The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-09-06

but that they can manufacture anything
they please. for their workmcn are among
the most skilled upon earth. and they are
ready to adopt any new thing at a mo-
ment's notice. They have their mechanical
and naval engineers In all of the great
s~hipyards of the world. studying the new
est methods and experimenting the con-
struction of ships intended for Japan. You
will find them at Cramps, in Philadelphia.
1 saw some at the Krupp works, in Es-
sen, and they are also at the Vulcan ship
yards, in Stettin.
JAPAN's BIG GUNBOATs.
The six f1rst-class battleships now in
the Japanese Navy were all built in Great
Britain. They are twin-screw steel vessels.
with an ordinary speed of sixteen knots
and a possible speed OF eighteen knots or
more. The are protected by belts Of Har-
veyized metal from IA to Is inches thick,
and they each carry four Finch guns.
ten 6-inch~ quick-firing guns, twenty-four
rapid-fring and five torpedo tubes. The
largest of these ships Ia the Mikasa She
has Is. 200 tons and 15.ooo-horse power. and
she can make eighteen knots an hour. 1t
takes TAI men to manage her.
Some of Japan's second-class ships were
built in Germany and some Of them came
from the Chinese. Two Of her protected
cruisers were built in the United States.
one at Philadelphia and the other at San
Francisco. They are Just alike in design.
but the San Francisco cruiser 10 the
faster. having made almost twenty -four
knots an hour.
Japan has also q number Of merchant
vessels which can be called upon In case
of war. She has some Of the largest ship
ping companies Of the world, the Nippon
Yusen Kaisha, fer instance. This company
has thirty-three steamers, n It sends
them to Vladivestok, IN Siberia, to Korea
China and Manila, and also to Australia.
India n through the Suez Canal 70 Lon
don. Other Japanese ships connect Yoko-
hama and San Francisco. 30 that in re-
spect to transport vessels the Mikado II
perhaps better or than the Car.
The japanese are at home upon the sea-
They are q nation Of sailors. They had
their men-of-war in feudal days, and sent
out armies to Korea and China They are
wonderfully nimble with their feet and
hands, It being commonly said that the
Japanese has twenty fingers, ten on his
hands and ten on his feet.
QUESTION OF SUPPLIES.
They are also good fightera n may be
called q nation Of warriors. At the lime
that Commodore Perry opened the country
It was ruled by q class Of feudal knights
and retainers, whose profession vas var.
The sons OF these old warriors are now at
the head Of the Japanese Government, and
are the leaders Of the army and navy.
They are animated by the spirit Of their
fathers They. are the most patriotic peo-
pie On earth, the most sentimental and the
most ambitious. They delight IN the spec
~taculsr. n almost any one Of them
would be willing to die IL his death would
leave q reputation behind him.
At present every japanese between II
n 10 10 subject to military servics. The
army organization Il much k that Of
Germany. The troops have been trained
by German officers, and IN all the military
schools there are German Instructors.
There are at present more than eoo.ooo men
in the regular army. including Leo Of
fcers. There are more than 5000 officers
and men In the navy. The training there
has been the same as that of the nsvfes
Of Europe. ane the naval officers and their
marines are AZ well disciplined 40 our
own.
In Ease war should come between Japan
and Russia, the question Of supplies win
be . most important n In this Japan
win hays he advantage. Almost every
part o. its Empire 10 productive end q