Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-07-25
new JAPANESE WAR SHIPS
The Sea Fighters Will Be Built
on the Clyde.
American Contractors Will Build
Two of the Cruisers--Japan-
csc Officers Favor Brit
fsh Ship Builders.

Washington, July 17.-The report
rom San Francisco that accredited
agents OF the japanese ministry are
now In the United States prepared to
make contracts for tie building OF sew
sral battleships is denied at the state
department., where the intentions Of the
Japanese government, so far as the re-
Mobilization Of It's navy is concerned,
8 well understood.
While 1t Is known hat Japan purposes
at once contracting for a number of
high class battleshlps. 1t is also well
known that these vessels Will be con-
structed on the Clyde. and not in the
United States. Since the beginning OF
he late war between Japan and China,
British ship builders have anticipated
lhese additions to Japan's navy and
ave made their plans accordingly.
Honey has been freely spent in such cir
sles in Japan as are known to nave
great influence with the naval officers.
VI is not insinuated that this money has
been expended to bride certain persons,
out it has been expended lone the less
widely.
Moreover, a number Of the younger
officers in the Japanese navy have re-
stlNtd tnClT l'CHTltdl framing III pItdt
Britain, and these men are strong par
1sans of the country where their edu-
,atlon was acquired, Their influence
nas been exerted in favor of British
ship builders from the start, and their
influence is said to be very powerful. In
many ways the japanese admiralty
mas been led to believe that the English
can construct vessels not only cheaper,
but of better efficiency han those built
n this country for the American a
While the two great ship building firms
of this countrywide Cramps Of Phila
1elphia and the Union Iron Works o
San Francisco-have been represented
in Japan for only a few weeks at a time
by a single agent each, their British RI
gals have sent scores OF representatives
to Toxic well supplied with money and
with instructions to entertain laVishly.
These men have been kept continually
upon the ground. and their efforts rave
been supplemented by the influence Of
the younger class of japanese officers,
who were graduated from English train
ing schools, n who ave aided their
British friends through the social and
official influence which many of them
are able TO exert.
Advices received from Toxic at the
navy department state that only two
cruisers will be built In this country,
one by the Cramps and the other by the
Union Iron Works. These, il Is believed,
Will be vessels of the Olympia class,
which the Japanese government seems
% favor. The Olympia. which was built
In San Francisco, has been in Japanese
waters for some months. and her splen-
lid performances from every point of
view nave won the hearty approval OF
the Japanese naval authorities. This
vessel, while essentially a
destroyer. having a speed equal to that
IF the swiftest of the transatlantic
steamships, is not without a certain
lighting ability. She carries -four eight
inch and ten fve-inch rapid-fre guns.
She would be a formidable foe when pit
ted against any vessel not a battleship
or an armed cruiser, and she possesses
In addition, all the qualities of a con-
merce destroyer which are to be found
those two splendid products of naval
architecture, the Columbia and the
Minneapolis.
1t has been suggested that Japan's
to create a large navy will en-
hIa har within a fau. uaarc RI axnaad