THE RISE OF JAPAN.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 17980, 25 January 1924, Page 9

THE RISE OF JAPAN.

A MODERN MIRACLE.

(SPECIALLY WRITTEN FOE "THE PRESS.")

(By W. FARMER WIIYTE.)

So far as the Japanese Navy is concerned, it has been officially admitted that great damage was dono to the naval base at Yolcosuka, near Yokohama, both in regard to ships and plant! But Japan does not keep all her eggs in one basket. Yokosuka, though perhaps the most important of all, is only one of a number of big naval bases in Japan. The Japanese coast is divided into four naval districts, or "Admiralties" —Yokosuka, Kure, Sasebo, and Maidzuru, each administered by a com-mander-in-chief, who is assisted by a large staff. There are four naval stations distinct from the "Admiralties," —Port Arthur, Mekon, Ominato, and Chinhai. Yokosuka, established in 1564, is the oldest; Kure, on the Inland Sea, near Hiroshima, is the second oldest, having been founded in .1880. Its importance increased very rapidly when the war with China occurred in 1894. It was here that tho first armourod vessel built in Japan was turned out — the Tsukuba, of 13,750 tons. It was laid down in January, 1905, launched on November 26th, of that year, and completed 13 months later. Concerning this ship the eminent Japanese naval architect, Dr. Terano, wrote:—

"Tho successful building of the Tsult,ubii. may be caid to supply another significant illustration of how Jar human power, when confronted by an emergency, may develop its ingenuity. .When the decision was takii.u to build this vessel at liure, constructors and workmen alike were in dismay, for the largest ship they . had built up to then was a cruiser of tho Tsushima type, of rather more than 3GOO tons displacement, which had been completed only two years before. Moreover, the mechanical equipment of the yard was quite inadequate for undertalcing this important work. However, both the officials and the workmen were sustained by the heroic spirit awakened in them by their country's need, and thanks to this resolute emrit. they were able to overcome tho innumerable difficulties that cropped up at every stage of the .work. And .thus, with no model to follow. ' they eventually completed the warship. Judged in the light of later experience, and by tho mechanical standards of the present day, this first battleship-cruiser in the world may. not be quite satisfactory in regard to riveting and structural features, but, despite much adverse criticism j hits proved efficient in service, and has also made a voyage round the world." (The Tsukuba was destroyed Vv an internal explosion in 1D17.)

More Than "Imitators."

You hear a lot about the Japanese being great "imitators," but this account of tho building of the Tsukuba shows that they are something more than that —they have initiative also. You shall see later how, when they do "imitate," they also "improve" upon their models. In tho light of this fact one finds it hard to believe a story that is going the rounds all over the East, concerning the construction of a certain Japanese merchant ship, which shall be nameless. The story goes that a shipbuilding firm in Japan called for designs for a largo passenger-carrying vessel, and among the tenderers was a certain foreign firm, which had so little faith in Japanese honesty that it resolved upon testing it. In other words, it believed that tho object of the Japanese firm was to secure the designs of foreign firms, in order that they might study and steal their ideas. The particular .design referred to is alleged to have been appropriated to the smallest detail, with the result that when the ship made her trial run slio almost turned turtle. To-day, it is asserted, that ship sails tho seas with 5000 tons of cement in her bottom, to steady her. That story was told to me by at least half a dozen people in different parts of tho Far East. Perhaps it is just a story. Anyway, one prefers to believe an authority like Hector Bywater, when it comes to Japan's capacity for tho building of ships. Mr Bywater gives particulars concorning tho naval bases of Japan and the work that is done there that will surprise the average reader. At Yokosuka, for instance, before the earthquake, something like 20,000 men were employed. It was here that the Hiyei, the first battle-cruiser constructed in Japan, was built; here that tho Dreadnought battleships Kawachi and Yamashira were built. In May, 1920, the battleship Mutau, of 33,800 tons, was launched at Yokosuka, and in the same year the battle-cruiser Amagi, 43,500 tons, was laid down. This base, as we have seen, has been put out cf action for the time being—or largely so, at all oi"ents —but, as Mr Bywater tells us, Kure has been so largely developed in recent years that it now rivals that base in area and shipbuilding facilities. Tho engineering and boiler shops are even larger than thoso of Yokosuka, and arc capable of constructing turbino machinery up to 150,000 shaft horsepower. Armour up to a thickness of 15in, tempered on the Krupp process, and naval guns of I6in, 45 calibre model, have been manufactured here. According to the Minister for Marine, armour-plate produced at Kure exhibits a higher degree of resistance to penetration than specimen plates obtained from the leading steel foundries of the world, including the Krupp works, at Essen, The dockyard at Sasebo, near Nagasaki, on the southern island of Kyushu, specialises in the construction of light cruisers and submarines, though a portion of Kure is also devoted to the building of submarines. Sasebo is being developad on a large and tho

GREAT NAVAL BASES.

