CURRENT TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 January 1918, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

SUPREMACY OF THE SEAS. Speaking at the Trafalgar Day dinner in London, the Japanese Ambassador said:—"After the reduction of KalauChau and the clearing of the South Pacific, the Japanese Navy kept extending constantly their field of action in the West, until to-day they are busily engaged in their activities in certain portions of European waters, where you can see the Union Jack and the. Rising Sun flying side by side. Ido not feel myself at, liberty to dwell in any more detail on the work now being undertaken by our naval forces in different theatres of this world-wide war. All that I will sav is this—that our navy are doing their best and their utmost, in spite of the difficularising out of their geographical positions and their limited national resources. It seems to me that three years' experience of constant warfare has bruoght one fact conspicuously to our minds, and that is the undisputed and indisputable supremacy of the British sea power. I say this will a full cognisance of the frantic effort put forth by our common enemy in their submraine warfare. It seems to me amusing to watch how the Germans glory in the nefarious efforts of their submarines, and speak of their success in breaking down this supremacy of British sea power. When a fighter stoops down and begins to hit below the belt, that is the best evidence that he is a 'gone man.'"