JAPAN AND AMERICA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 13970, 28 January 1909, Page 5

JAPAN AND AMERICA.

A FRIENDLY FEELING.

REDUCTION OF ARMAMENTS.

By Telegraph.—rrCßS Association.—Copyright.

London, January 26. Reuter's Tokio correspondent telegraphs that Marquis Katsura, the Japanese Prime Minister, speaking in the Diet yesterday, justified the policy of the Government in reducing armaments.

Count Komura, Foreign Secretary, expressed confidence in the sincerity of the American Government in its dealings with Japan, and said that he did not believe that the proposed legislation in California would in any way affect the relations existing between the two countries.

Figures were recently published in an American magazine showing the present strength of the Japanese navy, compared with its strength when the war broke out with Russia. The totals may be briefly stated, viz., 157 vessels- of all descriptions, representing a tonnage of 283,242 tons, before- the war, and 204 vessels of 515,082 tons at ill© present day. Further scrutiny of the figures shows that Japan today possesses more than twice the number of battleships she had before the war, a third as many armoured cruisers, three more other cruisers, nearly three times as many destroyers, but three fewer torpedo boats. The present strength of the Japanese navy is as --Battleships, 13, 191,381 tons; armoured cruisers, 12, 130,683 tans; other cruisers, 47, 165,252 tons; destroyers, 55, 20,508 tons; torpedo boat*, 77, 7258 tons. Total, 204 ships, 515,082 tons.