Bisbee daily review., 1916-01-23
JAPANESE PROGRAM
 TO INCLUDE SOME
 BIG NAVAL CRAFT
Admiral Kato Thinks Euro pean War Will Not Necessi- tate Radical Alteration in Naval Arms of Nations.

TOXIC. Jan. ,2O.-One super-dread-
 nought. two cruisers. one destroyer,
 three submarines and two special service ships constitute the program
 of naval building for Japan for the coming year. Admiral Kato, minister ! of marine, explained the naval expan-
 sion project before the budget com
 mittee, of the Diet yesterday in re-
 sponse to an interpolation. The bat.
 tleship will be about the same type
 as the Fuso and Yamashiro, which
 was recently launched. and will carry
 twelve 14-inch guns and sixteen 6-inch suns. The two cruisers will have a speed of 2S knots.' They will probably
 be in the nature of light scout ships Their armament has not yet been de-
 cided. The submarines will have a
 displacement of seven hundred tons
 each, a speed of IS knots on the sur
 face and 10 knots in the water and
 will carry one gun.
 Admiral Kato expressed the opinion
 that the war in Europe would not
 necessitate any considerable altera.,
 tion in the naval armament of the
 great powers. He fully recognized, he said, the effectiveness of aircraft and
 submarine as weapons of offense as demonstrated in the present war but
 he believed that these facts hardly affected the position of the battle, ship as an engine of war If the Kaiser's warships dared not venture from their own sheltered waters it was because of the powerful British squadrons awaiting them outside The absence of any great naval en- gasement in Europe must be ascribed to the very great difference between the British and German navies. AsI for submarines, however, actively they might work their activities were confined within certain limits and they could hardly be expected to place the great battleships hors de combat. The minister said that equipment was now being provided on ships against air at tacks. He was confident that the l remained the basic unit of the great navies.
 The admiral further said that in de- ciding the armament for new battle ! ships the naval authorities preferred 1, the twelve 14-inch guns principle to the eight 15-inch of the British and | German navies because they deemed ! the former more advantageous than | the latter from the view point of i naval tactics. Furthermore the au- thorities believed that there would ] occur no change in the shape and | size of warships and naval guns in the | near future. The minister's remarks brought out the fact that Japan's ! eventual program includes the estab- | lishment of first line fleet of eight | and eight great battle cruisers.
 Admiral Kato was asked particular y by K. Kaboyashi, a member of the as to the comparative strength of the Japanese navy and hose of Great Britain, Germany and he United States. The member also wanted to know whether the naval were confident of victory n case of warrior instance, in case of war with the United States. He asked what plan the navy had in case [ he United States attacked Japan with her naval strength twice that of he Japanese navy. To this Admiral kato replied that figures do not al- Tays decide the issue of battle He s quoted as having added:- If the American navy invaded Japan We have )nly to encounter it with the best actics and art of warfare. to the last 'essel and last man, meanwhile rely ng on the dignity of the august Emperor and the strong support of a 'ixty million nation. This is the de- 'ision of our navy in such an eventu- llity."
 Simultaneous with the opening of he Diet has come a sweeping change n the personnel of the navy Espe- ;ially noteworthy is the appointment ,f Tive Admiral Yashiro. ex-minister 'f the navy. to be commander in chief if the second squadron: Vice Admiral