Turning to the lighter side of this very tragic Sino-Japanese incident, it is interesting to note that the "Japan Advertiser" of January 9, carries a lengthy report of a discussion arranged by the Japanese magazine "Hinode" on Britain's chances in a war with Japan, between a number of reserve and retired moval and army officers. It is an engrossing account full of many gems of thought not the least amusing of which is Rear-Admiral Toma Uematsu's opinion of the British soldier:
"So far as the British land forces are concerned they don't count. They bathe every morning and shave very neatly. They learn their march in danoehalls They are excellent soldiers en the parade ground with a gorgeous band playing and style improvement by dancing. But they don't know the life of tenant farmers and so are at a loss when it comes to digging trenches and doing other hard work. From this, 1 don't think that the British are a match even for the Chinese. The weakness of the British army is illustrated in the fact that during the Great War the German fore"s concentrated their fiercest attacks on the British encampment, considering it to be the most vulnerable point in the Allied defense line Rear-Admiral Sasa, asked his opinion of the British Navy, said "Quite strong, I should think. The fleet that took part in the battle of Falkland off Argentina during the Great War fought to the bitter end. In the battle of Jutland, the British valiantly fought German battleships with cruisers, This comes of the traditional spirit of Nelson "England expects every man to do his duty. It is this spirit that makes the British navy strong. The navy is formidable compared with the army Of course the average Briton will be somewhat abashed at Rear-AdmiralUematsu's opinion of the British soldier, but will undoubtedly find solace in the fact that Rear-Admiral Sasa finds ttle to criticize in the British Navy, which. after all. is just as it should be.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.