The sun., 1906-12-31
JAPAN RUSHING WAR WORK.
ENGLISH ENGINEER DESCRIBES
HER ACTIVITIES.


work at some e--Needs Only steel From
Abroad and England Furnishes That.
AnEnglish engineer at present stopping in
New York on the way from Toxic to London,
who for the last three years has enjoyed
peculiar opportunities for observation by
virtue of his business relations with the
Japanese War Office, gave TO reporter OF
TEE sun yesterday some facts concerning
Japan's reserve war strength in terms OF
arsenal and shipyard production.
Since the war, he said the War Office in
Toxic has been as chary Of admitting for
eigners to knowledge of what was being
done in the manufacture Of war material
as il was during the struggle. Outside of
possible information gathered by the secret
agents of the European war Offices the
world at large has no conception OF the high
pressure work that Is going on in all the
war factories of Japan, nor is anything
known Of the facilities these factories
possess for scientific production of instru-
ments OF war.
Japan has two military arsenals employ
ing approximately $1,000 workmen. These
arsenals have extra night shifts and at times
they are run week in and week out contin-
uously. The empire operates four ship
yards and naval arsenals. In two OF them
battleships have been built and are now
building. Aside from these there is a
Government steel works for the production
OF armor plate and material for big guns, a
Government powder factory and two aux
iiary private shipyards and drydocks Capa-
BILE of being used for war purposes within
twenty-four hours.
This in the mass is the potential war
equipment of Japan. Throughout all Of
the works there is at present not one for
Ssxner, either teacher or workman.
The gates are closed to every Japanese
who is not in the employ Of the Govern
ment.
The navy yards at Kure. on the Inland
Sea, are the largest and best equipped in
Japan. Fifteen years ago this place was
a small fishing village. To-day there are
between s5 900 and 5000 machinists. arti-
sans and laborers living there, and the
enclosure about the entire works fences
in a plot mile in length and about half
a mile broad. Admiral Yamaguchi is conn.,
mander Of the Kure naval station.
At Kure there are four drydocks capable
Of receiving a battleship of the first class
a complete shipbuilding plant and naval
arsenal for the manufacture of big guns.
The drydocks are of the latest pattern
equipped with pumps Of the largest ca
pacity and cement lined throughout. II
70 here that several OF the captured Russian
ships which were raised at Port Arthur
nave been completely reconstructed and
placed in commission.
The Kure shipbuilding plant is fitted
almost entirely with English machinery
The keel OF a battleship can be laid dowr
l. th
importation either Of machinery or OF arma
ment.
Up TO a recent time the Kure yards hac
been supplied with armor plate from Eng
lish and American mills. Recently with the
erection Of the Imperial Steel Works, ter
miles outside OF Moji on the west coast o.
the island of Kiushiu, and of an armo
plate plant at Kure the Japanese ship
builders have not had to rely on foreigr
made armor plate but import only the un.
finished steel and make their own forgings
Since the signing OF the treaty with Grea
Britain the steel for Japanese battleshipi
has been bought almost entirely in Englisl
markets.
At the present time a sister ship of thu
battleship Satsuma, recently launched a
the Yokosuka naval yards, which is large
than the Dreadnought, is under course o
construc ton i'm the Kure shipyards. Whil'
the vessel is under way her armament Il
being forged in the gun factory ad
jscent. The Kure naval arsenal, employ
ing over 5000 men, makes guns OF all sizes
from inches TO IL. The guns are OF thu
English pattern and the machinery To-
their production Is English.
Besides big guns for the navy the kur'
arsenals will soon be ready TO turn OH
heavy rifles and disappearing guns for lane
fortifcations. special plant, installet
within the year past, has already been a
work on fertilization artillery OF lowe
calibres. All the guns OF this type alread,
mounted on the japanese coast batterie
have been OF English manufacture.
The repair shops at Kure are capable o.
handling every class OF work, Boie
shops, machine shops and blast furnace
for forgings are on the ground. IN tnes
repair shops there are cranes and hammer
Of American make and the equipment o
lathes, screw machines and bolt machine
N entirely American.
Yokosuka naval yards. next in size, ar
situated on Yokohama Bay, about fifteei
milee from the city OF Yokohama. Tn
Yokoeuka yards comprise a shipbuildinl
plant, three drydocks, machine ana re
pairing shops and a torpedo factory, tn
only one in Japan. The whole yarus cove
about $50 acres and about 1900 men are EN-
ployed in the various departments.
The shipbuilding plant at fok osuka !
about as large az that at kure. A nattie
ship can be laid, constructed and launche'
TeA0Y LOT COfnmlselOn III tuNSc JdA ASs ~
Yokoelka yards turn out the engines AM
boilers for all the war vessels now benz
constructed by Japan in her own yards
The Miyabara boiler. the invention OF
Japanese naval officer, is said by exper
shfpbuilders to be the finest OF its kind
It's peculiar construction remains secre
with the Japanese Naval Office. Here a
Yokosuka in large mandatory the Miya
bara boiler is being turned out az fast a
the demands of the various shipbuildin
yards come in.
In speaking Of naval construction II
Japan THE Suns informant was carefu
20 explain that at the present time the nava
engineers at Toxic are preparing apso
ktely unaided all the plans and specifca
tions for the forthcoming home built navy
These are men who have had experience
in the shpyaris on the Clyde or who arr
graduates Of English naval schools: Tn
recently launched mammoth which ex
ceeds the English Dreadnought IL entirel
the product Of Japanese engineering IN
genuity. A.
The torpedo factory connected with tn
Yokosuka naval yard manufactures a.
the torpedoes used on the ships and b.
engineers for the protection OF harbors
The dirigible torpedo for use on torped
boats or battleships is Of the English typ,
but charged according to a secret formul
Rzr aWNuN