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The Commoner.
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VOLUME 7, NUMBER 27
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' 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battleships stationed out thero wore withdrawn.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
