Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-09
JAPAN'S NAVAL PLANS
AIMED AT THE j. S.
Wants Enough Ships to Whip
1'Certain Foreign Power"
in the Pacific.

That the plans OF the Japanese ad-
miralty regarding an overwhelming navy
have been changed somewhat to meet the
straitened exchequer Of the island EN-
pire, but that the legislature Of Japan
has been urged to build feet which will
easily dominate the Pacific ocean, is
claimed in a statement now in the hands
Of Representative Brittcn of Chicago
member Of the House naval affairs COM
mittee.
Mr.. Britten is in possession Of a copy
Of news article from the Asahi, a
Toxic newspaper in which. it is claimed
full report is given Of the appearance
OF Admiral Takarabe, vice minister OF the
navy. before a subcommittee Of the low
er house budget committee Of Japan. Al
though the press and public were ex-
cluded. the Asahi claims the information
published Is accurate.
Aim of Naval Program.
According to that article:
admiral Takarabe. the vice minister
Of the navy. said the plans for the in
crease Of the navy had been altered
to meet the financial position of the
country. 1t was originally proposed
to form a fleet strong enough to beat
the fleet of a certain foreign power
which the government had principally
in view in drawing up its naval pro-
gram. The foreign power In question
was able Cor would be able before long)
to send it's principal squadron, consist
cruisers. at short notice into certain
waters which would form the scene OF
the next possible encounter in war; and
the budget therefore provides at pres
- $hA o<vs~
dreadnoughts Of the most powerful
type, and for the eventual carrying out
Of a scheme for eight dreadnoughts,
four battle cruisers, eight scouts and
forty destroyers. at a cost of $4,000. 900
pounds.
cit was proposed to increase the pres
ent number of battleships in each
suadron from six to eight. Eight bat
tleships would have been necessary to
effect this, and. In addition. 1t would
have been necessary to build eight
cruisers. sixteen scout cruisers and
forty-eight destroyers. costing a total
of G54,000,000.
Modification Of Program.
Owing to the present state of the
excheQuer it was found impossible to
carry out so vast a scheme Of naval
construction. Instead Of eight battle
ships, seven would be constructed
(seven dreadnoughts Of $4,000 tons
each). and instead of eight cruisers not
more than four dreadnought cruisers
would be built. The number Of scout
ships would have to be reduced to
eight and the number of destroyers to
forty-six. This did not include the
warships that were now in course of
building. At Kure, a battleship of IT,
500 tons. to be named the Fuse. was
being constructed. while no fewer than
eight cruisers of 27.5ee tons each were
being built in different yards.
1.-The government did not think the cost
of this program would come to moro
than E39. 100000. The government
however, would not embark on this
scheme just yet, and would content itself
for the present with what might be called
the observation-disclosures program
(f9, 800, COO. According to this the prin-
cipal squadron Of the Japanese navy
would consist Of twelve ships-eight bat
tleships and four cruisers. This squad
ron would be strong enough In itself to
meet the squadron of twenty-one ships
of the certain power already alluded to.
Three new battleships would have to be
built to complete this modified program"