JAPAN'S NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1176, 11 July 1911, Page 5

JAPAN'S NAVY.

TWO MORE DREADNOUGHTS. By TelcEraph-Prcss Association-OoDyrteht Tokio, July 9. Japan is building two Dreadnoughts of 27,500 tons. , All four battleships now under construction will be ready early in 19H. Three of them will be fitted with Parsons turbines of 61,000 horse-power, and the fourth with a Curtis's turbine. • THE PACIFIC FLEETS. ■ Japan is making a new bid and a high one lor the naval mastery of the Pacific. Jjne is beginning this year (says the Daily Mail") a programme of five of the largest armoured ships, a tonnago actually superior to that which will be laid down in the same twelve months for tho British Navy. Of these five ships, which will each displace about 28,000 tons, four will be armoured cruisers. One is now building at Messrs. Vickers' yard at Barrow. Tho other three will be built in Japan. Contracts for them have been awarded, arid' thov are to bo completed in threo years. Each will mount, ten 13.5 m. guns, similar to thoso carried in tho latest British designs.

The fifth ship will be a battleship, and will be built in Japan. When these vessels are complete in 1914, the "all .big-gun ships" of tho Japaneso Navy- will be as follow:— Five new ships armed with the 13.5 in. gun.

Kawachi and Settsu, each carrying twelve 12in. guns.

Aki and Satsuma, each carrying four 12in. and'twelve loin. guns. A total of nine "all-big-gun" ships, with six older battleships and six older armoured cruisers on the effective list. By tho agreement reached in 1909 between tho British Government and Australia and New Zealand, tho British Far Eastern Squadron will include in 19U threo "all-big-gun" ships, ono each contributed by Australia and New Zealand, and ono supplied by tho British Navy. None of these will mount the 13.5 in. gun.