nticeships in important shipyards in America, England, Germany and
France, with the result that there are to-day scores of naval architects
and constructors in Japan the equals of any in the world. Whether as
designers, yard managers or directors of construction, the Japs, with
their special schooling, have nothing to learn now from foreign
countries. The genius of some of these men played a part in Togo's
great victory.

Japanese men of affairs pretend to see little difficulty in the way of
their nation controlling the building of ships for use throughout the
East. Local yards are already constructing river gunboats and torpedo
craft for the Chinese government, and it is reasonable to believe that a
year or two hence their hold upon the business will amount practically
to a monopoly. British firms with yards at Singapore, Hong Kong and
Shanghai are not rejoiced at the prospect of Japanese rivalry. It is
possible that, the Japanese may become shipbuilders for our own
Philippine archipelago.

Already the shipyards of Nippon are ringing with the sound of Japan's
upbuilding; and the plant of the Mitsubishi company, at Nagasaki--among
the largest in the world,--has been enlarged to accommodate increasing
demands. The enormous _Minnesota_, of the Great Northern Steamship
Company, was not so long ago repaired at Nagasaki in a dry-dock having
eighty feet in length to spare.

Japanese steamship lines already extend to Europe, Australia, Bombay,
Eastern Siberia, China, Korea and Saghalien, and to San Francisco and
Puget Sound ports. A company has been formed to develop a service
between Panama, the Philippines and Japanese ports, in anticipation of
the completion of the Panama Canal: and, further perceiving the
opportunity rapping at her door, Japan is preparing to place a line on
the ocean that will bring the wool, hides and grain of the River Plate
region to Japanese markets at the minimum of expense. The undisguised
purpose of this South-American venture is to get cheap wheat from
Argentina. Rice eating in Japan is giving way to bread made from wheat,
or from a mixture of wheat and rice and other cereals. It is further
known that Japan is casting covetous eyes on the trade of Brazil, and
the line to the Plate may be extended to Brazilian ports.

In 1894 Japan had only 657,269 tons of merchant shipping; she has now
upwards of a million tons, represented by 5,200 registered vessels.
Almost half the steamers entering Japanes