Evening star., 1942-02-18

expected in 111r in the Far East
amazingly accurute-is con-
tanned in q letter ,Dritten by Ad-
miral Harry f. Yarnell on jan
uary 10, 1899, 1Uhen he ,Uas COM
mander in chief OF the United
States ASiatic Fleet. The YarneH
! letter, sent to Rear Admiral
Snyder, president OF the Naual
| War College, is printed by the
| United States NeiUs as tollotuS:
January 10, 1889. Aboard U. S. S.
Isabel, Shanghai. China.
My dear Snyder:
Another year has arrived and all
of us cannot but wonder what the
next II months have in store for the
world. 1t is not a cheerful outlook.
I am not pessimist by nature, but
cannot look on the future without
certain amount of foreboding.
! The problems with which Europe
and Asia are struggling concern us
intimately, and much as we desire,
we cannot. as a Nation. diSassociate
ourselves from them. 1t is time
| that calls for clear thinking, free
discussion, and the fullest possible
knowledge of the elements involved
in the present world situation.
The Naval War College, it seems
to me, can do much to plot the most
nearly correct course of action for
our Government. You have large
number of able and experienced off,
GERS, free of all executive duties, who
can devote their entire time to the
study of these vastly important
problems. The War College. the
General Board, and the War Plans
Section of Operations, working in
conjunction, can accomplish much.
War plans and the college should
be very close, the latter testing out
on the game board and criticizing
the plans prepared in Washington.
The theory that the War College
should not be connected with other
activities, but should study war in
the abstract, free of outside influ-
ence. does not seem to me to be
sound. We need more concrete
studies and less of the abstract.
Far East Held Greatest Concern.
The area of greatest concern to
the United States at the present
time is the Far East. For $50 years
we have taken part in the trade
and development of this part of
the world In less than a year and
a half our interests in this part
of the world are threatened with
summary expulsion. and treaties and
understanding arrived at with other
nations have been diSregarded and
denounced.
1--WE need be under no delusions
as to the aims and policies of Japan.
The pronouncements of her states
men in answer to protests against
violations of rights of other nations
are of course worthless. The real
policies Of Japan are embodied in
the declarations of her militarists
during past years and it is these
policies that are being carried out.
Prom their own viewpoint. Japan
and the japanese people are of
divine origin. They are superior TO
all other people of the world. Their
mission is to impose their culture
and domination on the world This
is to be done by force. They wo,-
ship the sword and rely on it to
fulfill their destiny. The first step
in their plain is the domination of
the Far East. This is under way at
present with the subjugation OF
China. The Philippines. Neither
lands Indies French Indo-China and
Malaga will be taken over in due
course of time. Russia will be
driven westward to Lake Baikal.
The above is a very grandiose
plan and much may happen to in
terfere with it's accomplishment.
The fact remains. however. that it
is plan which is under way in the
hands of a determined, warlike peo-
pie, armed with modern weapons,
with little or no effective opposl-
ton. Past treaties. rights OF neu-
trails, rules of civilized warfare as
we SUdllu JllCIIl- dlC VI ooiASN
aside and ignored in the furtherance
of the plan.
Cannot Remain Aloof." He Declared
IN spite of our desires to remain
aloof from international problems,
we cannot do so. The world has
shrunk too much. Can we look on
! a development in the Far East such
as outlined above with detached in
terest as matter of no immediate
concern to us as nation? l do not
believe that we can. If this world is
to be decent place in which to live,
there must be regard and ObServ-
ance of the rights of others and of
the amenities of civilization which
have been built up during the past
centuries.
"It is believed by some that the
present war in China will tax the
resources of Japan to a degree that
will require many years for her to
recover and that even if successful
in occupying most of the Chinese
territory the organization and de-
velopment of this area will absorb
her energies and capital for years
to come. 1t is doubtful If this will
be the case. The lack of any nat
ural defensive frontiers of the oc-
cupied territory will be an urge to
further expansion. The occupied
territory fails to supply many vital
raw materials, such as oil, rubber,
tin, lumber, etc. The Japanese
Navy, which has always been op-