Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-09-05
JAPAN BUILDING WARSHIPS,
Spirit of Nippon Shown i'm the Activ
ity in the Shipyards.

Spirit of Nippon Shown in, the Activ-
ity in the Shipyards.
Nowhere perhaps is the effect upon
Japan of the recent war more patent
than in her great naval yards, no
where does the magnitude of her am
bltlons find more cogent demonstra-
tons, says Blackwood's Magazine.
The possessors of an island empire.
the statesmen OF Japan have not been
slow to recognize the value of a strong
navy and powerful and numerous
mercantile marine. Under a system of
shlpbuiIding and ship running
oountles her merchant shipping has
made huge strides, and the advocates
OF state aid may point to the success
full transportation of troops In time OF
war In Justification of their policy.
During the late war a single COM
pany, the Nippon Yusen Kaisha, was
able to place at the disposal of the
government 100000 tons of shippinr
with which it successfully carried to
and from the seat of war upward of
I,z5OOOO men, $4,000 horses ana
close upon 100000 tons of stores.
Under the same paternal encourage
ment the displacement of the steam
ers OF her mercantile marine aggre-
gated by April last $4,000 tons-an
increase in less than three years of
$50 SHIPS, with a displacement of 2Os
J 783 tons.
Striking as are these figures, AMI
loud as is the tale of the destructive
competition of Japanese bottoms in
Chlnese waters, the tale of the great
naval arsenals and dockyards is even
more significant. A visit to Kure is
little less than a revelation
Armed with an official permit which
read, 'Kure arsenal and backwards
except the armor works" 7 gained
| immediate admittance frsm the sen.
tlnel on guard. The first glance tells
you that you are in the presence ~
spirit of imperious energy and In.
domltable will. You are brougb+
abruptly face to face with one of the
startling contrasts of the east.
Outside the wall fragile houses ola
world courtesy. laughing children
sleepy temples, leisurely priests and
smiling women-all the recognized in.
! gradients of quaint, fantastic. ortbn
doX Japan. Inside, the clash and c1ans
OF iron upon steel, the roar of ma
emery and the hiss of steam. all the
I oe"lluerlng equipment for the forginp
| OF engines destined for the destruction
OF human life, vast piles of upIv
scafolding, toiling masses and q ton.
hour day. -, = wa
ELEVEN years ago the naval wards
at hure came into existence. the off.
spring of the war with China. TO-DAY
tney provide employment for 30.0OO
men and are capable of building har
IIe ships the equal of any now afioat
ihey are complete and self-suficin,
ID every detail. They turn ont evarv
'nihg connected with the construction
OF battleships, from a riyet to .
tWeiVe-inch gun.
FFloT to the late war nothing bio,
ger than third class cruiser of 2 o0e
VI 7-o0O tons has been attempted. hit
Tue war gave great impetus to Japan
csc haVai construction, and in lam.
airy, 1905, the keel of the first Iaro.
! cruiser, the Tsukuba, was laid dow,
lo0ay l saw her ali but completed tn
, ner DOCK at kure, a powerful frsr.
class cruiser of 1880 tons. A LITTLE
way OIL lay her sister ship. the Ikona
, 'noug1 not quite SO far advanced,
The Japanese ambition has not s+on
ped here. Two vast battle shfps rho
Satsuma and the Aki, are now mder
CONSTRUCTION at Yokosuka and Krra
respectively. Not even the Dread
houSht, the latest yet OF the British
navy will boast superiority to these
monster engines of war. With dis
placement of $4,000 tons, a speed or
nineteen knots and an offensive ar
mament Of four twelve-inch and
Twelve ten-inch guns, they will meet
with but few equals upon the sea.
Inc enormous increase of the ian.
anese fleet during the last two wears
mas perhaps not been generally annra-
clated in England. The following is a
list OF the larger vessels actually IN
ger construction in Japanese yards
at the present time:
flrSt-class battleships- Tons
The Ah ~ ncn