Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-01
THE JAPANESE NAVY
How It Sizes Up After Re-
cent War.
INCREASE IN TONNAGE
COAST DEFENSE VESSELS AUG
MENTED 17s PER CENT.
Captured Russian Warships Have
Been Turned to Good Account by
the Thrifty Little Warriors.
INCREASE IN TONNAGE

From the Scientific American
The task that confronted the little Jap
aneee navy at the outbreak OF the recent
war was simply stupendous. By the book
and on paper, 1t was simply impossible of
accomplishment. Theoretically, by all the
laws of naval strategy, that navy should
have been at least three times as large
as 1t was to accomplish with certainty the
work that confronted it. At the outbreak
Of the war the naval forces Of Japan and
Russia In eastern waters were approximate
ly equal; but for Japan successfully to &C.
compllsh what she set out to do, what 1t
was absolutely necessary she should do II
she were to win on sea and land, required a
navy, and this without any reference to
the fleet in reserve in the Baltic, practi-
cally double the size which she had at
command. To blockade a superior fleet of
battleships in Port Arthur and a squadron
of armored cruisers at Vladivostok; to
provide transport for nearly three-Quarters
OF a million of men from Japan to Man
churia, convoy that transport and maintain
Its lines OF communication SO secure that
the fresh reserves, the wounded, the hun
dreds OF thousands of tons of provisions,
ammunition, guns and general army sup
plies, might pass to and fro without fear
OF interruptfon-all this was a task for
which a navy double the size of that of
Japan would have been considered by the
naval strategist none too strong. Further
more the seemingly insuperable task 1--WE
are now weighing the question it was
weighed before the events of the war had
opened our eyes) confronting the japanese
navy was rendered doubly dlscouraging by
the fact that the waste of war in ships and
general war ateral would be- for the
Japanese, irreparable. whereas the enemy
possessed In the Baltic reserves a fleet that
was approximately equal in power, and in
It's principal units more modern In type
fhoy, wit "A y Tr,N1 InI
diately to deal in eastern waters. So that it
was necessary not merely to defeat and de-
stroy an enemy who by virtue of his Stra-
tegical position was stronger than them
selves, but the victory must be accomplish
ed with the minimum of loss of ships
that Is, If the japanese remnant was not
to be overwhelmed when the Baltic fleet
reached the scene of conflict.
1t Is easy to be wise after the event; but
at the opening Of the war of 1904 the nava.
strategists would have told us that If Japan
won out by the skin of her teeth" and
with but a pitiful remnant left of her own
navy, 1t would be most brilliant feat OF
arms. We doubt If even among the Japa-
nese themselves, well informed as they
were as to the actual efficiency of the enc
my, 1t was expected that the successful ter
mination of the war would leave their navy
anything but sadly wrecked.
All the more splendid, then, are the re-
suits as they are recorded in the tabular
statement which is herewith presented; for
accept and patiently bear the double bur-
den imposed upon it. but 1t has emerged
from the struggle actually 90 per cent
stronger than it was at the outset.
FaultIess Personnel.
OF late this oriental race has shown to
the western world some new and better
ways of doing certain things in which the
western world supposed itself to be pre-
eminent Japan has proved that it is pos
sible for the personnel Of navy to be so
perfect in skill, discipline and dauntless
courage that 1t can not only win out de-
cisively against an enemy numerically su-
perior, but that 1T may emerge from the
conflict more powerful in ships and ma
terial than it was when the opening gun
was fired The Japanese navy performed
many brilliant featS during the progress of
the war; but not one of them was, in its
way. more remarkable than the skill with
which they recovered a, whole fleet of Rus
sian warships from the mud at Port Ar
thur and Chemulpo. took It over sea. to
Japan, and pushed forward the repairs so
successfully to make II possible for every
battleship and cruiser before many months
to go into commission under the flag Of the
rising sun.
Interest In the conflict ct least In the
United States, died out so quickly and alb
solutely with the signing of the treaty of
Portsmouth, that the American people have
failed to realize the profound significance
of those occasional kilograms from Toxic
which have appeared during the past few
months, stating that this battleship or that
cruiser had been relocated and taken to
Japan. AS a matter of fact, every such an
nouncement meant that the Japanese navy
was receiving an addition of strength and
taking higher stand among the naVies
of the world which, under ordinary circum-
stances, would have required four or five
years for its accomplishment We are in
formed by japanese naval officials that the
damage done to the sunken fleet by Japa-
1nlta fro md Iyra
by the Russians themselves is surprisingly
small in comparison with what would nat
uraliy have been expected. Every one of
the eleven battleships and cruisers that
has been captured or refoated IS capable
OF thorough repair. Although many Of them
are badly knocked about between wind and
water the amount Of damage below the
one of the heavy blows struck by the mine
or the torpedo or the large high-expIosive
shell has impaired the integrity of the
structure of the ship as a whole. Protec-
tive decks and waterline belts have done
their work most effectually. Instances of
penetration of the vitals of the shin are
few; and the shells that did enter have
wrought no damage that cannot readily be
made good.
Tribute to the Naval Architect.
Without disparaging the skillful work
done by the Japanese wrecking crews, it
may be said that the. salvage of the Port
Arthur fleet is a splendid tribute to the
genius Of the naval architect. 1t Is a COM
plete verification of those theories of water
tight subdivision and the combination of
belt and deck armor, which have produced
the many-compartmented modern warship
To be, convinced of this. recall for a mo-
ment the prodigiously rough treatment to
which this Port Arthur fleet has been ex-
posed In the last two years. Torpedoed in
the first night attack; pierced at the water
line in the offshore engagement next day;
patched up temporarily by the use of wood
en- coiTerdams; struck repeatedly by mines
On the case of one ship twice in the same
spot; again repaired under emergency con-
ditions; taken to sea and put through a
fleet engagement of seven hours duration
brought back to Port Arthur, to be finally
sunk under a four days bombardment by
eleven-inch shells; wrecked by heavy
charges of gun cotton applied within md
without by the Russian officers themselves
these ships, after spending six to eight
months at the bottom of Port Arthur har-
Dor, are ioated, and some of them taken
under their own steam across the stormy
Sea of Japan to be repaired and put in
frst-ciass shape at japanese backwards