New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-08-12
kRut1frRutfst,
THE JAPANESE NAVY.
IT IS Up TO DATE IN DESIGN. EQUIP.
MENT AND PERSONNEL.

MENT AND PERSONNEL
Rear-AdmiraI Fitzgerald OF the British navy,
says in the August Casters" that Japan ex-
poets 70 have ready for service before the close
O. the present year no less than six firsr class
battleships Three OF them the Fuji. the
Tashirna and the Shikishima we're completed a
year or more ago. but the Asahi. the Hatsusi
and the 8Iikasa were still unfinished in 1899
These vessels each have a displacement OF from
1900 TO $1,000 tons. and in point % size are
the equals Of any in the world They possess a
speed o. from eighteen 10 nineteen knots, and
are TO be armed with the most modern guns.
Large areas OF each hull are covered with the
best OF face hardened armor- IN fact four OF
the battleships are better arrored and carry
heavier guns, says Admiral Fitzgerald. than
first class English battleships japan also has
a second class battIeship. the Chin Yen. capt
ured from the Chinese az Yalu. and rebuilt
In size and armament she is slightly superior
TO the United States battlcship Texas. though
not so fast
Japan has three classes OF cruisers. One.
with displacement OF 9. 100 tons and speed OF
211a knots. closely resembles the New-York and
the Brooklyn OF the American Navy. Three or
these vessels the Tokiwa, the Asana and thu
Idzuma, were TO be ready for service BY mid
summer. The Iwate was not expected 70 be
finished before next January Two other eruis-
ers OF this class. the Adzuma building az ST.
Nazare Franco and the Yakima building &C
Stettin). are so nearly completed that one OF
them may be in commission by the beginning OF
the new year These SIX vessels closely ap-
proach the battleship in fighting qualities
Then there is another arnored cruiser. the
Chyoda, built zen years ago But she IS small
and slow and counts for little.
UNARlIORED CRUISERS.
fine ships The Akitsushirna 800 tons and
10 knots is about the equal Of the Cincinnati.
The Nauiwa and TakachIho $3.50 tons and 1S.7
knots) match our Charleston fairly we'll Then
there are four more all credited with 22-5 knots.
and hence close 10 the American cruiser Colum-
bia in speed. though much smaller The ton
mage OF the TagasagO and YoshinO t4,160 IS
less than that Of the Chicago t4.jnN) while
that of the Chitose a. 7G0) and Kasagi (4.TS4)
is greater. The Chitose by the way was built
at San Francisco. and the Kasagt at PhiIadel-
phia The great majority OF the japanese Ships
however were constructed in British yards
Japan has still another class OF cruisers OF
about the same displacement as those last de-
scribed but very different in armament These
took part in the battle OF YaIu- The Matsu-
shima. Itsukushima and Hashtdate displace 4.21O
tons and carry one very heavy gun "a 12-inch)
out forward with eleven 5-inch guns distributed
Kasagt consists OF two S-inch and ten 4T-inch
guns. II is impossible 20 find a Pinch gun IN
the American Navy on anything but big bat
tleshfp or a monitor. The Matsushima, ItsukU-
shima and Hashidate have a speed OF only 10
knots Admiral Fitzgerald thinks that no more
vessels OF this peculiar class VIII be built Japan
also has several third-cIass cruisers and old
fashioned !ronclads- The former VIII serve
fairly well for scouting. and the latter for
coast defence. but neither or them are 20 DC
trusted for aggressive warfare
Japan resembles England in being an Stand
empire and having a great deal or coast 70 de-
fend- Like England. too S-lr mas q 10y -
probation OF the value Of torpedo boats Al
ready she has considerable nuinoer or such
craft in reserve and IN cornIlissl 'il- but Sc
has lust added six 31-knOt boats. bulk by 1ar-
row and six .,-knot boats from Thorney-
crofr's yards.
WILL SOON HAVE FOUR DOCKYARDS-
This great Oriental empire has three dock
wards under governmental management. and a
fourth : in course OF construction They are
all CAPABLE OF being fortified II was az kure
that the oregon recently went for repairs Ad-
rniraI Fitzgerald says that Re saw British
battIeshlp Of the largest size locked az Toko-
suko for cleaning. and he never observed the
operation conducted more quietly and efficiently
in a British yard
Already Japan is beginning e. construct as
Well as to repair Her present facilities VIII not
enable her 70 oulld any lhlhS oisseI IMAM =
5O0O-tou ship. but the Yokosuko yard is 70 be
enlarged so as to permit the building OF anything
IN the line Of cruisers and battleships- When the
Yokosuko yard was established in 1850 a lOt OF
French officers were imported 20 instruct the
Japanese But most Of these were dispensed
with in 1870. and since that time native talent
has furnished both artisans and engineers For
something like six years Japan has been trying
70 make her own arrnor plate As vet she has
not fully mastered the art. But she hopes 70 be-
In Ha MED 8 be- n
her plate from England.
Admiral Fitzgerald speaks in terms OF the
highest admiration OF the personnel or the Japa-
nese navy. Several years ago a number or
experienced English naval Ofhcers-Admtrals Sir
Richard Tracey Wilson Douglas and Ingles
among them-were invited % Japan TO assist
that country in the training of It's navy The
most gratifying results have attended thar
policy This was striEugy Illustrated IN the
with China. five or six years ago And now
that many new vessels have been added to her
resources. there can be doubt that Japan
would mako q bna showing II anOtb=r war hrol~s
out