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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (July 19, 1907)
TmQtS-vrfzt?? pwmy Hn v f 4 The Commoner. v" VOLUME 7, NUMBER 27 J"7 " ' iv.1T-! 5ze of Arniij and Navy of Japan Compared With "When tho announcement was mado that tho navy department had decided to send tho At lantic floot to tho Pacific a woll-knpwn navy .officer was askod what, in hip opinion, would bo tho outcomo of this oversea transfer of sixteen battleships, The officer must bo quoted anony mously, as under tho department's recent strin gortt order tho wearers of navy blue must not talk for publication. "Tho chances are," ho said, "that Japan will seize tho Philippines and declaro var before tho fleet had been one week nt sea. Tho sorious blunder Was mado when tho battleships stationed out thero wore withdrawn. Instead of withdrawing them the force should havo boon gradually but unobtrusively aug-. anontod." That may bo an oxtrome view of the danger of an early clash. But it is betraying no con fidence to say that tho vast majority of thoso In tho naval service havo long boon of tho opin ion that sooner or later tho Japanese situation would reach a crisis. If that crisis is so soon to como it will bo a bit reassuring to Americana to glanco at tho following tables: , A GIGANTIC ARMADA .These aro tho sixteen battleships of the At lantic fleet which tho government will sond arpund tho Horn in Pacific waters. Tho vessels nrp. all of modern construction--some, in fact, aro such recent additions to tho fleet tlat their orpws have not yet had an opportunity to fire tho guns. But tho flcot as a whole is the most formidable ono that is now gathered under any one flag in any waters of the world. Its flagship lffltho Connecticut, which files the flag of Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans. Tho division com- irninders aro Roar Admiral Charles M. Thomas, Whose flag floats from tho battleship Virginia; JlQiit Admiral Charles H. Davis, commander of thl second squadron, whoso flngship is tho Ala- btfma of tho third division. 'Thelfourth division With tho Ohio as flagship, is commanded by Rear Admiral W. H. Emory. ' , There are si distinct- lyp o voocGiR.-.tn,, jtSiin-feotuusnip armada. In the jable they havo. ueon groupoa m tno types to wliicUs they belong. Ships: ' Tonnage. Guns. Speed. Connecticut. . . 16,000 24 18 Louisiana 16,000 24 18 ' . 1 'f ptt j g Minnesota .17,650 Vermont ; i ..... .17,650 Kansas ,. .y. . . .. .17,650 -: . V r- Virginia . . . . . 14,948 Uoorgia. . . . .v. . t , 14,948 Now Jersey , . ,p .... ... .-44,948 Rhode Island ... :'. . ..,. . .14,948 h 24 U 24 t . .. ,(" i ,-.. JkTL t -Z4 24 24 24 18 18 18 ' 19 . 19 19 , . 19- 2.0 ; .18? ' ft," &V" "18 ' 18 "IT 17 16 . Maine 12,500 Missouri, .( , . 12,500 .. Ohio .K,. 12,5,00. ; Mf Hi) f Aldbama T. 11, 525;" Illinois ...... .'. H.,525 Kearsargo ..... .11,525" 22 Kontucky. . .11,525 22 otjrj "navy in pacific Our navy forces now in the Pacific and in Philippine waters comprise tho following: Nebraska, battleship; ready for service. "Wisconsin, battleship; ready for sorvice. Oregon, battleship; ready for service. Wyoming, monitor; in reserve. Monadnock, monitor; in reserve. Monterey, coast defense; in reserve. California, armored cruiser; in commission West Virginia, armored cruiser; in com mission. - Colorado, armored cruiser; In commission Maryland, armored cruiser; in commission Pennsylvania, armored cruiser; in com mission. South Dakota, armored cruiser; nearlne completion. fa St. Louis, protected cruiser; in commission Milwaukee, protected crjiiser; in commis sion, v . 1. , ftt ..... , - " Charleston, protected cruiser; in commis sion. Chattanoqga, protected, cruiser, In com mission. . : ;. ',,, . " Cincinnati, protected cruiser; In 'commission.- x v .1 Galveston, protected cruiser; In commission. Raleigh, protected cruiser; in commission. Chicago, protected cruiser; in commissidn. Boston, protected cruiser; in commission. Yorktown, gunboat; in commission. Concord, gunboat; in commission. Helena, gunboat; In commission. Wilmington, gunboat; in commission. -Annapolis, gunboat; in commission. ; Princeton, gunboat; in commission..' The combined fleets would, therefore, com prise: 21" battleships. " . ' 6 armored cruisers. 2 monitors. 1 coast defense. 9 protected cruisers. 6 gunboats. It is more than likely that thoso two new and powerful amored cruisers, the Tennessee and Washington, will accompany the battleship fleet when it moves from Atlantic waters. This would bring the armored cruiser fleet to eight in all. RESERVE IN ATLANTIC If this force were dispatched to the east there would still be left on the Atlantic seaboard the following, which, if not now ready, could soon be rushed to completion: - Iowa, battleship; undergoing repairs. Indiana-, battleship; undergoing repairs. Massachusetts, battleship; undergoing re pairs. Texas, battleship (second class) ; in com mission. New York, armored cruiser; refitting. Brooklyn, armored cruiser; in commission. Minneapolis, armored cruiser; in reserve. Columbia, armored cruiser; in reserve. Olympia, protected cruiser; in commission. Newark, protected cruiser; naval militia. Florida, monitor (new) ; in commission. Nevada, monitor (new) ; in commission. Arkansas, monitor (new) ; in commission. Mlantonomoh, monitor (old) ; in commis sion..'. '.'..,. .. Amphitrlte, monitor- (old,) ; in commission. -Terror-monitor (old); in reserve. Puritan, monitor (old) ; in reserve .. . Mississippi, battleship; building, 88 per cent completed. Idaho, battleship; building, 80 per cent completed. New" Hampshire, battleship; building, 73 per cent completed. ., , South Carolina, battleship; buiiamg, 15 per cent completed. . . ' ,, , Michigan, battleship; building,. 