The Washington times., 1921-10-16
JAPAN'S SECRET NAVY
II DOCKS RUSHING SHIPS
With Slips Crowded, Battle&hip Ne4ato Was
Built i'm Dock in 1919, and New Worlds
!. Mightiest Dreadnau9hto Of "A ,OOOT Tons Il to
y he Started in Klne Yand--T Thirty Transports
j Being Built to Move Army.
By eraser CH0RNSTHEIMER,
Associate Member United States Ngval Institute.

dependent upon England. However,
In the nssr future this ldspendencs
viii be' broken, according to the
most reliable information from the
machinery manufactursrs.
Some Of the tourists returning
from japan tell US that the Jap will
never be a technical man. Those
tourists have seen only the old an.
tiqusted shops, not tit for the pro-
duction Of war material. that the
Government would allow them to
sse. for the others are closed to pub
lie view.
At this same naval arsenal at
Kure. Japanese metallurgists have
developed an entirely new Kind Of
armor. Plates OF this armor have
just been tested with extraordinary
results. Hitherto, when armor was
hit. in addition to the hole made by
the she'll there were large cracks
made around the place Of the hit.
which greatly weakened the resist
ing power Of the plate. This new
r armor has a special admixture OF
copper. and while II has all the re-
sistins power of the old armor, It
will not crack when struck. the
copper preventing this. Its advan-
tage should be quite apparent.
Next to China and France, Japan
possess the worlds largest army.
In relation to Asia. Japan Is situated
like England. The British have
found no reason for a large army.
although the japanese actually have
one. Therefore. these troops can
not be merely for the defence Of
the islands Of japan. for any attack
on them would have to come from
overseas. These troops win have
to be transported across water to
be put into the field. although one
may dream as to what field this
may be.
But 1t is a surprising fact that
even with their huge fleet of mail
liners. the japanese Government has
appropriated the money for at least
thirty largo naval transports- This
has been denied by various writer's
who have been investigating condi-
tions In Japan. but had the Govern
ment allowed them to visit the pri.
vate yards Of the Uraga Company
at Yokohama and the Osaka Iron
Works, they would have found
some Of the ships actually under
construction.
Proof Of this IL to be found In the
Osaka Mainichi Shimbun Of March
27, 1920. 1t says:
"of late. the Minister Of the Navy
has invited the leading members Of
the shipbuilding community to his
official residence and has held un-
reserved consultation with them
about the, building of war vessels and
Though particulars
are not known yet. it seems very
probable that, speaking roughly,
orders for battleships, cruisers and
destroyers will be
placed with the Kawasaki and Nit
'ubishi shipyards. while those for
transports will go to the Urasa,
Yokohama and the Osaka Iron
Works. The transports are expec.
ed to reach the number Of thirty or
'orty, being Of the 1o.0o0-ton class.
rhe required material IL to be sup
'lied by the government. which win
'rder the iron plates and castings
Ind are likely to be furnished by
the Yawata Iron Foundry and tho
Company's Kenjiro Iron
There is the self-confessed proof
hat Japan is no longer dependent
lpon others for materials and that
he is intently building UP world
'ower to which there will be no
quail.