JAPAN’S NAVY.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13177, 8 February 1936, Page 7

JAPAN’S NAVY.

WORLD’S BIGGEST SHIPS. United Press Assn.—By Electric Teleg ra ph—Copyright. LONDON, February 5. The Sun-Herald news agency says that while the Naval Conference is progressing towards a Four-Power Agreement with escape clauses in the event of Japan’s non-participa-tion. a report has been published in London that the Japanese are preparing plans for a surprise navy, the construction of which will commence with the termination of the Washington Treaty. British official • quarters informed the Sun-Herald agency that they still think that when the FourPower Agreement is concluded Japan at least will adhere to part of it. The belief persists that finances prevent Japan undertaking a gigantic building programme. The Daily Express, however, declares that Japan at the end of this year is to secretly lay down the world’s biggest battleships, of 45,000 tons, and that in addition the programme includes fast pocket battlecruisers of 15,000 tons, powerful flotilla leaders of 2400 tons, and destroyers and submarine cruisers of 3000 tons.

The Daily Express says that this information lias been received by a European country from its Tokio naval attache, and that Japan is determined to preserve complete freedom W naval construction and will build ships that- will upseT the programmes of the conference Powers.