WAR OF THE FUTURE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19144, 29 October 1927, Page 15

WAR OF THE FUTURE.

BRITAIN AND AMERICA. A STARTLING PROPHECY. (by cable—pbiss association— copyright.) (acsthalias and if.i. cabls association.) (Received October 28th, 9.15 p.m.) LONDON, October 27. "It is awful to think of an alliance between Britain and Japan against America, but we must think about itIf, after 1931, there is no renewal of the Washington Treaty, the world will accept the possibility of a British and American war." This is one of the remarkably outspoken passages in -i book by Commander Kenworthy, M -";; entitled, "Will Civilisation Crash, which was published to-day. Mr H. G. Wells, in a striking introduction, confesses that he was taken bv surprise by the Great \\ar. "Then, "after four years of stupid, clumsy, inconclusive massacre and destruction, we have clung to the delusion of the commonsense of manbind. I sav definitely I will never again make the mistake of attributing commonsense to mankind- If var comes in 20 years, people will be slaughtered in "horrible ways—suffocated, torn to ribbons, sent crying ior help with frightful mortal mutilations, burned, slashed, or left to die under collapsed buildings." _ Commander Kenworthy writes: ' Hie feeling of hostility, mistrust, fear, and jealousy between the people of Great Britain and America is latent, and is only consciously felt by a minority in each country. Given an appropriate atmosphere, years of naval rivalry, and war debt bickerings, this hostility will actively spread, despite the commonsense of the masses of Britain and Amines* "If tlie Empire were fighting with her back to the wall she would welcome allies anywhere in the world, racial prejudice notwithstanding. England and Japan together could inflict defeat on the American navy, occupy the canal zone, blockade the American coasts, and hold up commerce. Should Canada be willing, England and Japan could land armies on Canadian soil and invade America.

"The war would spread over half tho world and would end civilisation and ruin human culture. New York, Baltimore, Boston, Portland, and Atlantic City would be shelled from the sea by submarines fitted with poison gas cylinders. No sooner would England hear of the suffocation of 30,000 people on Manhattan Island than American submarines would visit Liverpool on a similar mission. "There must be a treaty between •England and America outlawing war. Those, together with Holland and Switzerland, could control the finance of the world as well as the essential material, without which war could not be waged."

POSITION IN THE PACIFIC. (AtfSTBALIAN AKD X.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.) (Received October 28th, 10.20 p.m.) LONDON, October 28. Tho naval situation in the Pacific is the text of the American LieutenantCommander Clifford Tinker's article in "Brassey's Naval Annual." He says: 'Not to be outdone by Nature's lavish gifts to Japan, Britain and the United States, at the Washington Conference, actually rushed Japan into the position of arbiter of far Eastern destinies, but the fateful gift might not be an unmixed blessing, as Japan is in danger of acquiring naval indigestion. "Already her treasury is in difficulties. Japan's colonies and mandates, interfused across the Pacific, threaten America's territories and- are not a source of unalloyed comfort to the Dutch East Indes, Australia, and New Zealand.

"The combined Pacific squadrons of Britain, Australia, and New Zealand are little more than a coastguard force."

"Such a small widely dispersed fleet is a temptation to those imbued with ulterior motives in Asiatic affairs to engage -in aggressive programmes, but in the event of an emergency, Great Britain could send to the Western Pacific such a fleet with supporting troops that Japan must pause before precipitating a collision. "Nevertheless nothing but inspired sagacity and self-sacrific-ing action will suffice for British success in a major naval campaign in the western Pacific."

Summing up he says: "The position is that Japan is in a dominating, secure position. The British Commonwealth is in a good position strategically, but tactcally in a critical one. The position of the United States both strategically and tactically is precarious, while France is hopelessly outclassed. Great Britain and the United States have to face tiio fact that Japan is the keeper of the door. If she closes it nothing but a major war can force it open. The present situation is a most convincing argument for a BTitish-Amerionn rapprochement."