The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-15

each. and are the Majestic over again. only
improved. There are besides these two
NOR more battle ships Of the type of shiI5snima
and one unnamed. The Hatsuse will be de-
livered to Japan this summer.
New First-Class Cruisers.
OF the new first-class cruisers four of the
six are already In Japan. and the others
VIII be there soon. They constitute u
Formidable addition to the country's naval
combined strength of. the japanese Navy
in her late war. They range from 800 10
$3.50 tons. and are trife larger than the
United States steamer Brooklyn. which is
S.2lo tons. They are equally good fitting
machines. and have about the same speed.
with natural and 2so7 with forced draught.
The Asama carries four s-inch guns, the
Rrooklyn eight s,irch although against the
cruiser carries fourteen s-inch guns. In
the matter Of protection the Asama has the
n eher OF ~ t1s sne carries belt Of seven
Brooklyn's belt is only three inches.
The japanese cruisers are protected I'm
This gives them an advantage over the
Russian Rurik. 1888 tons. and Rossia, H.
10 tons. whose batteries are unprotected.
The advantage in speed lies with the Jap
anese. The Takasago. AGO tons. built in
England. has speed of twenty-four knots
and, and an u armament n Of two s.ineh. ten ~
quick firers and five torpedo tubes. The
kasagf, built In Philadelphia and the Chi
t1si, nails IN san Francisco. are larger and
knots. Besides these there are in the Japa-
nese Navy. of the smaller craft. five third
class cruisers, ten coast-defense ships. two
first-class and fifteen second-class gum
boats, four dispatch boats and a torpedo
depot ship There are also several ves-
now building. but they will not be ready
for service this summer. However. the
Japanese Navy now has a tonnage OF be-
tween 10000 and 10000. while the Russians
have only between 5000 and $1,000 tons. in
Guiding the Petropavlovsk. unless Russia
should SEND mora vessels 10 the Orien. as
VIII doubtless be the case.
Great Merchant Ma rine.
The development of Japan's merchant
marine has kept pace with that OF her navy
Exclusive Of native craft. Japan in 1898 had
a tonnage Of only $4,000: now she has be-
tween 10000 and 10000 tons. largely the re-
suit of liberal government subsidies A.
transport feet Of more than 100 ships Is
now ready for service.
Speaking OF the Japanese Navy a Brit
ish naval officer who spent some time on a
japanese war vessel. said: II was natural
~ much interested I at first in looking
around me and taking stock Of the jap
anese sailors and their vessel. She was In
superb fighting trim. beautifully clean and
esrred on with ay Ps5 and the aus ss
smartness 1t was impossible to watch these
little active clever. determined sailors
without feeling that the men of the finest
navy in the world would find them worthy
foemen. or the Chinese they have unmeas-
ured contempt. certainly not undeseryed."
The naval and military officers of Japan
are as carefully trained as those OF any of
the Older nations in the art of modern war
Their own naval and military schools are
well equipped In all matters They send
their young men to Annapolis in this coun-
try and to the best war schools in Europe.
Ihe Japanese , are ready and able. and
After her war with China Japau laid
down an extensive programme of army ex-
pansion. At the beginning OF that war her
army, on peace footing, comprised g. 90
officers and men. With army expansion
the land forces were increased TO l4snO
men on peace footing and between $4,000
and $4,000 men on war footing So much
progress was made that at the end of ISlS
there were l2o. 500 men with the colors he
sides f,hl0 students In the military schools
The frst reserves numbered over Il5OS and
the second 1900. At the present war foot
ing the army Is not less than $50. 900 men of
all arms. and perhaps more
Land Forces Strengthened.
In 1894 the Japanese Army consisted Of SIX
divisions. not including the Imperial Guards
and the YeZo militia. TIE Headquarters of
all these at that time. excepting at Kurna-
motto, in kfnchiu, were on the Pacific or
facing away from Siberia The Yezo militia
has since been abolished, and a seventh d.
vision has been formed In the Hokkaido. and
five more In other places, all on the COST Of
the Sea of Japan, directly In front of Korea
or Siberia. Thus has Japan put a lock on
her hack door. Her Pacific Ocean and In
land sea approaches are so strongly forti-
fed that an invasion from that side would
be exceedingly difficult. II not Impossible
During the war with China her weakest
spot was Fsurgua. on the japanese Sea,
behind Osaka and Kiotc, where her manu-.
features are carried on, Now, Tsurxura n