THE NAVAL RACE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18236, 3 November 1933, Page 10

THE NAVAL RACE

JAPANESE PROGRAMME DETAILS OF SHIPS LONDON, Sept. 11. It is the habit of Englishmen to make light of Australia’s “quiet apprehensions’’ concerning the growth of Japan’s naval strength and the evidence of a naval race between the United States and Japan for the mastery of the Pacific. The Englishman is thousands of miles from the Pacific, and his only interest in Japan at tho> moment is a commercial one. But in official quarters, at the Foreign Office, the- War Office, and the Admiralty there is no evidence of th*s indifference to events in the East. On the contrary, the effect of Japanese-Ame-rican rivalry has been to direct attention to the relative weakness of the British Fleet and the need for specd-iug-up constructional programmes. The .Admiralty is so impressed by the urgency of the situation that Cabinet is to be approached in the very near future with .additional demands for replacements. But that is by the way. What chiefly interests Australia, at the moment, is the Japanese plan for naval expansion involving an expenditure of no less than £55,000,000. Although the scheme is held up temporarily by financial considerations, ils details are known in London, where they have aroused rio small degree of concern In responsible quarters,

especially as it is a familiar fact to those behind the scenes that Japan already has considerable new construction in hand, apart from the contemplated programme to “offset America.’’ Her 3931-3(1 “replenishment programme ’* is being pressed on with, and should be completed well in advance of .the provisional date. Mo fewer than 40 vessels are known to be on the stocks, and these include several of novel design, notably the cruisers Mogami, Mikuinn, “C” ami “D, ’’ and the “mystery’’ torpedo boats of the Manazura class. According to information in London the Mogami and her sisters will be of #SOO tons, with a contract speed, of 33 knots. They will carry heavy armament, so arranged as “to deliver an absolute hurricane of fire from 35 sin. or o.lin. quick-liriug guns mounted in five triple turrets on the centre Hue. The guns will be semi-automatic, and as they will be capable of firing 30 rounds a minute, a broadside from each vessel during that period would bo 350 shells. It is tacitly admitted tliat none of the lightly armoured cruisers of the type of the Australia and Canberra could hope to stand up to such a hail of high-explosive projectiles. Nor could ti cruiser of that class hope to show the Mogami a clean pair of heels. This is it detail which should provide the Commonwealth with food for thought. 40 KNOT DESTROYERS The “mystery’’ torpedo boats already alluded to are still a real mystery to the outsid'Q world, for except that there are four of them under construction, and that they will displace 530 tons/ and have a speed of

about 40 knots, little is known of them, or for what purpose they arc being built* Nevertheless, the statement. made in Japan that “no hostile submarine will be able to exist within their radius of action” suggests their function. They are evidently designed as .super-submarine chasers. Other ships now building in Japanese yards or about to be laid down are 12 destroyers of 1400 tons; one submariue-cruiser of 2000 tons; eight smaller submarines; oue r«000-toii minelayer; three small minelayers, and six minesweepers. A dozen new squadrons of aircraft for the fleet are also said to be iu hand. ■Whatever talk of disarmament there may be going on in the world, Japan is evidently not interested. Nor docs it appear that Australia can afford to Morning Herald.