Arizona republican., 1918-01-18
JAP PANESE EMPIRE LIKELY T0 BECOME
 MARITIME POWER
By FREDERICK J. HAsKIN

By FREDERICK J. HASKIN
 WASHINGTON, D. C., Jar.. IT, The United States is not the onls country which is creating a ship building industry to meet war needs. The Japanese yards are also making ships and millionaires. who promise to exert an important influence on the future of Nippon
 At the beginning of the war Japan had several shipyards, but they were more ornamental than useful, doing little work and looked upon more as a government hobby than anything else. For they were subsidized by the government in spite of the fact that almost all Japanese shipping much lower price than it could be built in Japanese yards. Later, the government had reason to congratu- late itself upon what for years had appeared to be a somewhat reason able subsidy
 When the demand for ships came in 1915 Japanese. shipyards were ready. The value of shipping rose so rapidly that there was no longer any danger of European, competition, even if Europe had been in the position to compete, which, of course, it wasn't. The shipyards of Great Britain, most efficient in the world, could not supply their own war de- mand. Japan was not long in rec osnizing its opportunity. By the end of 1915 eighty-eight ships with a total tonnage of 4s1O00 tons were in the process of building in Japanese shipyards.
 Since then many other yards have opened up, carloads Of machinery have been imported, thousands of men traired, millions paid in dividends. It is estimated that there is now 23S shipyards in Japan, turning out on the average of two hundred thou sand tons a year and preparing to turn out three hudred thousand be- fore loLg. It is not known how many ships have been sold outright to the Allies, but it is. known that Japanese ships are carrying much war cargo; that Japan now stands fifth on the list of the worlds marines.
 As d matter of fact, shipbuilding is not a new industry in Japan; it is old as the country itself. Where these modern shipyards build huge steel bottoms, the ancient Japanese l once built sturdy wooden boats.
 Today the word "maru" signifies ships, but the word actually means round. Historians believe that this word has come down from the time when the ship building of Japan was confined to found, tub-like boats such as were used in the primitive days of man and are now to be found only in museums and on the Tigris and Euphrates. At any rate, some of the earliest battles recorded in Japanese history were fought with large fleets of wooden ships. At the end of the sixteenth century Japanese ship builders were experts in their line. They built ships sev- eral times as large as the junks now so common on the coasts and rivers of Nippon, much sturdier than that which carried Columbus safely to America and quite as commodious as the Dutch Portuguese ships of that period. Came to Japan, also, about this time an English pilot by the name of Will Adams, who proceeded to settle there and teach the ship builders all he knew about ship building. Under his able direction, the ships grew bigger and sturdier, capable of long voyages, and Japan carried cargoes to the Philippines l long before the white man had dis covered the existence of the islands; a large trade was built up with | Korea, South China, India, Siam ard Java, and there is evidence that at least one trip was made to Mexico
 Japanese sailors became famous all over the Pacific for their ability and daring-a fact which led more than one of them into unexpected ad- ventures. Thus it happened that Yamada Nagamasa, the captain of a vessel that carried cargoes be- tween Japan and Siam, noted for his comedy appearance and reckless bravery, attracted the attention of the queen of Siam. This lady be- came so enamored finally that she poisoned her husband in order to make Yamada king. Followed a dangerous career for Yamada. Al ready in love with a royal Siamese princess, he carried his bravery q little too far and spurned the ad- vances of the queen, married his fiance and settled down as viceroy of an important Siamese province. Shortly a wedding present came from l the queen-an ordinary Siamese trinket presumably-but Yamada was found dead.
 Whether due to such incidents as this or to the heavy immigration from Japan, the shogunate decided in 1636 to adopt it's famous policy of exclusion. All foreigners were at once notified to leave Japan, while the Japanese themselves were forbid 1 den to go to other countries. To insure obedience to this mandate every ship capable of an ocean voy- age was ordered destroyed except two, which were kept as souvenirs by the government. Royal edicts were issued, prohibiting the build ing of any but the smallest junks to be used in coastwise trade, and incapable of long voyages. So ended this romantic period of Japanese shipping, sea exploits and foreigr trade, inspired to great extent by an Englishman, Will Adams.
 For two centuries ship building in Japan was merely junk building ard l then. in 1894, the industry was again started by the government that had destroyed it. There had been a war with China, which had shown the Japanese their owr, great need for ships. Government subsidies were provided for shipyards, bounties of l fered to every man who owned a ship.
 The ship-yards constructed on ac- count of this inducement were not an important success. Not only did they fail to meet the competition of those of Great Britain, but Japanese laborers showed a positive physical