New-York tribune., 1921-03-26
Japan Denies
Building Navy
Against u. S.
Marine Minister Denounces
as Absurd the Claim His
Country Means to Rival
America on the Ocean
Ready for Ship Holiday
Toxic Willing to Reduce
Fleet Plans if Powers
Agree, Says Admiral kato

TOXIC, March 25 (By The Associated
Press) Assertion that the Japanese
naval program was being followed for
the purpose of competing with the
United States Navy were denounced as
"preposterous and absurd" by Vice.
miral Tomosaburo Kato, Japanese Min
lister of Marine, in an interview with
the correspondent here yesterday. He
declared Japan was not trying to COM
pete with the American Navy, and
that the Japanese naval program had
been formulated so that the Island EN-
pire could be defended against any
emergencies arising in the Far East
alone.
During the course Of the interview
the minister emphasized the fact that
Japan's project to have feet of eight
battleships and eight battle cruisers
not over eight years old was not neces-
sarily irreducible. He indicated that
if all the naval powers would agree
to a naval holiday" he would be
willing to enter such an agreement and
would not insist upon the completion
of the naval program projected by the
government.
In view of the popular movement for
the curtailment Of armaments, led by
Yuho Ozaki and commercial and in
dustrial leaders of the empire, as we'll
as the world interest in disarmam ent,
the correspondent asked M. Kato to
give as definite statement as pos
sible of Japan's naval policy.
Began Before Russian War
"Let me say in beginning" the min
lister explained, chat our idea in con-
sidering the existence of the two
squadrons the irreducible minimum
necessary for naval defense originated
after the Chino-Japanese War, and be-
the war with Russia we had two
squadrons, each with six capital ships,
and later possessed squadrons having
eight battleships and six cruisers.
After the Russian War Japan planned
to have her two squadrons made up
Of eight battleships and eight cruisers,
all capital ships less than eight years
DID,
"The condition of our finances did
not permit the carrying out of this
program, SO we tried to maintain an
'eight-four' standard, and then an
'eight-eight.' While several powers are
of thirty, forty or even fifty capital
ships Of the first line, Japan's plan
for an 'eight-eight' standard seems
moderate, considering the position of
the island. In counting ships less than
eight years old the examples of foreign
powers have been our guidance.
"The trainers of the 'eight-eight'
program did not have in mind any for
eign country as a probable enemy. /
wish. to emphasize that they merely
considered our finances and decided We
by which the Island Empire could be
defended against any emergencies aris-
ing in the Far East alone"
Building Expenses Huge
NJ. Kato dwelt on how the advanced
cost of building and the increased size
of capital ships had enormously ex-
panded Japan's naval expenditures
until the budget of 1921 carried $780,
100000 for this purpose alone. He
said the cost of construction was ap-
proximately twice what it was before
the World War, but he explained that
Japan's determination to build big
ships was not due to her own initiative,
but to the necessity of following the
latest type of capital ship in the great
navies
II regret very much to see sinister
propagandists or mischief makers try
ing to attribute our naval program to
"a desire to compete with the United
States navy" he continued. Nothing
could be more preposterous and absurd
than this contention. Needless to say,
the Japanese navy desires the most cor
dial relations with the United States
navy"