Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-02-09
.JAPAN'S Way OF
RUSHING WAR WORK
Night Shifts at Some ArsenaIs,
Says English Engineer.
PLANNING OWN BATTLEsHlPs.

Turning Out Men Of war and Equip
mont With Fsverish Haste-No For- 4
sisners Employed - World Has No
Idea Of Increase Being Made Ia 4
Fighting Strength. III! HI
In view Of the report that war with
Japan Is threatened over the exclusion
Of japanese children from the San
Francisco schools the following article
Is Of timely interest: u
An English engineer, while stopping
In New York on his way from Tokyo
to London and who for the last three
years has enjoyed peculiar opportuni-
ties for observation BY virtue OF his
business relations with the Japanese
war Office. recently gave to q reporter
OF the New York Sun some facts con-
corning Japan's reserve war strength
In terms of arsenal and shipyard pro-
duction. 53 t955S u /. $3
Since the war, he said. the war Office
in Tokyo has been as chary OF admit
ting foreigners to knowledge Of what
was being done in the manufacture OF
war material as 1t was during the
struggle. Outside of possible informa-
ton 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 any
thing known of the facilities these fac
tories possess for scientific production
of instruments Of war. 5,.55.
Japan has two military arsenals en-
ploying approximately $4,000 work
men. These arsenals have extra night
shifts, and at times they are run week
in and week out continuous The
empire operates four shipyards and
naval arsenals In two Of them bat
5tleships have been built and are now
building. Aside from these there are
government steel works for the pro-
duetion Of armor plate and material
for big guns, a government powder
factory and two auxiliary private ship
yards and drydocks capable 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
foreigner, 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. There are between
5000 and 10000 machinists. artisans
and laborers living there. Admiral
Yamaguchi Is commander of the Kure
naval station. At Kure there are four
drydocks capable Of receiving battle
ship of the first class, q complete ship
building plant and q naval arsenal for
the manufacture Of big guns. The dry
docks are of the latest pattern. equip
ped with pumps Of the largest capacity
and cement lined throughout 1t is
here that several of the captured Rus
sian ships which were raised at Port
Arthur have been completely recon
stTucted and placed In commission.
The Kure shipbuilding plant is fitted
almost entirely with English machin-
cry. The keel Of a battleship can be
laid down at Kure and the whole YES
sci built with no importation either Of
machinery or of armament. Up to a
recent time the Kure yards had been
supplied with armor plate from Eng
land and American mills. Recently
with the erection Of the Imperial Steel
works, ten miles outside of Moji on
the west coast Of the island of Kiushiu,
and Of an armor plate plant at Kure
the Japanese shipbuilders have not had
to rely on foreign made armor plate,
but import only the unfinished steel
ana make their own forgings. Since
the signing Of the treaty with Great
Britain the steel for Japanese battle
ships has been bought almost entirely
in English markets. II
At the present time sister ship
Of the battleship Satsuma, recently
launched at the Yokosuka naval yards,
which is larger than the Dreadnought,
Ia under course Of construction in the
Kure shipyards. While the vessel is
under way her armament is being
forged in the gun factory adjacent.
The Kure naval arsenal, employing
over 5000 men, makes guns OF all
h sizes from three inches to twelve The
gums are Of the English pattern, and
the machinery for their production Is
1 English. " III NJ
Besides big guns for the navy the
Kure arsenals will soon be ready to
turn out heavy rifles and disappearing
guns for land fortificat lions. "a special
plant, installed within the year past,
! has already been at work on fortifica-
ton artillery Of lower calibers. All
the guns Of this type already mounted
on the japanese coast batteries have
been Of English manufacture.
Yokosuka naval yards, next In size.
are situated on Yokohama bay. about
fifteen miles from the city Of Yoko-
hama. The Yokosuka yards comprise
shipbuilding plant, three drydocks.
machine and repairing shops and a
torpedo factory, the only one In Japan.
The whole yards cover about $50 acres,
and about 1900 men are employed In
the various departments MI
4 In speaking Of naval construction In
To,