The New York herald., 1921-11-20
Five Five Three Ratio
Reached After Long
Consideration.
JAPAN'S DEFENCE VIEWS
Geographical Position Seen as
Free From Every Enemy
Menace.
ny eraser sCHoRNsTHEIMER
Special Despatch to THE New YonK HrR.tp.


,,New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. c.. Nov. 10.
After calm study Of day or two
the announcement by Admiral Kato
does not assume such great proper
tons as was first believed.
In effect the Japanese wish to keep
their latest, largest and best modern
battleship the Mutsu. Also they wish
a greater tonnage in ships which must
be classed as coast defence vessels.
That is about all there is to it.
The Mutsu represents completed
investment of about s3S 600, 900, and
very naturally Japan does not wish to
lose her as she is complete and in
service. fact which was not made
clear in the American plan. she was
laid down at Yokosuka dock yard in
June, 1918, and was launched year
ago last May. The following details
are approximate: Extreme length
about 700 feet; maximum beam about
101 feet. Her normal displacement is
33,SO0 tons and at her full load she
displaces about $4,000 tons and draws
30.75 feet of water.
Eight 10 Inch Guns.
She carries eight 16-inch 40 calibre
guns, each said to fire shell weighing
2,460 pounds from her main battery.
They are mounted two in a turret and
the turrets arranged on the centre line
of the ship, as in our Michigan class OF
battleships. The secondary battery con-
sists of twenty 5.5-inch so calibre guns
and the anti-aircraft battery OF four
3-inch so calibre guns on high angle
mounts. The torpedo battery consists OF
eight 21inch tubes, four mounted above
the water line and four below
The vessel is very well protected. The
main belt Is of twelve inches and the
turrets and coming tower are even
heavier. 1t is said the entire protection
against high angle shell fire and air
plane bombs totals no less than seven
inches. This armor precludes the posi-.
bility of the ships decks being damaged
by aircraft bombs and gives very rea-
sonable protection against long range
shell fire. Blisters protect the vessels
hull against torpedoes.
Turbines of the very latest design sup
ply the motive force of 5000 horse power
for a normal speed of twenty-three
knots. The Mutsu is said to have made
even more on trial The ships fuel Is of
both coal and oil. OF course it would be
more desirable to have the ship run en-
tirely by oil, but oil is rather scarce In
Japan, the best source for oil being
Borneo. nearly n thousand miles away.
There is only one vessel in the United
States Navy carrying Is guns and. un-
der the American plan as originally
stated, she will be the only vessel car
rying 16 inch guns to be retained by
the United States. The addition of a
single vessel of the same class, only a
little more powerful, to the Japanese
navy would mean that in this respect
we would be outnumbered by q little
better than two to one. because both
of the Japanese battleships are slightly
more powerful than our Maryland. The
Maryland has a normal displacement of
81 $50 tons and the Negato and the
Mutsu displace normally about $500
tons.
The Maryland has n speed of 2l knots,
while both the Japanese vessels have
speeds of % knots or better The Mary
lands guns fire a shell Weighing about
2o9s pounds, while the Japanese battle
ships are said to fire a shell weighing
around 2.4s0 pounds.
japan Launches Warship.
Japan evidently does not intend to
stop her warship building until the pres
ent conference is brought to n success
full conclusion. That fact is made very
plain by the launching OF the super
dreadnought Kaga at the plant of the
kawasaki company at Kobe few days
ago. The Kaga is a sister ship to the
superdreadnought Tosa, which Is build
ing at the Mtsubishi company's plant at
For some time the idea has been prev
alent that Japan would slow down her
naval construction because of the con-
ference, but this launching OF the Kaga
seems to rout 1t. The original inten-
tion was TO launch the Kaga last month,
but shipbuilding strike last August do
layed the action. II is evident that rush
must have taken place to
bring the vessels from the stocks at such
an early date.
The Kaga was laid down year ago
last March and should be completed some
time next year or in the very early part
Of 1923, unless construction - stopped in
the meantime Her sister ship. the Tosa.
was laid down IN September. 1919, and.
IL is reported. will be launched next
month.
1npHe are tremendous SnlpS. We nave
nothing launched approaching their dis
placement Of 10000 tons. The battle
ship Maryland, OF $4,000 tons. is our
largest The reported details of the
Kaga are: Length between perpendicu-
lars IT'S feet. inches extreme beam.
about 10S feet, and normal draft. 81
feet At full load the vessel should dis
place close to $4,000 tons. Ten AZ
callbre 16-inch guns mounted IN five
turrets, arranged on the centre line OF
the ship as in our battleships of the
New York class, compose the main bat
terry. These guns arc said 10 fire shell
Weighing 25eO pounds. giving total
main battery broadside OF about 2i.600
pounds. as against 1874 for our Mary
land. The secondary battery consists
OF twenty 55-inch 50-calibre rifles
mounted high above the waterIine.
These guns are the vessels protection
against destroyer and sromarine at
tack The anti-aircraft battery consists
of four 3-inch, 50-calbre guns on high
angle mounts. The torpedo battery will
consist Of eight 2i-lnch tubes. four
mounted on deck and four in submerged
positions.