gays, the
Jap officers are equally as keen and
that the country never has any
trouble getting all the seamen it
wants
Canal in Danger.
He assumes that if there were
war, not only would our Pacific
coast be immune from serious at
tack but that our Panama Canal,
upon which so much would depend,
would also be safe thanks to the
vigilance of our armed forces.
But the navy would be faced with
attack of extraordinary difficulty. 1t
would either have to carry on de-
fensre war, which would be tanta-
mount to a Jap victory entaiiing the
loss of our island possessions in thS
Pacific; or an offensive war, in which
a decisive success would be practical
ly impossible to achieve.
The main point he stresses is;
For less than the cost Of two
modern battleships such chain of
naval bases could be thrown across
the Pacific as would give our feet
entire command Of the situation and
enable it to wage a war both of of