16 per cent completed. In addition-to the armored fleet there are numerous cruisers and gunboats which are avail able for war purposes. NAVIES OF AMERICA AND JAPAN The following tables show the, total naval strength pf America and Japan, with the num ber pf vessels built and building. The table does npt include vessels oyer twenty years of age un less h,ey have been reconstructed sihce 1900. Transports, colliers and auxiliaries are also elim inated from the count: Vessels Completed June 1, 1007 ....- ' ,u. s. Battleships . ., .. 21 . Armored cruisers 8 . Cruisers 43 Destroyers .,....' ; . , . i(j Torpedo boats , . . -. 32 ' , Submarines .' 8 Coast defense '.wl Vessels Building or Projected . . XT. S." Battleships 8 Armored cruisers 4 ; . . . 4 Destroyers ,. ,5 . , Torpedo boats , i 0 Submarines , . . 4 . Personnel Japan: Flag officers '55 Captains and commanders 245. Other line officers and engineers 1,571 Medical Officers. . ;,.,.; ........ . 306 Pay officers ; . . :. 263 Warrant officers. . . .- 1,034 . Enlisted men . . . . . .3. . ; 41,070s Marine officers . , . .V l v ." ; -f , Enlisted men . , Japan. 11 10 19 54 77 7 3 Japan. 3 4 0 0 ? u. s. ' 18 182 697 254 188 634 33,500 279 v 8,600 Size of United Siutes 1 -. Owing to tho sccretiveness' of tho Japanese iti is, difficult to pbtain tho exact figures of that nation's military . strength, but the following is believed to be approximately correct: . Regulars (active total of all-branches) . .167,000 Reserves , .",. 4 ;. 465,000 '- - -'. Total. . ...... ...... ;iC 7:.'632,000 The following table shows .the strength and present disposition of the military forces, of this country: , . VT Regulars in the United States. . .-..,.-. . 38,671 Regulars in Alaska .. w. ..;...'; A, - " ;- 792 Regulars in the Philippines ..; . . . .: v 11,952 Regulars in Porto Rico t. 9 Regulars in Cuba -.wi ..;.. 4,950 Regulars in Hawaii ,1.. . . . ; .; 237 Regulars (en route, etc.) . . ;u.. .... . ., 1,757 Total .;......". 58,368 State militia. ; : , . ,.";:,-: 111,289 Unorganized militia. ..... 3.;; s. 16i360,363 . By "unorganized militia" is meant all per sons in the United States subject to military ser vice when called upon. JAPAN GETTING READY' In the current issue of the Military Service Institution is an interesting aiid timely article , on this subject of Japan and America. The pa per was written by Captain; Ignez Rodic, cap tain of the general staff of the Austrian army, and translated by Captain N, S. Jarvis of tho united States army. "' "There are," says this observer, "many in dications that in the event of war Japan intends to carry it to the AmericaE continent; Her feverish 'activity in her arsenals since the con clusion of war1 with Russia would suggesfrprep arations for a vast struggle. In her senate alone 50,000 workmen are employed night arid day, and similar energy is expressed in her steel gun foundries and powder Jworks. In ne gun and'. cartridge factories df'Tokio and 'Nagoya more than 26,000 men are' at work, the ca pacity of these factories, and a third plant', re.-', cently constructed to the north Of Tokio is '586 guns daily. The shot works in Tokio alone have, an output of 600 shells and shrapnel for field guns. Similar intensiveness is exhibited in the government factories" for artillery fuses, pioneer material, etc. "Do not all these signs point to an intend ed invasion? Where could 'this be? Certainly not on the Asiatic continent, for another war with Russia would not be in the present, inter ests of Japan. To crush the American forces in the Philippines would certainly not dfemand such extensive preparations, ' so Japan's 6tivity would indicate some vast 'undertaking, which will strain her sinews to the utmost. Since Japan does not consider the moment to strike opportune, it is the serious, duty of America to lose no time, in perfecting her defenses and guarding against a surprise. li7 "It is our hope that the practical common sense of the Americans will provide for this danger as soon as thdy fully realize it a danger which can only be compared to that which threatened western Europe at the hand of the Crescent." ' XO STRIKE PACIFJO COAST Cll This military observer finds further,1 "that Japan, in the event of a naval war with' America, especially- if it should be sudden in its dufbreak, would have much in its favor. Amerlcain tho other hand, would, in the first two 8r,J three months, lose the Hawaiian islands, and, ft goes without saying, also the Philippines, and would not be in apposition to prevent the appearance of a hostile fleet in California waters. riSuch a fleet could be follPwed without any great risk by a fleet of transports. Later on the Japanese fleet must contend with the entire strength of the Atlantic Squadrpn. But in the meantime Japan would have abundant opportunities to es tablish a base on the Pacific coast. Thus sup ported, her chances for success would be as favorable as those presented in her fight with the Russians at Tsushima, for it is evident the Atlantic squadron would have as long1 'a sea jpurney as did the Russians. A VENERABLE, SEABOARD, vU "As an adequate protectiPn against inva sion by a fdreign power, thJ union, up t6 within a short time, has mado little '-provisio.9f,tft was not considered necessary, for1 it has been; and is now, a popular delusion, in fact, a oy-word, : ' w wwtowatototiMMi : j
