Three Units to be Added to Force This Month Tokyo, Mar, 15.
Before the end of the month three new naval units which, when completed, will form a powerful addition to Japan's naval strength, March 20 will sce the launching of the 1,700 ton destroyer No, 86, with a main armament of six 4.7 inch guns and a speed of, 34.
When completed she will be. th tenth Japanese destroyer with nine torpedo tubes.
Three days later submarine Nos 56, with a standard displacement of 1,051 tons, armed with eight torpedo tubes, is to be launched This is to be followed on March 24 by the 10,000 tons ertisee Haguro, a sister ship of the Myoko and Nachi, which were Inunched last year, and of the Ashigm Which is now under construction These "four cruisers, each armed with eight '8.inch gins and having a speed of 33 knots, are expected to form, when completed, the 2nd Squadron of the First Fleet, new 10,000-ton cruiser, the Maya, is to be laid down shortly, "after the launching of the Haguro, this being: the third of the four Treaty-Class cruisers sanctioned in the naval replacement programme of last year—Reuter.
The Keel of a fourth cruiser, the Chokai, will be laid as soon as the Ashigara" is off the. stocks, pro: bably about the end of April,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.