JAPAN'S NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1257, 12 October 1911, Page 5

JAPAN'S NAVY.

FORTY MILLIONS TO BE SPENT. Dy Telegraph—Press Association—Copyrlcht Tokio, October 10. An extraordinary credit, totalling forty million pounds sterling, to be spread over a period of seven years, will be asked for next session for tho purpose of making additions to tho Japanese ileet. It is expected that tho additions will include two super-Dreadnoughts annually, making twenty-two or twenty-three of these vessels laid down or completed by tho year 1910. JAPANESE NAVAL AMBITIONS. Naval expansion is coming to occupy a prominent place in the Japanese mind, wrote the Tokio correspondent of tho "New York Evening Pos-t" recently. Plans fox bringing the navy up to date can no longer bo delayed, tho public thinks. Tho majority feel that, as it was tho navy that saved the day in the struggle with Russia, a powerful naval armament is more necessary than tho two new army divisions so strongly urged by the Yamagata section of the Imperialists. It is probable, howover, that both parties to tho dispute will havo their way. There appears to be a decided conviction that some attempt must be made to bring Japan's fighting strength up to a standard reasonably proportionate to thin of tho United States. I-ast year Baron Saito, Minister of the Imperial Navy, forcibly brought beforo a Cabinet Council tho necessity of enlarging tho naval programme, and intimated his decision to relinquish his portfolio in case the matter met with disapproval. The proposal was not rejected, but was laid aside for a more opportune time of consideration. The deferred consideration of the matter has been abandoned, and recently the authorities have shown a unanimous determination to increase the amount annually spent on naval expansion. Impetus is lent to exertion in the direction of naval armament by the fact that, notwithstanding present activity, tho utmost that Japan can do by the end of the year is to produco one battleship, four armoured cruisers, and three second-class cruisers, that will be in every respect equal to the modern standard. This force would present a poor showing in comparison with even the navy of Japan beforo tho Ru'sso-Japanese war; for only ships of tho Dreadnought class are now considered fit to take a position in the first line of defence. Consequently, tho new naval programme will include the building of at least seven new battleshins of the latest tyne. four armoured cruisers, and five second-class cruisers. which, when added to Japan's present fighting strength, tvill bring her naval forces up to eleven battleships and cruisers bv the year 1917, at which date Jannn plans to_ possess a navy second to nothing of its size in any part of tho world.