The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-14
TIKI NEWiJAPANESE NAVY.
The Maneuvrl- Grr,ed Ont with the
Strictcst secrecy.

The Naneuyres tkrrted Ont with the
strictest Secrecy.
YOKOHAMA, May 6.-The first maneu-
vres and the first. general review oil tne
japanese fleet have just been competent
for the first time the Emperor has ssihea
a coup d'oeil Of his magnificent navy anu
the showing made justifies the deep pride
which the Japanese take in their naval
accomplishments in the last few years.
The weeks mansuvres were carried Out
in strict secrecy, foreign attaches anu
newspaper men being barred But az
taches and journalists were welcomeo "
the review in Kobe Bay, and had aiiot'eo
to them the Toyohashi, torpedo tender,
with every facility for observation as Wen
as entertainment. The review was va
riet on without a visible hltch OF Ills
calculation, every evolution being enec.ea
exactly as intended and on the Minute
scheduled.
AS early as o'clock all the guests on
tho Toyohashi we.r, astir. and the fleet
was in review erder-an immense fee
tangle within which warships lay au-
chored in four lines, three miles IN lene.u'
parallel with the shore. The new o@.u
ship, the Shikishima. the nrSI tniee
funneled vessel OF the Japanese navy auu
said here to be the greatest battieship
afioat, had the place of honor at the he,i
of the first line, the fartnest from VIC
beach OF the bay. Seventeen other Datl.e
ships and cruisers made up the TWO ou.e,
lines. while torpedo boats, destroyers. aHo
\ other small craft composed the inner
| lines. $50.
| In all the ships in review we're tnese.
Five battleships. three coast defence SHIPS
| thirteen cruisers, one torpedo tenaer l,no
press boat. one torpedo gunbeat, ten ae-
| stroyers. and seventeen torpedo boats. lhe
l press boat was placed at the head Oh the
| second line from the shore and was tnus
| abreast Of the battleships kasagl anu
Shikishima. ..,-.
At s o'clock the bugles rang Dress
ship" and promptly the banner INES ran
| from mast to mast and thence from stem
| to stern. At 0 o'clock the ships OF the
| imperial escort came into view through
the purple haze of Wada Point to the
south, the Asama leading. followed by
three cruisers and torpedo boat. AT Tue
same time the crews on the waiting SHIPS
we're piped up and ranged shoulder 10
shoulder around the decks. Ihere was
moment Of silence. and then. answering a a
shot from the Asama while she was sun
mile away the royal salute began, every
vessel firing twenty-one guns with ITS
heaviest niece. The Kobe hills confined
the noise, and pandemonium followed Ior
ten minutes.
Slowly the Asama approached, the 81
lence following the salute being broken
only by the faint sounds OF the nugies
playing the national anthem. KIM ga
lyo.'' But as the Asama passed the mrs.
| ship of the outer line one realized that ne
was participating in an Oriental revue"
The cheers that broke out from time te
time while the Emperor was approacnihe
died out and were followed by absolute
silence as the flagship slowly swept for-
ward. passing the whole length CT the
outer line and through the central avenue
of the two inner lines. Exactly one houi
was taken to complete the inspection. anf
then as the AsaIna left the lane OF ships
, the massed men, on the decks around u:
, disapueared in the twinkling OF an eye
and the review, was over
After the review the Emperor enter
tanned the attaches and other diitihsui 'he'
/ foreigners ard japanese on board ship a
r 3 o'clock the Emperor left for Mako AZ
the royal salute was repeated :,
The British Navy was represeh.ei o.
c,ntain Ottley and two Heutenants. T.
Q United States was not c!hciaiiy preSsh'
o The British officers highly prai=ei :.
9 handling of the ships and the shape i
which a close inspection showed them u
be- 1t is customary to be compiimen- ar
on such occasions. but 1t was PLAIN tnA
e these officers were deeply impressed VII
e the discipline, of the crews. ard the SKI
!. OF the officers, as well as with tie SHOWN
of ships and guns. One Of these gentle
a men said:
The Japanese naval officer is. general
y sreatinp not only az we'll trained in
n technical sense as the military man. oil
= he is a finer man physically, mere interest,"
IS cd in his profession. less hstiess, les
given to stupid forms OF vice Sirce IN
modern navy was formed no ships Oh an
: kind have been lost through neHige nee
a faulty navigation Tnere Is 10 a-uo- tl'
II in respect to seamanship. skill in gunner
=. and bravery. the Japanese feet wou d CIV
a very good account OF Itself against an
force of equal strength ANY equal
British naval force?' was asked Yes
re was the reply. To give COED account
ID oneself is not to wiI.' he added
u, mo greater contrast can be imagined
/, the officer said, than that to be found
:, the engine rooms of Japanese and Russia
!. warships. The Japs keep their snip
u clean as English "men-of-war are KEEP
lie while the Russian ships are nearly as DIR
., as rho Chinese vessels. The truth Is TN
:, the Japanese is sailor, though circuu
stances are against him: the Russian
re moi a sailor, although Russian empero
y since the days OF Peter the Greet na'
ia tried to make them ssamen-"
The maneuvres preceding the revie
were kept so closely shrouded in mystei
49, lthat no one knows anything about Their
- In general. however. it is understood tn
&c a squadron repealed an assault in the
to land Sea. attempts at torpedo-hoat su
sh prises and night attacks. The results
n s,id to have been highly reassurng
This is the official phrase