We shall be making a great mistake if we imagine that the great disaster which recently overtook Tokyo and Yokohama means tho end ol" Japan as a first-class Naval and Military Power. One London newspaper said that it meant tho relegation of Japan to the position of a second or third-rate Power. Another said that it rendered her impotent for the nest ten years. There was never a greater mistake. Tho wonderful way in which the Japanese Government and people have met the catastrophe, and set about the work of reconstruction (in which work, it is of special interest to note, they have sought the expert advice of Dr. Charles Beard, an American, who has gone to Tokyo specially for this purpose), should be a lesson to the world. The work of rebuilding Tokyo and Yokohama will go on, but the nation's work generally will go on also. Her trade and commerce will go on; her policies, domestic and foreign, will be pursued as formerly.

destruction of a largo part of Yokosuka will doubtless give an impetus to this development. From its geographical position, it lias great strategical value, and the plans of the Navy Department included the building of an additional Dreadnought dock, a 50,000-ton floating dock, and the installation of giant cranes. Doubtless, however, these plans have been modifled as a result 'Of the Washington Agreement. In addition to the yards under the immediate control of the Navy Department, Japan has quite a number of great shipbuilding yards owned by private firms, capablo of turning out the heaviest warships—tlioso of the Mitsubishi Company, at Nagasaki and Kobe, the Kawasaki Dockyard Compr.ny at Kobo and Yoshiura, the Suzuki Company, the Asano, the Mitsui, and the Uraga Dock Comnany; while at least five other yards are capablo of building light cruisers, torpedo craft, and submarines. Some of the finest Japanese men-of-war, including the battle-cruiser Ivirishima and the battloship Hiuga, have been built by the Mitsubishi Company, and its latest ships are the Tosa, 40,600 tons, and the Takao, 43,500 tons. Among the ships turned out by the Kawasaki Company are the battleship Kaga, 60;400 tons, and the battle-cruiser Atago, 43,500 tons. This yard put up a notable record in the construction of the steamer Raifuku Maru, 5800 tons gross. The keel was laid on October 7th, 1918, sho was launched on the 30th of that month, and her official trials were successfully completed on November sth. A Fallacy Exploded. It will bo seen from all this that Japan's shipbuilding resources are very gren.t. The, principal steel factory "is at the Imperial Ironworks, at Yawata, Kyushu. Between them, Yawata and Kure supply four-fifths of Japan's shipbuilding steel. An establishment at Muroran, in the northern island of Hokkaido, was founded in 1908 by the Hokkaido Colliery and Steamship Company, in conjunction with ■ Armstrong, Wlntworth and Co., and Messrs Yickers, manufacturers naval ordnance, steel plate, castings, and forcings of all descriptions. As to Japanese initiative, it is illuminating to read some notes communicated to tho author qf "Sea Power in the Pacific" from what is described as "a reliable source": — I

It is quite a fallacy to supposo that Japanese shipbuilders are much behind those of Europe in technical knowledge, or that tlicy are content merely to imitate European designs. On the contrary, they show great boldness and originality in their conceptions, both in naval and mercantile construction. . . . As regards

originality of design, it may be pointed out that none of the capital ships, cruisers, or torpedo craff'bpilt within the last few years bear more than a general. resemblance to corresponding types in foreign navies. To mention only one example: Japan has evolved her own system of armour and under-water protection for large ships, partly aa the result of an exhaustive study and comparison of all existing systems, but mainly in consequence of practical experiments. . . . . She has dosigned for naval uso a water-tube boiler which is said, to possess a higher steaming efficiency than any foreign type; she has manufactured heavy naval guns with modifications in rifling, breech mechanism, and mountings which give increased accuracy and rapidity of fire; she has perfected a method of director control for heavy guns which, according to Admiral Kato, is at least equal to the latest European and American systems, and "will enable every Japanese ship to use its armament with full effect at long range"; she has developed a typo of submarino specially adapted to her own needs, having regard to the peculiar conditions which govern submarine operations in Japanese waters and the Western Pacific generally; and she has effected substantial improvements in naval explosives, projectiles, torpedoos, and minc3.

So that those who think that the Japanese are "imitators," and nothing more, had better think again. And here is an" extract from the Japan Year' Book for 1923: —

Japan has contributed something to the progress of naval construction in the world. It was Japan that first placed on her cruisers heavy battleship guns and constructed torpfdo-boats of far larger displacement than was previously known among the naval experts of the world. The efficiency of these "abnormal cruisers" and "torpedoboats" for practical purposes was sufficiently demonstrated in the JapanChina and the later wars. The six armoured cruisers designed by Japan, the Asa ma, Tokiwa, etc., several years before the outbreak of the Kusso-Japa-nese War were also a noteworthy departure in their being equipped with larg'e-calibrc guns and armoured with Harvey steel, and their efficiency justified the novel design. The innovation was carried still further in the Asukuba, the first battle-cruiser in the world, the keel of which was hurriedly laid at Kure in June, 1904. She equalled a battleship in the power of main guns, and furnished a new type of cruiser that has been adopted by I England and some other Powers. It is claimed that Japaa has furnished another new design to the world by the construction of the Hiyel (27,500 tons) in 1912, especially in the power of her main guns and her speed. . . . The Tosa and Kaga (39,000 tons each), the keels for which were laid in 1920 at ' the Mitsubishi and • Kawasaki Ship Yards, were completed at the end of JL32i-but they aro about to bo sorappod.

