The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-06-02
JAPAN DOUBLING HER NAVY,
 TO HAVE ARMY OF A MILLION
Are Preparations Aimed at United States, Russia, or for Use in the Dismemberment of China,
 the Great Oriental Question.

surface an altogether friendly understand | ing between Japan and Russia-also with China in the role of victim in anticipation | of slaughter-stands far better chance or finding himself starred prophet than does | he who would have believe. as some or the pen warriors would that Japan and Russia will again be flying at each others throat in the near future. Whichever theory 1t may please the the- ofist to follow, however, he has this basis | of fact to argue from:-Instead of permit ting her army to disband and her navy to rest on it's well won laurels. Japan is push ing with great vigor her plans for army and navy increase
 There has been no dsbanding of the vet eran army which, under Oyama and Kuroki and Nogi and their able associates drove the Russians from the plains and the mountains of Manchuria. Japan Is today maintaining a. regular army of approximately 100000 men, This number is to be immediately l increased by the creation of two new divis- ions, the official explanation being tha. l these are for service in Corea and Manchu- ria.
 In addition to this step an important | change Is the reduction of the length of compulsory service from three years to two. ktbe effect of which, will be to tincrease by | fifty eper cents the number of reservists all trained soldiers Today Japan could put efxht hundred thousand trained men in bat tie condition within two weeks time. To es- innate her army efficiency-actual. not pa per-at one million men is certainly most conservative.
 Great activity is reported in all branches of the army in the ordnance particularly The marvellous increase in the subsidized merchant marine means, for one thing that a highly efficient transport service is no; only assured for the future, but is already here. And all this has been done and is being done at a minimum of cost that 's the marvel of the world.
 Meagre Wage of Soldiers.
 re that portion of the army serving fin Manchuria as2 railway guards there is paid the small 4surn of ten yen Give doliars) a month to each man But the bulk of the 400. 900, those stationed throughout the em' pire get no such pay. To each man o' these there goes but one yen and twenty sen (sixty cents American) per monthi cigarette money and nothing mor" The cost Of maintenance is heavy for Japan But it is infinitesimal compared with wha' any other nation of the world would nave | to nay Without having had opportunity to analyze the official figures. l believe 1t is a conservative statement to say una
 the annual cost of Japan's 100000 is c"nsid
 erably less than the cost of maintaining th'
 s2 900 army of the United States
 so far as labor is concerned. there i'
 doubtless a great disparits in the eonstruc'
 ton of warships between Japan and th' United, States, in favor, of course, or Japan
 fsn. there ts no such difference, in the cos l of material. and Japan's naval constructio'
 program is a heavy expense. 5ApparentS
 however, Japan is letting no consideration
 of expense deter her determination 10 nav
 tbe hest navy that skill can produce O
 money can buy within the limits Of he
 nossIbilities Her navy program has beer
 shaped with the understanding that th'
 navy must in the last analysis. be the chie
 reliance of an island empire. In this she natterniug after Great Britain, and fl al
 imitator. she is certainly most apt an'
 efficient one.
 In the matter of monster battle ship 1aDan has already outstripped her ally l B inc Aki and the satsuma she has tw s ships greater than the Dreaohausnt' 'apa P nese naval constructors claim superiority 10 , both of these ships over the biggest snip : of inc other nations-particularly for tn : Ali which is said to have number of I'm , movements over the Satsuma, her eide .e sister by few months.