Evening journal., 1921-04-18
JAPAN MAKES PLANS
FOR DEFENSIVE WAR;
IS WALL OF ISLANDS
CONTINUED from page one)

continued from page one)
Japan, there will be no war.
But should the worst come to the
worst the chances OF Japan attack
ing continental United States, or
striking the American fleet in Ameri-
can waters. are so remote as to be
negligible. The attitude Of Japan to-
wards the United States would rather
be. in a given emergency:
Come on over and help yourselfi"
Now supposing something like that
! happened. Look at your map. San
francisco to Yokohama, via Homo
lulu, is 5.655 miles-two weeks sail
ing across the Pacific Ocean.
Would Arrive Tired.
From Honolulu, in the Hawaiian
Islands (the last point at which
American ships could with certainty
stock-up with fueD, to Yokohama is
more than 1000 miles, so a tired
fleet, far from home, would have to
meet fresh fleet in its own waters.
A line of communication nearly
1000 miles long would have to be
maintained, requiring a considerable
number of the available ships, and
any deviation from the direct routes
across the Pacific would not only
lengthen this line but expose a long
flank to the enemy.
The waters OF the Philippines, at
best would be teeming with enemy
submarine, making them extremely
| hazardous for any ships using those
ports, while at worst the islands
might be cut off entirely by hostile
fleets, leaving the Hawaiian Island
as the nearest possible base.
Knocked out.
An American vessel receiving what
would otherwise amount to a small
injury, would be out OF commission
for the duration Of the war, for il
would have to crawl at least 5000
miles, II not 5000 miles across the
Pacific to go into dry-dock for re-
pairs.
only a few seaplanes could be
flown. as even when the new Ameri-
can seaplane-carrying vessels are
commissioned their capacity will be
very limited when compared to the
number which any nation, operating
from shore, could use against them
And launching a plane from the
deck Of a ship is always a precarious
undertaking. even in the best OF
weather. not to speak OF returning to
the ship when anything like a sea is
running.
These are only a few OF the items
considered by experts when they es-
innate a feet is up TO only approx
mately so per cent. its real efficiency
when forced to meet an enemy in its
own waters 5000 to 1000 miles dis
tant
Japan's Defense Plan.
Everyone out here insists that II
Japan must fight the United States
she will fight a defensive" war
waiting for the United States I,
come to her-the logical thing
seemingly. for Japan to do.
Another thing that one hears ou
here is, that II there is to be clasf
with America it must come over con
hicting policies in the Far East, for
appearances to the contrary, Japal
has no intention OF attacking tn
immigration question.
Should trouble come between tn
two countries over some Far East
ern question. the conflict would nat
/ urally be staged in the Far East AM
it would be there that victory or de
feat would be decided.
Japan's battle plans, under suci
circumstances. are OF course un
known to the writer, and probabl'
to all others save the japanese gen
) eral STAFF, but a glance at any mai
will show quite plainly the advan
tages natural and otherwise whicl
would be here.
2 a Wall of Islands.
From Kamchatka almost to Hon
Kong. China, stretches a chain com
, lposed OF thousands OF islands, litu