off the list according to the Washington Agreement, while the Akagi class (-11.000 tons) nro to bo remodelled into aeroplane tenders. The lesson taught by the European War resulted in huge appropriations being made for the replenishment, of both" land and pea. nrmameiits. The naval expenditure for 1020 amounted to 357,768.000 ven, or 20.5 per cent, of the total State expenditure, while tho adoption of the 8.8 licet, scheme further increased it in 3021 to 498.03",000 yen, or one-third of tho total disbursements. When to this the Army Budget, is added the sum will be just one-half of tho aggregate expenditure. lu IS>22, iu consideration of financial circumstances and in anticipation of an agreement, at the Washington Conference, postponements were effected in naval construction, etc., to save about 100.000,000 ven. and vet the estimates for the year stood at 303,602,000 yen. For the fiscal year 1023 the absence of new construction duo to naval reduction will result in some saving, though it is believed the expenditure will not fall below 300,000,000 yon. If the plan for building auxiliarv ships is approved, Japan will have to" spend a sum of 550,000,000 yen iu five years, beginning with 11>23»

Strength of Japan's Navy. If the prescribed programme is carried out. after taking the Washington Agreement, and all that it. provides for into consideration, the strength of tlio Japanese Navy in 1027 will L>o as follows: Class of ship? j No. | Tonnage. Capital ships 10 301,320" Battleships, (Mutsu, Nagato, llyuga, l"se, Yamashiro, Fuso) .. C 131,320 Battle-cruisers (Kongo, Hiyei, Kirishima, Ilaruna) ........ 4 110,000 Cruisers 25 1f>7,700 Destroyers SI 89,000 Submarines 67

In addition .to the above vessels, thero arc at present about 40 cruisers, coast defence ships, gunboats, etc., older type, representing a tonnage of 150,000, and about 100 torpedo boat destroyei's and torpedo boats, also of older type, amounting to 27,000 tons. It will be seen, therefore, that tho Japanese Navy is a very formidable one. As regards material for war implements Japan is almost self-depen-dent. Armour plates, rails;, etc., uro now turned out to tho extent of about 190,000 tons a year at the Yawatu ironworks, tli6 plates being also produced at tho Kure Naval Yard. There are eight naval educational institutions in Japan—the Naval Stall; College, Torpedo School Gunnery School, Mechanic School, Naval Cadet Academy, Naval Engineering Academy, Paymaster School, and Surgery School. In" addition to these institutions, a Submarlno School was . established in Kure in 1921. In the matter of military aviation, considerable progress has been made, and by 1625 it is expected that Japan will have 22 lleets, ■syhilo tho total number of machines will be in tho neighbourhood of 250, including thoso carried on cruisers and battleships.

New Process for Smelting Iron.

Japan is handicapped in one important respect—iron oro is scarce ill that country. But tho islands are rich, in deposits of iron oxide, and as a result of exhaustive experiments it is stated that a more or less satisfactory , method of smelting iron from these volcauic ores lias been discovered. Some time ago tho Japanese War Ot flee issued tho following statement in regard to this matter: "Iron sand is so general throughout the entire length and breadth of . the Empire that it haa long been plain that if some method were discovered of smelting the iron I from it Japan would never suffer from I want'of steel, fhe necessary investigations were started by a special committee, with Dr. ICishi as , chief engineer, and the experiments have been crowned with tolerable success." The process, it may bo added, is . being 1 guraded-38 a military secret. It may be of some interest to add that when I was recently in Tokyo I met a young Australian, Mr Harrison, who was formerly a newspaper man in Perth, but later turned his attention to geology, and now represents a big American engineering firm. 'Mr Harrison told me that in the northern part of the island' of Hokkaido the:;o wore enormous deposits of iron sand, and he was at that moment negotiating .yith the Japanese Government on Dehalf of his American firm, which claimed to have perfected a process for smelting iron from it f Nothing in reoent times has been more remarkable than the rapid rise of Japan to the position, of* a first-class naval and military power. It is a modern miracle. And Japan's rise and. progress date from that, day in tho year 1853, when Commodore Perry delivered the faithful message from tho President pf the United States to the Shogun, praying that Japan should open up her ports to tlie world's trade. Japan graciously acquiesced. Two: ' centuries before this fine had cut herself off from all foreign intercourse. Xor 200 years she had slept. An American magician touched, fier with his wand, and she awoke! . . , It was a marvellous awakening. Strange, is it not, how events shape themselves I Fate ordains that the nation which awakened her from sleeping, tho nation which asbed Japan tor her friendship and her trade,' should / in later years offer her an affront which has aroused her to anger, and ■ may sooner or later (as many students of world affairs fear) bring the two nations into the mighty clash of war! And to-day an American engineering firm is offering to Japan (for ft consideration) its perfected scientific process for the smleting of iron from the iron sand of Hokkaido!