JAPAN'S NAVY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 80, 27 August 1914, Page 6

JAPAN'S NAVY.

rrs RISE AND DEVELOPMENT. THE BATTLE FLEET. LESSONS OF THE RUSSIAN WAR. The intervention of Japan as a belligerent in the present war will of course very vitally affect, the situation in the Far Eist. Although her progress in naval construction has lately been checked bv the naval i.eandal which led incidentally to considerable reductions in the Naval Estimates for 1918-14, she has a verv line fleet at command against , which anything in the way of naval I strength that Germany «mi put forward [ In Far Ka-tern waters is of very trifling ( importance. Besides some twenty-two. ; cruising idiips, Japan has sixteen battle- { phipa ami Inutile-cruisers, about sixty destroyers, more 'thaJi forty torpedo boats, and "about a dozen submarines, In addition, 1 number of caoital ships and smaller craft are under construction. THE BATTLE FLEET. Tht Japanese First and Second Squadrons,-, wilich were reported the other day to have puit to sea, iire organised as follows: s ; First Squadron. shima, Kawashi, fcietUu, kasliimu.. Armored cruisers: Kurania, ibuki. Second Squadron.—Armored cruiser Idzmnu and three light cruisers. In addition to the vessels mentioned, the fleet probably includes the batitlscruiser Kingo, of 27,50U tons, mounting eight 14-ineh guns, which reached Japan in November. 1!>13, and joined the fleet after successful speed and gun trials: and the Hiyci, a sister ship of the Kingo, which was to- Jiavu been completed last month. Another ship which may be available Is the battleship Fuso (l>i,ooo tons, twelve 14-inch and sixteen (i-inch guns, also four high-angle twelvepc.unde.rs for repelling aircraft). The Fuso was floated out at Kure on March •2X last, it is said with engine's in place and guns mounted. THE JAI'ANEE ADMIRAL. Admiral liarou Goro Ijuin, who commands the Japanese Navy, was born at Sa'teuma in ltjj'2. He took part in 'the Restoration War while still a minor, and entered tho Naval Academy in 1881. Subsequently he spent some years in England studying naval matters, re turning to Japan in ISBO. He commanded the Suilcyo Maru in the .Battle of 'the Ydiow i~ea 111 1804. and became ViceChief of Naval Stall' in ISS.HJ, and was promoted to be Rear-Ailmiral in 189' J. In 1900 he irvented the ljuin fuse, and was duly rewarded. Admiral Ijuin represented with ihe Asa/na and Tak-jsago, at die Coronation of the late King Edward. He was made ViceAdmiral in IUOa. and was appointed to command the Second Standing' Squadron in 1900. In i!K)S he represented Japan at the Janestown (U.S.A.) Exhibition, ivith the warsjhipß Tsukuba and Chilose. /or his services in the Russo-Japanese war Admiral Ijuin was granted the First Class Golden Kite and Grand Cordon of of the Rising Sun He was created a baron in 1907. In 1908 he commanded tho First Battle Squadron, and in ttw, following year he was appointed Chief of the Naval Staff Board. THE WAR AGAINST RUSSIA. Although it had previously given a taste ot its quality in the war against China, it wife in the vastly more ijn- | portan't conflict with Russia that the Japanese Navy set the seal upon it> reputation, i'lie origin of that war and its naval operation* were interestingly outlined by th/j London Tunes sonie time ago in the following terms: —. "Tile Treaty of ibuiiwonoseki contained wi.thm it the germs of the subsequent conflict with Russia. By its 'terms the special relations in written Japan desired to stand towards Korea were established and consolidated, and 'the Liaju-tung Peninsula, in which Port Arthur is situated, wa.-> ceded to her. But Russia, France and Germany, acting in concert, compelled her to relinquish the ceded territory. Thenceforth war between Ruswia and Japan was seen bv all competent observers to be sooner or later inevitable. Japan nersisted steadfastly in her efforts fur the further evolution W lier navy, adding a squadron of first- . class battleships to the armored cruisers with which she had vanquished China, though the fact that she still had to rely juairrly on European sources for her material was a factor of decisive importance in the strategy of the ensuing struggle. The crisis came at the, beginning of 11HH, when, tifler pi-otracted negotiations, it became clear that Russia would yield nothing of her pretensions to a position in Mandhuria and on the . confines of Korea, which was regarded as intolerable by Japan. Negotiations had been finally broken off and war was recognised by both sides as imminent, when Japan, knowing that her adversary's naval forces were so disposed as to place her at extreme disadvantage!, she resulveil: to strike the fimt blow without waiting for further formalities. '1 he only strategy Ileal could have given Russia the initial advantage would have been to seize and hold at once the sea ;omm.unie:itions of Japan. This would iiavalv-ie any attempt of Japan to land troops in Manvliinia 01' even ill Korea, unless .laiiati was prop! red to risk her all in a liglil ti-'-'i liiiWi at sc.i; and. .even so, if Jap.m had been successful in so perilous an enterprise, yet sh" could oihtaiu 110 nav.il rcinfoive.iiien'ls of lnou-enl, (lining the war, whereas Ku'-sia would still have abundant naval resources in reserve at home.' Hut the s'U'itcgie conceptions of Ruiisin wei'e Hoi of Utfs oceanic i character. RUSSIA'S DIVIDED I'OUCKP. ; 'Hhe divided her forces between Ylnd:-vot-Uock and Pi rL Arthur, when, they ought to Slave been concentrated and ready for action in the «.f .lap;;:!; sho placed a weak detachment 'b-u ( heimi'lpe■ and .-.lie allowed her licet at Port Arthur to be e:«ig!it mtppiiu outside, the harbor, wholly unprepared for war, unprotected by torpedo eratt, and with many of Rs <<Twr« 0:1 ►bore. Oil the night of -February S this licet was vigorously attacked by '.lie torpedo craft of Admiral Togo's fleet, with results very dise.onverling to UlO Itiwr.iji anus, though far Irom completely iidtilling the expectations and requirements of Japan. On the following day the weak detachment at Chemulpo was destroyed bv a suoei'l. r squadron ot Japanese cruiser!. j ADMIRAL TOGO'S T VwTK'S.

