HUGE BATTLESHIP.

Wairarapa Age, 4 May 1936, Page 5

HUGE BATTLESHIP.

JAPAN TO BUILD FIFTY-FIVE THOUSAND TON VESSEL.

ACCORDING TO LONDON PRESS WRITER. TWENTY-ONE INCH GUNS. (Received Sunday, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 2. The “Guardian’s” well-inform-ed London diarist says naval circles are hotly discussing a report from Tokio 'that Japan proposes to build a fifty-five thousand ton battleship with twenty-one inch guns.

He reveals that during the recent Naval Conference it was disclosed that the admiralties of ■ the chief powers had plans for ships up to fifty-seven thousand tons. There is nothing technically impossible about Japan’s idea, which comes strangely after an assurance from Admiral Nagano, now Navy Minister, that Japan’s main object was to get the size of ships reduced even lower than Britain’s level. If Japan lays down such a monster others will think they must follow suit. Each ship of the type would cost eleven millions, five times the cost of the Queen Elizabeth.