THE JAPANESE NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 74, 20 December 1907, Page 6

THE JAPANESE NAVY.

The cabled information that Jar)an is about to. cut down expenditure on her navy may occasion some surprise, and, possibly some uneasiness, to those who regard her as the ally of Britain. It must be , borne in mind,: however, that in no line of progress has the "ambition of Japan to rank with the world's Powers been more strongly striving of -late 'years than in the development .of her havy, and her ship-building generally. . Only recently a magnificent liner of 18,000 tons, the Teiiry'o'Maru, built at "Nagasaki, was launched, with, turbine engines, and all the latest'achievements.of construction and appointment. The designs and construction were Japanese; tliQ material' fcam'e from England. Within the last few weeks, no fewer than three men-of-war have been launched, eachone of which is a masterpiece in modern ship construction. The first-class cruiser Kurama, and her sister, the Ibuki, are ships of 14,000 tons, each, the former built at Yokosuka, imd the latter I at' Euro; The Kurama was launched six months from the time her construction was commenced, . a feat which the Japanese claim' cannot be 'accomplished, anywhere else outside British , yards. The somewhat smaller boat Tone, built at Sasebo, is alsb a valuable, addition to the fleet. A battleship of 19,000; tons, carrying ten 12-in. guns, is about' to be constructed—its keel',is probably already, laid. She is to be fitted with turbine engines, with a speed of one. knot an hour less than the Dreadnought. .Captured Russian ships are, now added to the navy. The Orel, now the Iwami, has been made a magnificent fighting ship of 13,510 tons, with a speed of nineteen knots. The Tsuruga!,' for-' nieiiy the Pallada, a protected cruiser of 6630 tons and twenty-knots, is- also in commission. The Hizen,,originallythe Eetvisan, a battleship- of 12,700 tons, with a speed of eighteen knots, :is just nearing completion of her repairs'. The famous Yaj'yag, which made such a good fight at Chemulpo, now named the Soya, is a fine cruiser of 6500 tonsj and a' speed of twenty-three kuotfe. These, together with a number of new torpedo boats, make the increase- of the Japanese Navy in twelve months equal to, if not faster than, that; of. some of the greater Powers for a like period. If it be a valid judgment that a warship over ten years of age is not fit to take her place in the line of battle, then Japan has three battleships, iline'cruisers, eleven coast defence vessels, and some smaller craft, numbering twenty-eight ships in 1 all, coming under this class. But the main strength of the Japanese Navy in modern ships at the present moment is nine eleven first-class cruisers, and seven second and thirdclass cruisers, comprising twenty-seven ships ' with . a fighting strength of 278,172, tons. .In spite of the increased expense, she is building her own ships for the purpose of developing and educating native talent in this direction, always profiting by the latest examples of foreign models, and adding her own secret improvements, therein.' Steel works exist in Japan, and steel plates for shipbuilding are being turned out of such a quality that they pass the scrutiny of .the paid foreign. inspector.- Eventually these works will be able to meet all the home demand for. shipbuilding material!