tftti'llipt ("11 l liel'e I'll liv.lilo !o tiresenif t.lic naval aspect-. <i!' the . which t>ivaii4 in :mv di-tail. I'll*- '' l,s neutral sinili-Rii- 'f«iiurr« way Iwt br'mlly imtkniul. Toko's i-i>k vw* -1 fold—to iniii'.oholise 1 lu- lin.-3:an iiav.r. foives in Far fcisli'ru f«r . n< loiifv us possible. :iinl at the .v.uiie Uino Id maintain bin mvu B«.«t in bftWiff. anil, so fill' as might -he, intact. lie knew 'that, no decisive bußlle .\v:u no.-sum' t-i him itl t lie (iut.se;. Kve'i if 1"! >\" lv completely victorious in ail actac''.. if Hie l'urt Arthur Bert were jtnnUiilrt l -- cd, and the squadron at Viujlivwioclc Bliut in. yi't the cost of KUi'ii victory must lie 'so trmieiulous 'to th<| which could obtain no rcinf<.n;iwentH duvins the wur l-wl the ur torious Mnuunfa <>.f his tie.;!, v.oukl tall an easy prey to the r(«ul<'icpmfcnU. I which Uitssia could .!«•/,,tel. fio n ' Europe. At the tiitme »une, unto* lit could nftuntaia the s «i conwrnmuflioßs

o> Japan , with Korea and Manchuria nubatuntiitUy unimpaired, he knew tltiat Uiu military enterprises which, after the first Wow had 'keen successfully delivered, Japan liad undertaken upon a giguntic scale in Manchuria must end in irretiievaMe disaster. The whole of the campaign <waa dominated by these considerations, and the way in which the navai dispositions and operations of Japan were adjusted to them was a naslerly exposition of what is known as the higher leading in war. The itustfian fleet in Pore Arthur was intimidated and practically immobilised from the o*utset. It made one or two ineffective sortie*, but shrank back again on tihe prompt appearance of Togo's fleet. The Vladivostock squadron, until it wtia tinaly disposed oi, made some impression on the Japanese communicationis, mercantile and military, but the latter at any rate were never seriously interrupted. On August 10 the Port Arthur fleet made its final attempt to break the bonds that enthralled it, and though Togo dared not riuk a close and decisive action, yet he succeeded in frustrating his adversary's purpose, aided, perhaps, in this case by no small measure of good fortune. Then followed the p:olonj» j d agony of Port Arthur, ending in the capture or destruction of s.U that remained of the .Russian fleet in the Far East This was followed in its turn by the splendid achievement of liozhdestvensky in conducting the ladt naval bone of Russia from the Baltic to the Straits of Tuu-Shima, and by its utter discomfiture by Togo in the BalttJc of the Sea of Japan—the greatest and most decisive victory at sea gince Trafalgar was fought just a hundred, yeart before. Togo, in the true spirit of Nelson, had signalled Ibetfwe tie battle, "The salvation or the fall of the Empire depends on the result of this engagement; do your utmost, every one of you." That ie the mora,! of the whole campaign, the secret of the sea .power of Japan. ,