Tokyo, Feb. 20. addition to huge appropriations for current military expenditures, notably in connection with the so-called China Incident, which during the coming year alone total over Y.6,800,000,000, the Japanese army and navy plan this year to press for supplementary votes totalling Y.5,950,000,000 to carry out a fresh strengthening and arms replenishment programme spread over the next five years, in continuation of the schemes which have been under way since 1937.
In this connection, it is necessary to remember that once the Japanese Diet has approved and passed the votes for any undertaking spread over a term of years, the relevant appropriations cannot be debated in any füture Diet session, unless the original plan has been altered, Of the total Y.5,950,000,000 asked by the two services, the army. requires ¥.3,621,000,000 and the navy Y2,329,- 000,000. The army plans to expand nearly Y.190000000 on the reorganization of its air-fórce while the navy will devote over Y.1,105,000,000 to new construction, according to the "Miyako Shimbun."
Details of the army's programme are given as follows:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.