A Japanese View of the War. By Rear-Admiral Akiyama. (T.
Fisher Unwin. ld.)—This interesting survey of the present position of the war is reprinted from an article by a distinguished Japanese Rear-Admiral which appeared originally in the Ji-Ji. Admiral Akiyama has visited Europe and America, he has seen all the Allied Armies in the trenches and our Grand Fleet at its base, and the summary of his impressions and deductions makes encouraging reading for his Allies. The Admiral considers that the three dominating factors of the war are British sea-power, British financial capacity, and German military strength. In the obvious wane of the last—due partly to war wastage and partly to the sterilizing effect of our own growth as a military Power—and in our undoubted supremacy in the first two fields, Admiral Akiyama sees a forecast of ultimate triumph for the Allied cause. He has some shrewd things to say of our national characteristics as displayed on the battlefield, and a great opinion of our financial capacity ; but it is naturally in discussing naval matters that the Admiral is in his happiest vein. He tells one excellent story which we must quote in view of its double significance in this day of the submarine :— " When a Minister of Frederick the Great, accredited to London, asked the King for bigger allowances, saying that he was slighted in British society owing to lack of funds, the King said : ' Fine dress and fine carriages you do not require. Should the English slight you, you should say that you have 200,000 picked troops of Prussia at your back.' In reply, the Minister said : ' Sir, what you say may be appropriate in Paris, but it is useless here in London. If you wish to impress your will upon the English, your troops would be obliged to cross the sea under water.' And the mighty Frederick was silenced."
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