Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-12-22

ioHS Deen uSSlEneu To Japanese 10 =
tilias.
Five Ships Under Way.
Five large fighting ships are under
construction at Japanese yards, the
battleships Aki and Satsuma and the
armored cruisers Knrama. lbuki and
lkoma. which are the remaining three
III the group of -four of the Tsukuba
type. The Aki Is to be twenty knot
snip of 1880 tons. and will have
Curtis turbines She was launched nj
kure In April last and will not he
commissioned for many months. The
/ Salsnma, which has tonnage OF 49,
5V0 and Il projected speed of 1926
knots was launched ut Yokosuka in
November of last year and Is well on
Inc road TO completion The cruiser
lkoma. of 1850 tons and 20 l-2
knots. was launched ut Kurc in April
of last year and will be commissioned
in 1909. The Kurama. which Is OF
li.GO0 tons and II Id knots. was
launched at Yokosuka late in Octo-
Der.
The lbuli. last of the four lag
cruisers to be laid down. is being
built in friendly emulation of what
Great Britain accomplished in point
OF speed with the first Dreadnought.
She was started In May of this wear.
and the plan was to complete her for
launching within six months. Excel
lent progress has been made on her
at the Kurc yards. and the Japanese
Admiralty hopes to have her In the
water some time in December. The
construction of this vessel is being
pressed merely for the purpose of as
certaining what can he accomplished
in the matter of building speed, but
no special haste or expedition marks
the other construction in process a.,
that and other yards. The Ibuki is of
1880 tons and her speed is expected
to be % knots.
Three despatch lOats are under
constructions The Tone. 400 tons.
Is knots, at Sasebo: the Mogami, L.
1853 tons, % knots. at Nagasaki. and
the fodo, 1850 tons. % knots. at
Kobe. They will all be launched this
iall and finished next summer.
The two large battleships of the
Dreadnought type which Japan plans
TO construct have not, despite varl-
Gus reports. been as yet laid down
Plans for them have been practically
completed and they will be commence
ed, one at Kurc and the other ut
Yokosuka. within short time. The
understanding Is that they will be
built on ways now occupied by two
of the armored cruisers. They will
he of about 10000 tons each, and
very heavily armed. They cannot.
unless circumstances demand great
haste, take the sea before early In
1910. The financial condition of la
pan resulting from the huge debt of
the war with Russia. and the new
burdens entailed by development and
expansion require naval policy rs
frugal as Is compatible with national
security, and the building program
has been far below the desires ana
hopes of the navy itself.
Japan is well equipped with large
and effective flotillas of destrovers
and torpedo boats. This type was
not particularly effective during the
war with Russia, but the vessels were
except in one instance. well handled
AS auxiliarics. operating Mt home. in
inland waters and along friendly
coasts, In conjunction with the chain
of Notifications that protect the sen
approaches 10 Japan's few vulnerable
spots. and with submarine mines. they
should be. within their limitations.
menace to attacking fleets japan
mas worked out plan of DESTROYER
construction whereby it's fiotillas
could be trebled within shore perI
cd, and the navy has devoted the
greatest care to training officers and
men for their service.
Within one year, however. there
VIII be added to these six battleships
the five restored Russians, making
Tie total eleven OF all classes of bat
tleships, and within two years will
come the two home built battleships
the Aki and Satsuma. carrying the |
grand total to thirteen.
Japan has some good second class
cruisers, but in offensive operations
her chief reliance must be upon her
battleships and armored cruisers. and
at the present time she has lat five
oil the former and nine of the latter
available for service. Next year she
VIII double her fleet of battleships |
and within three years she will have
trebled it,
The time when Japan will stop 20
ing abroad for ships of war seems TO |
nave fnally come and it IS the boast
OF her naval officers that the last i'm
portant order for either ships or ma
terials has been sent abroad.
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