JAPAN'S NAVY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 267, 10 November 1937, Page 21

JAPAN'S NAVY.

STRANGE STANDING.

LOW PAY OF OFFKKRS TOKYO. The important role wliici) the Japanese navy promises to play in the Cliinese quarrel is attracting considerable attention. Very little, however, is known regarding how the navy is constituted and whose are the actual brains in it. One important difference between the army and the navv is that the navy stands aloof in purely internal matters. The navy is constituted in an extremely complicated manner. Generally speaking, it may be divided into two sections, the naval general staff and the navy ministry. Although the combined high seas fleet, the training squadron, the flying corps and the naval staff college are under the supervision of the general staff, they are dependent on the navy ministry in matters concerning personnel, equipment and appropriations. There are seven admirals. 20 viceadmirals, 83 rear-admirals, 256 captains, 478 commanders, 066 lieutenant commanders, and 803 lieutenants. The pay of Japan; .■to officers is extremely low, both in the navy and in the army. An admiral gets but 6000 yen (about £400) a year. A vice-admiral is paid 5800 yen, and the rear-admiral 5000 jen. A lieutenant receives 1500 yen a year, which is less than £100. Although promotions up to the rank of captain are governed to a great extent by records established at the naval staff college, above the rank of captain talent displayed after graduation plays tbe most important part. It is a significant fact that no cla<» has turned out so many able men as the class of 1904, the year Japan won the Russo-Japanese war. From this class come such brilliant leaders as Viee-Adiniral Koichi Shiozawa, commander of tlie Saselwi naval base; ViceAdmiral Zenjro Yoshida. commander of the second fleet; Vice-Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Vice-Minister of the Navy, and Vice-Admiral Sigetaro Nhimada, assistant chief of general staff. The activity of retired naval officers in the munition*? industry is particularly noteworthy. Among the outstanding men in this field are Vice-Admiral Yasusada Yoshioka, president of the Kawasaki Dockyard Company; ViceAdmiral Masazo Nakonji, president of the North Saghalien Petroleum Company; Vice-Admiral Takeshi Terajima, president of the Uraga. Dockyards; and Vice-Admiral Teikchi Hori, president of the Nippon aircraft works.