The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-07-07

tense vessels. 1t will be seen from
these figures that the naval strength
of the two nations is very evenly
matched.
Germany has a continuing shipbuild-
ing policy. authorized by the Reich
stag, and extending to the year 1917.
This authorization provides for the
building of IS battle ships, Is armOred
cruisers, % smaller cruisers and ia
torpedo vessels. If the record is to be
equaled by our navy, Congress must
provide at least two battle ships
every two years.
American naval officers are paying
more attention to the sea strength of
Japan than of any other nation just
now. Our officers used to think that
our next war would be with Germany,
but now they believe that Japan is the
nation whose strength we will some
Gay be called upon to test.
Japans fleet does not look very for
midable on the statement prepared by
the office of naval intelligence. Ac-
cOrding to these tables the Mikado now
has II battle ships, 10 armored cruis-
ers ard 10 protected cruisers, with
three battle ships, four armored crUis-
ers and one protected cruiser under
construction. Japan has a perfect
boat destroyers, the vicious fighting
machines which played so important a
part in the humiliation of the Russian
fleet in the Sea of Japan.
The MikadO has 81 destTOyers, II tor
pedO boats and seven submarines.
Just now Japan is recovering from the
financial drain imposed by the war
with Russia. Little building is being
done for her navy. ~
Russia is gradually regaining a re-
spectacle position among the leading
naval powers. Russian navy yards
and shipbuilding plants are busily en-
gagged in rehabilitating the Cars
navy, and have already lifted it one
notch in the list of sea powers since
the close of the japanese war.
The American naval experts rank
Russia ahead of Italy and Austria in
the matter Of sea strength. Two years
ago, after Togo had sunk or captured
the flower of the Russian navy, Rus
sia's position was below that of Italy
The Gar is building six modern bat
tie ships, four armored cruisers and
several destroyers and submarines.
American naval attaches at Berlin
and Tokyo have been unable to learn
what the German and Japanese gov
ernments are doing in the way of con-
structiOn of submarines. 1t is known
that both of these nations are building
these dangerous under water craft, but
the foreigners have thrown a cloak of
mystery and secrecy about their OpeF-
atoms which has not yet been pene-
trated. A question mark stands OPP
posite the names of Germany and
Japan in the column devoted to sub
marines in the statement handed to
Secretary Metcalf.
England, France and Russia are go
ing in heavily for submarines. Eng
land now has Sc, with "a under con-
structiOn; France has II completed,
with 81 building. Russia was taught
a sad lesson of the value of Submar-
ines by Japanese naval officers and
has purchased % of them and con-
tracted for seven more. The United
States has 8 submarines completed and
is building four additional ones. Rus
STA, Italy and Austria are also build
ing them.
France leads all the sea powers in
the strength of her torpedo boat equip
ment. She has almost as many of
these vessels as the United States,
Germany, Japan, Russia, Italy and
Austria combined.
France must protect her coast lines