NAVAL STRENGTH

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11659, 25 October 1923, Page 8

NAVAL STRENGTH

JAPAN S LOSS ESTIMATED DECREASE OF £500,000 IN ESTIMATES FOR 1923-24. SHIPS AFLOAT SAVED. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. (Special to Australian Press.) (Received October 24, 9 p.m.) TOKIO, October 23. How far has Japan’s naval strength been effected by the earthquake? Early rumours indicated that half her seagoing floet was destroyed, but it is now known that these were a gross exaggeration. The Naval Department hag issued statements from time to time, and the most authoritative opinion in Japanese sources is that in these statements the losses have not been under-estimated. DAMAGE TO CRUISERS

No ships afloat were destroyed. The most serious damage was at Yokosuka, where the arsenal was destroyed by fire. 'Hie loss of the naval technical laboratory, at Thukiji, was a serious blow, because it was the only organisation for the study of advanced weapons of armament of ships. The Amagi, which was at Yokosuka, sustained serious damage. . This was one of the battle cruisers in course of construction at the time of the Washington Conference, and which in accordance with the terms of the naval treaty was to be converted into an aircraft carrier. The Amagi i« probably damaged beyond repair, and it seems that the battleship Kaga, upon which work was stopped after the Washington Conference, will now take the place of the Amagi as an aircraft carrier. The light cruiser Daya, which was in course of construction, was destroyed at Yokohama, and two submarines in dock at Yokosuka were seriously damaged. The only other ship damaged much appears to be the Mikaea, which was to nave been scrapped, and will now be employed as a target ship. Otherwise the losses are represented by buildings at Yokosuka and elsewhere. The Govern ment hopes to re-establish Yokosuka as a port in eix months. The destruction of private dockyards at Yokohama and Uraga is a serious loss. The important result of the disaster will be a reduction in the Naval Estimates for 1923-24, which will 6how a deorease of £500,000 compared with those of 1922-23, and a. further reduction of 20 per cent, is new probable. TREATY CARRIED OUT. The ships to he scrapped under the Washington Treaty have undergone the first scrapping operations, which means that their armament has been removed, but the period for their total destruction has not yet elapsed. The Maidzuru naval station in the Inland Sea, and Chinkai in Korea, have been reduced to minor naval stations. Port Arthur has been abolished, but the defence corps is retained. The Gensan station in Korea has also been abolished, following the Washington Treaty. The Takeshiki station, in the Strait® of Korea, had really been dismantled before. Untouched by the earthquake are the Japan steel works near Hakodate, where the 16-inch guns are made, the Kawasaki dockyards near Kobe, which build submarines and smaller guns, the Imperial steel works near Nagasaki which constructs armour plate, and the great Mitsubishi Company’s works at Nagasaki, where there are battleships. BRITISH FLEET REVIEW AT SPITHEAD. GREATEST SINCE 1914. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received October 24, 9.35 p.m.) LONDON, October 24. The naval review at Spithead on November 3rd, for the visit of the dominion Premiers, "will be the greatest display since the naval review a fortnight before the war, but none of the 1914 ships are on service to-day. There will be nearly 100 ships, and the flags of six admirals will be seen. The dominion delegates will embark at Portsmouth in tne mine-layer Prinoess Margaret, which will anchor off the Nab fight, while the fleet steams past, including the Hood, the Repulse, and all except two of the light cruiser squadron accompanying them on the Empire cruise.