5. Engines and Boilers.
The engines of Japanese warships are, save in the case of a few small vessels, of British manufacture, and the same as those of British ships.
In boilers, the Belleville type was adopted with the Shikishima, and several older vessels have been re-boilered with it. Almost the first warship to be fitted with this type was the Chiyoda.
With some remarkable exceptions, Japanese naval engineers have not succeeded very conspicuously in securing the very economical coal results which have been obtained with Bellevilles in the British Fleet. A remarkable instance to the contrary was the Idzumo; the Mikasa also did well. The Asahi, when first commissioned, did badly, but, when the art of coal spreading on scientific lines was mastered, suddenly became very economical.
No trouble of any sort has been experienced, and the Japanese have shown themselves singularly adapted to the management of water-tube boilers.
THE LATEST PATTERN ELSWICK SUBMERGED TUBE.
When the Yaeyama was re-boilered, Niclausse generators were fitted to her, but with indifferent success. Consequently, in order to continue experiments on the lines of the British Navy, this type was fitted to the Niitaka and Tsushima, and ordered for one of the new battleships. Apparently the experiment is to be continued to other types, following the example of the British Navy, though the majority of the engineers are averse to such a procedure, both on account of the success obtained with the Belleville and because of the extreme difficulty involved when many types exist, and many of the men sent to a ship are used to some other type of boiler than the one that they are called on to work.
BELLEVILLE BOILER
WITH ECONOMISERS.
A water-tube boiler of Japanese design exists—a species of cross between the Belleville and Yarrow, with a little Niclausse thrown in. It does not appear to promise well, and though designed to possess the virtues of each type, seems more likely to embody their weaker points than their strong ones. Such, at least, appears to be the general verdict.
There is also another water-tube boiler of Japanese origin, something like the Thornycroft, which is in the hands of the Temperley Transported Company; but I have not heard of any practical tests of it as yet, its invention being quite recent.
In any case, neither is likely to oust existing types, as most of the valuable points in a boiler are already patented all over the world. The inventors of new types are, therefore, hampered much like inventors of new systems of wireless telegraphy are—some one has been before them. In addition, a water-tube boiler requires some years of practical service before it can be classed as out of the experimental stage. The great advantage possessed by the Belleville, which “in theory” is one of the worst of boilers, lies in the numerous features introduced by years of practical experience. In rough-sea work theory and practice rarely go together; the thing that is ideal on paper is apt at sea to fail unexpectedly. The water-tube boilers fitted in Japanese ships are as follows:—
| Belleville. | Nilausse. |
| Chiyoda (old type). | Niitaka. |
| Itsukushima. | Yaeyama. |
| Matsushima (old type). | Tsushima. |
| Shikishima (old type). | Kashima. |
| Asahi. | Katori. |
| Hatsuse. | |
| Mikasa. | |
| Yakumo. | |
| Azuma. | |
| Iwate. | |
| Idzumo. | |
| Takasago. |
NICLAUSSE BOILER.
The Japanese boiler under experiment is the Miyabara, the invention of the Engineer-in-Chief of the Japanese Navy. It is to be fitted to the Otawa, and probably some other ships. It is also in the Hashidate. The inventor recently produced a paper showing its all-round advantages over every other type of water-tube boiler; but this, of course, may be taken cum grano salis. However, there is little doubt but that, should it be in any way successful, natural national vanity will lead to its general adoption in preference to European types, just as the 2½-pounder gun has been.
XXIII
OTHER NAVIES AS SEEN
BY THE JAPANESE
The following expressions of opinion are not necessarily entirely representative, but they certainly coincide with the views of a great many of the more travelled officers, and as such will have, no doubt, some considerable interest.
British.
“British officers are too fond of golf and other games—they do not study enough. They are very stiff at first, but nice when you know them. They are always very clean, spick and span, and well shaved. On board a British warship it is always very impressive—it is the most impressive navy in the world. And it is more ready than many people think.”
French.
“The French is a funny navy, and it is hard to say what is good and what is bad in it, for the thing that looks good may be bad, and the thing that looks bad, good. They have some very clever engineers.”
German.
“The German officers all seem ‘strong.’ To many they seem always overbearing. They hope to be the greatest navy in the world; and plenty of them think that they already are.”
Russian.[41]
“The Russians are brave—very brave. But not many are good, and they are savages. They can be very polite when it suits them; when not—ah! Russian sailors are miserable people who lie in the snow, who have very little money, which they spend in buying cheap fish. They are very dirty. That is all we know of Russian sailors, who are quite like strange people to us. But we have no fear as to the result of a war with the Polar Bear.”
United States, America.
“The Americans have a wonderful navy with wonderful ships. Everything American is more wonderful than anything else in the world, so that we do not know what to believe.”
Themselves.
Of themselves Japanese officers speak little. But it is not difficult to infer from their talk that they do not in any way feel dissatisfied with themselves. Ship for ship, they are firmly convinced that they are the finest navy in the world; and it cannot be said that up to the moment of writing (June, 1904) they have done anything to cause them to retract this opinion. No body of men could have displayed better qualities than they have from all accounts. It may be added that, in my opinion, every Japanese is also of conviction that Japan is going to be the greatest naval power in the world in the future. With that feeling they entered on the present war. It is a very useful feeling to have.
XXIV
THE WAR WITH RUSSIA
The war with Russia was the direct outcome of the action of that Power in ousting Japan from Port Arthur. There is little question but that the real object of the Chino-Japanese War was Japan’s determination to be the paramount power in the Far East. The action of Russia, France, and Germany in neutralising all that victory gave her completely checkmated Japan, and from that day onward she made little secret of her preparations for a war, the prize of which would be the control of China, and the foundation of a Far Eastern Empire whose ultimate proportions none can foresee.
The political situation between Japan and Russia needs no comment in a purely naval record of events: Japan made ready with a steady determination, where Russia ignored the obvious.
Not till a month or two before the war did Russia recognise that it was inevitable; she then sought refuge in diplomatic delays, which Japan severed by the sudden rupture of negotiations at a moment favourable to herself. Much has been written of Japan’s “treachery” and Russia’s “duplicity,” but neither accusation is just.
VARIAG.
Following are the Japanese versions of the various incidents of the war, as officially reported:—
They were prefaced by the Chemulpo incident, in which the Asama, Naniwa, Takachiho, Suma, Chiyoda, and Niitaka annihilated the Russian cruiser Variag and the gunboat Korietz.
As a naval incident, this action has little interest or significance, the Russian ships being abnormally overmatched; indeed, there is nothing in the affair worthy of comment save the admirable strategy displayed by the Japanese in thus ensuring absolute victory without taking any risks. A very high appreciation of the real meaning of sea-power is evidenced here.
The rest of the naval war concentrated around Port Arthur. The Japanese task was in no way an easy one, for Russia made no errors after the first stupendous one by which she lost her two best battleships.
[Reproduced by kind permission of the “Graphic.”
ADMIRAL TOGO.