NAVAL ARMAMENTS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17634, 11 December 1922, Page 8

NAVAL ARMAMENTS.

SCRAPPING OF CAPITAL SHIPS. WHAT JAPAN IS DOING. (By Cable —Press Association—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received December 10th. 5.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, December 9. Mr C. E. Hughes, Secretary of State, has published a despatch from the American Ambassador at Tokyo outlining the Japanese Government's progress in scrappin : war vessels under tin terms of the Washington Treaty. The report shows that Japan has suspended all work on the four capital ship 3 which were under construction when the Treaty was signed, and that eleven ships have been partially dismantled. [By the terms of the Naval Limitation Treaty, Japan is permitted to retain sis battleships and four battlecruisars totalling 301,320 tone and is pledged to scrap ten capital ships ranging in age from ten to 20 years, to break up .six capital ships under construction and to abandon a projected programme of eight other ships not laid down.] UNITED STATES NAVY. ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES.; WASHINGTON, December 7. The Navy Department has announced the consolidation of the Atlantic and Pacific fleets under the single command of Admiral H. P. Jones. It- involves no changes in any present assignment of ships or of the na.vy's personnel, but is chiefly for effecting a psace-time organisation that can be carried into a war emergency without change. The fleet under the new plan will consist of the battle fleet, comprising the main fighting strength of the navy, and prepared to engage an enemy fleet, a scouting fleet, a base force, and a control fleet to organise control of the sea after this has been obtained by the action of the battle fleet.