The Influence of the Sea on the Political History of
Japan. By Vice-Admiral G. A. Ballard. (Murray. 18s. net.)—This interesting book begins with Kublai Khan's disastrous attempts to invade Japan in 1273-80 and with the Korean war of the sixteenth century, in which the Korean commander Yi-sun worsted the Japanese at sea. Then followed the long period of seclusion from which Japan was awakened by the arrival of Commodore Perry's American squadron in 1853. The author sketches very clearly the naval wars with China and with Russia, and concludes with some general observations on the present position of Japan. " For any attack on Japan as matters now stand the enemy must be in possession of a fleet about three times as powerful as that of the defence, because no other country has a fully equipped modern naval base and arsenal in. the Eastern Pacific." A third of the attacking fleet must be out of action at any given moment, and the force necessary for blockade must be twice as strong, the author thinks, as the fleet blockaded. He infers that Japan is safe from aggression provided that she maintains an efficient fleet. He is inclined to believe that she could defend herself more easily with submarines than with battleships. His list of the Russian fleet of 1904-5 needs revision.
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