The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-07-21
LAPAN,S NEW NAVY

the naval manoeuvres-the first since the fleet has undergone it's present ex- pansion. Everything was kept most rigidly secret. No press representative
 or foreign attache was allowed to come within miles of the manoeuvre area and
 every possible precautlon was taken tc
 prevent any details of the movements
 leaking out. All that is known is that
 a thorough test of the mobilization
 system, conducted on exactly the same lines that would be observed in actual
 war, was effected, and that the results
 on the whole were highly reassuring.
 Fifty vessels, practically the whole
 of the Japanese fleet, but for a few
 ships on foreign service, took part.
 There were five lne-of- f-battle ships,
 thirteen cruisers, a torpedo, gunboat,
 ten torpedo boat destroyers and seven
 teen torpedo boats.
 The general idea governing the move
 ments was an attack on the Inland sea, a Japanese fleet opposing the entry of a foreign squadron. Night attacks were
 made by torpedo beats, which were worked with great skill, but in the end victory remained with the defenders
 At the conclusion of the weeks opera | tions a review by the emperor took
 place at Kobe His majesty was on board the cruiser Asama, which amid the strains of the Kimi ga yo (the
 Japanese national anthem), steamed slowly along the four lines in which
 the ships were drawn up, allowing the
 emperor for the first time in his life to gain a coup de'oeil of the best part of
 his navy.
 Undoubtedly the Japanese have a line of maritime defense of which they may well feel proud and 1t is creditable to them that they have, in the face of great difficulties, built up naval force equal to any that France, Ger many and Russia combined could show in the far east It is often spoken of as wonderful--and it is, indeed, sub ject for admiration--that nation which thirty years ago was still in the junk stage of naval progress should have been able in this short space of time to provide and equip so efficient a fleet.
 The Japanese had had absolutely no education in seamanship of character likely to fit them for the command of the ocean. The country has been shut up for centuries and possessed nothing but coasting junks of clumsy build and small capacity. But perhaps this was a disguised advantage. There were no old traditions to uproot no time -honor- ed fallacies to combat. The Japanese started with a clean sheet before them. They engaged the best available European advice, and placed no ob- stacles in the way, paid what was asked and learned their lesson in spirit of cheerful obedience to those to whose hands they committed them- selves.
 The result has been far more com- pletely satisfactory than in any other branch of the public services for the navy is in every way superior, both in material and personnel, to the army It has the cream of the old fighting class among its officers and the pick of the hardy coast fishermen and sailors the bluejackets, who are much | hardier and more intelligent than the rank and file of the land service.
 The naval officer is, generally speak ing, not only as well trained in a tech nical sense as the military man, but ! is a finer man physically more inter- ested in his profession, less listless, less given to stupid forms of dissipation. | Every credit too, must be given him | for the capital way in which he man. ages his big ships. Since the formation of the navy no warship has been lost | by faulty navigation, and in the ma nueuvres that have just been completed 1 not the least mishap was reported | There is no doubt that in point of sea skill in gunnery and bravery )f officers and men the Japanese fleet 1 would give a very good account of it. self against any force of equal numeri- cal strength in the world.
 A greater contrast cannot be i'm iglned than the decks and engine room If a Japanese and a Russian warship. The Japanese keep their ships almost IS clean as an English man-of- war: the Russian ships are not very much bet CT, in that respect at least. than the ,essels which formerly made up the Chinese navy. The truth is that the Japanese is a sailor, though circum- stances have been against him; the Russian is not, though his rulers, from Peter the Great downward, have been rying to make him so.--Yokohama of the London Mail. l;