NAVAL CONTROVERSY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 97, 18 January 1921, Page 7

NAVAL CONTROVERSY

ADVANTAGE IN THE NEXT WAR MEANS OF DEFENCE RATHER THAN ATTACK By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright. London, January 16. Admiral Sir Percy Scott, continuing the naval controversy in the Press, says Iho believes that the advantage in the next naval war will lie in means of defence rather than in means of attack. He sees no reason why a torpedo should not be evolved which no battleship could withstand, and considers that every nation should have at important ports various means of defence. He concludes with a cryptic hint of a new weapon, which he describes as a “gun that shoots out of both ends.” —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. NEW TYPE OF SUBMARINE INVENTION CLAIMED BY GERMANS. New York, January 16. The “Chicago Tribune’s” Paris editor states that the Germans claim the invention of a new type of armoured submarine, which will revolutionise naval warfare. It is said to be proof against depth charges, and able to face torpedoes, in any position.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. JAPAN’S NAVY CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMME Writing in the "Sydney Morning Herald,” Dr. J. Ingram Bryan observes that the increasing armaments programme in Japan calls for serious attention both at home and abroad. “The vernacular Press,” he says, “makes constant reference to it, and though it attracts some notice in western countries, there appears to be no clear understanding as to what Japan’s policy is. Why should Japan, two years after the greatest of all wars, a war that was supposed to have destroyed militarism, be devoting more than half her annual national revenue to army and navy alone? To this question all earnest-minded men should seek an answer.

“But Japan is not satisfied with appropriating more than half the nation’s revenue to war. The naval department is now asking that the approaching annual budget shall include no less than 120,000,000 yen more than last year for the navy alone. According to careful estimate, Japan plans to spend as much as 470,000,000 yen on her navy next year- The demands of the Naval Department were placed before the Budget Committee earlier than usual this year, and they are receiving very serious consideration; for the Press and people appear to be convinced that the -■ naval programme must be pushed” at all costs. In fact the national dockyards are inadequate to the demands of the situation, and private yards are being remodelled to cope with the requirements of rapid naval expansion. At the 43rd session of the Imperial Diet it was decided to- press forward the policy of eight battleships and eight battlecruisers of the latest type as the main strength of the fighting unit.

Principal Items of Increase. “The more important items of expenditure in the proposed naval budget include replenishment of materials for war purposes such as fuel oil, reserve arms, ami arsenal equipment, for which some 20 000,000 ven is asked, with some 5,000,000 ven further for improvements of existing arsenals and repair of vessels and arms. There is l a further sum for investigations with regard to naval fuel. Other expenses named are for increase of hands in naval arsenals, providing mutual aid associations for disabled workers and so on the total for this being 16,000,000 yen. Some of the larger items include increase of warships, education, personnel, clothing and provisions, manufacture ot weapons, upkeep of warships as a result of high prices, amounting in all to about 11,000,000 ven. Other interesting items are tabulated as follows: Yen. Construction of new warships 168,000,000 Land and sea preparations... 33,000,000 Naval aviation 70MOOO Reserve arms 7,-OO.OW Powder magazines ... 1,800,00© Construction of auxiliary Increased cost of naval ed»Submarine "relmois" Aeroplanes aboard warships WOO New powder 2.8J.«M Aviation study JW.WW 224,869.000 Some Interesting Aspects. "The above figures represent but less than half of the total asked for the next fiscal year to be expended on the naval programme. It will be remembered by those familiar with Japanese rear finance that at the last session 01 the Imperial Diet, which was a special session held after the general election and was prorogued in Juno last, the amount voted for naval expenditure was 353,349,000 yen. The total now wxed for the next fiscal year is 120.000,000 yen more than that for year The new figures may be tabulated Ordinary naval expenditure 000,009 EXtraor-i'.naTy expenditure... .6,000.090 Annual >for ®xpansion —i.wv.w Amounts on account of rise =tn prices 110,000,000

470,000,000 Some of the vernacular papers opine that the above demands may be cut down by the Budget Committee, but they contend that if the Budget for the' Navy should be reduced to, say, 420,000,000 yen for the next fiscal year, important naval defence plans will ha e to be postponed and other essential defences seriously delayed in consequence. Japan’s Objective. "Prior to the recent war, when discuesing the annual naval plans, the objective Cwelt upon by the vernacular Press was Russia. She was believed io contemplate revenge foi the defeat suffered in Manchuria, at the hands of "Japan, and would in time return to The fray. Now that Russia has been eliminated as an objective, where doos flie stress He? Un this subject the Press lis somewhat reticent, and the authorities etill more eo; but it w quite easy for anyone familiar with Japanese psychology and civilisation t understand the situation. Without entering further into discussion of this imint. let it be sufficient to say that tEb -Japanese contend that they are bound in duty to their country to push naval expansion as long os America follows the same policy. If they■ are ever challenged they will fight; and if they are over forced ,to fight they will be prepared for it.”