THE JAPANESE NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1749, 14 May 1913, Page 11

THE JAPANESE NAVY.

PLANS FOR EXPANSION. The following message dispatched from j Tokio on March 28 to the Loudon Dail> < Telcraph" sheds some light on what < Japan is doing in regard to naval anna- ; lucnt:— , The Government's naval scheme was explained to a sub-comuiitteo of the Lower llou=e Budget Committee on Wednesday . last The latest army schemes were also . discussed. Admiral Takarabe, the ViceMinister of the Navy, outlined the Government's naval programme. . The plans for the increase of the navy, ho said, had been altered to meet the financial position of the country. it was originally proposed to form a fleet strong enough to beat the fleet of a ceitftiii foreign Power, which the vjo\oiii" • incut had principally in view in drawing ill) its naval programme. Iho foreign Power in question was able (or would be able before long) to send its principal squadron, consisting of twenty-one battleships and cruisers, at short notice, into certain writers, which would form the fcene of the next possible encounter m " Owing to the present, state of tho Exchequer, it was found impossible to carry out so vast a scheme of naval construction. and it was found necessary to modify the scheme. J.lie Go\eiiiinent would" content itself for the present with what might be called the Ninety-three Million Programme. This would provide a squadron strong enough m l'*™ to meet the squadron of twenty-one ships of the certain Power already alluded to. Three new battleships would have to be built to complete this modified programme. The main squadron would then comprise the following ships:— EWit Battleships.—Satsuma, 19,350 tons, built; Aki, 19.500 tons, built; Kawacln, 20,5f10 tons; Settsu, 20,800 tons; Fuso, 2t!sOO tons, being built; and three new 6 's?x Cruisers.—lCurama, 11,620 tons; Ibuki, 11.620 tons; Ilaruna, 27,500 tons, being built; Kongo, 27,500 tons, being built; Ilivoi, 27,500 tons, being built.