. The influence of the sea on the political history of Japan. anese future in Korea that their troops should havefree access to Korean territory at any time, and, as thesea was a permanent and irremovable feature in thesituation, this access could only be rendered certain underall eventualities by the establishment of a maritimesuperiority over China to last perpetually, or remain atleast as permanent as human foresight cotdd ensure. Obviously the first step towards that end was the 154 PORT ARTHUR 155 forcible reduction of the Chinese Fleet to a level at leastmuch below the strength of the Na
. The influence of the sea on the political history of Japan. anese future in Korea that their troops should havefree access to Korean territory at any time, and, as thesea was a permanent and irremovable feature in thesituation, this access could only be rendered certain underall eventualities by the establishment of a maritimesuperiority over China to last perpetually, or remain atleast as permanent as human foresight cotdd ensure. Obviously the first step towards that end was the 154 PORT ARTHUR 155 forcible reduction of the Chinese Fleet to a level at leastmuch below the strength of the Navy of Japan, whichstep was not as yet half accomplished. But the destruc-tion or weakening of the enemys sea forces would giveno more than a promise of Japanese superiority for thefew years immediately following. The Chinese mightpurchase or build a new fleet, and, profiting by the lessonsof adversity, take good care to see that in efficiency aswell as in other matters it was equal to the duties requiredof it. Japanese policy had therefore to take into con^. iiauvrjWnlku Ud. t. FIG. 6.—POBT ARTHUR PENINSULA AND NEIGHBOURING CIRCLE OF LAND DEFENCES INDICATED BT DOTTEDLINE. sideration all measures helping to consolidate theirposition, and the only practicable method of preventingChina from ever regaining a strong position in the YellowSea and northern waters of Asia was to deprive her ofany harbours which might serve as bases for her fleetin those regions. Fortunately for Japan, only one harbourexists in that part of Chinese territory with the naturalfeatures requisite for a naval headquarters, and that isPort Arthur, but Port Arthur does possess them in amarked degree. Situated within a short steamingdistance of the whole western coasts of Korea, completely 156 WAR WITH CHINA encircled by hills offering excellent sites for a chaip (rfdefences, and reached only by a narrow and easily heldentrance, it furnished the Chinese with an ideal founda-tion for the esta
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, bookidcu3192402323, bookyear1921
