Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-01-27

made up of eight battloships, of about
10000 tons; four armored cruisers. of
about IL 400 tons; six second-class
protected cruisers, of $500 TONS five
third-class cruisers. protected and un.
protected, of from 1900 to 800 tons,
and seven gunboats, of about 1900
tons average displacement. To these
figures may be added about ascore of
torpedo-boat destroyers on both the
Russian and Japanese side, the Jap
anese boats being of about 300 TONS
and the Russian of about $40 tons
displacement 1t will now be seen
that in point of total number of ships
and total displacement, the balance
is somewhat in favor of Japan. Mere
aggregate figures, however, do not tell
the true story Of relative strength,
and this must be determined, in the
present case, by an examination Of
the character of the individual ships
themselves.
Other things being equal, the out
come Of any naval war will be de
termined by the relative strength Of
what might be called the first line
Of battle, that is, vessels OF the bat
tleship and armored cruiser type that
carry sufficient protection TO enable
them to lie In the first line of defense
and attack, and endure the give and
take of great feet action. Now II
is just here that Japan is particularly
strong. She has a homogeneous feet
Of six battleships and eight armored
cruisers that are built upon the same
plans, have the same speed and man
euvering ability, and in the battleship
division have the great advantage of
large size of individual units. All of
these vessels have been completed
within the last ivo or six years, ana
they have an average displacement
Of over 400 tons. The latest OF
thest, the "Mikasa," is typical OF the
whole feet. She is 15,20O tons dis
placement. 1s knots speed; Is armed
with a 9-inch continuous belt, with
6-inch armor protecting the central
battery, and she carries four 12-inch
fourteen 6-inch, twenty S-inch, and a
dozen smaller guns. all Of the latest
Armstrong pattern.
Six OF the eight armored cruisers
are practically. identical vessels, Of
about 300 tons displacement, and
from 20 to 221a knots speed. The
ohtre two are the fine 7,700-ton yes
sells illustrated on another page in
this issue. They have continuous
finch Krupp steel belts, to inches
protection on the classmates and tur-
rets, and are armed with four S-inch
twelve or fourteen 6inch, and a doz-
en- smaller guns They carry four
submerged torpedo tubes, with one
above-water tube Il should be men
toned that the battleships also carry
each four submerged torpedo boats.
Now, these fourteen fast, well-pro-
tected and powerfully armed ships.
with an aggregate displacement OF
15s. 900 tons. will be matched against
twelve battleships and cruisers in
the Russian feet, OF an aggregate
Of $4,000 tons. The
eight Russian battleships have an
average displacement OF 10.75O tons,
and the four cruisers have an average
OF IL 400 tons. The bat
tleships although smaller than the
Japanese vessels. are equally modern;
their speed. however, is not as a rule
so good. The best Of them is the
"Cesarevitch." OF 1900 tons displace-
ment and IS knots speed. She has
a 10-inch belt, and the battery Of
four 124 inch and twelve 6-inch guns
is carried entirely in turrets, and the
12Inch in two turrets, one forward
and one aft, and the 6-inch in six
turrets. arranged three on each broad
side. A most interesting feature in
the event OF a conflict is the fact
that tho Japanese and Russian battle
ships will represent two different
schools OF design. the Japanese the
and the Russian the French.
The chief difference 10 In the method
Of carrying the guns Of the secondary
battery, which in the Russian ships
Df the later type Is carried in pairs
In turrets, while the English guns
are from easements or open central
batteries. The Russian armored
cruisers include the "Rossia." /" ''Ruhc,"
lnd "Gromoboj." big vessels Of 11,OOol
70 $4,000 tons displacement and 20