JAPAN'S NAVY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 193, 15 December 1941, Page 2

JAPAN'S NAVY

13 AIRCRAFT CARRIERS

The Japanese navy is the third most powerful in the world to-day, coming after Britain and America. "Brassey" gives Japan nine large battleships, mostly about 30,000 tons, in commission and assumes in 1939 four of 40.000 tons with nine 16in guns each being built. All the older ships have been brought fairly up-to-date. There is also a large fleet of cruisers of 10,000 tons and under, and large flotillas of destroyers and submarines. The Japanese navy is an unknown quantity in the present war. Oil paper the American navy is superior in every respect, as the Secretary, Colonel Knox pointed out ljccntly, but it has obligations to fulfil in the Atlantic as aycll as in the Pacific. The attack upon Pearl Harbour, it has been assumed, was from aircraft carriers, of which Japan had no fewer than thirteen, according to the 1910 "Brassey." Only two o> those listed are large, that is over 20,000 tons, with a capacity foi about 30 aircraft each. There are the Akagi and Kagi, converted from a battle cruiser and a battleship respectively under the Washington Treaty. The Kamoi (17,000 tons) ana the Notoro (14,0."30 tons) are converted oi'.rtankers, adapted for seaplane carriage. The other vessels are of 10.000' tons or less. This fleet of aircraft carriers may have been enlarged by fresh construction since the outbreak of World War IT. The total capacity of this fleet is- about 200 aircraft, dock and seaplanes.

women's clothing. where turnover was., much greater than two years ago. Sales of furniture and household wares were reported to be in much greater volume than in 1939. There had also been an appreciable increase in per capita consumption of certain foodstuffs, notably butter, canned and processed foods, and confectionery. Buying of domestic hardware and electrical appliances was greater than two years ago, and reports state that the amount spent on amusements had risen considerably since the outbreak of war. Many classes of commodities in great demand by the public can hardly be described as essential, states the bank, and it remarks: "Sooner or later this spending must be curtailed if we are to approach a maximum war effort . . . To fall short of that utmost is to jeopardise our' future." .