Page:Brinkley - Japan - Volume 5.djvu/130

 the corresponding figure in England is 55, it can scarcely be doubted that the management is tolerably efficient, though facilities and arrangements for the carriage of goods are still in a somewhat undeveloped condition.

The growth of Japan's mercantile marine during the Meiji era must not be omitted from the story of her modern development. In 1870 she possessed only 35 steamers, their total registered tonnage being 15,498 tons, with 11 sailing vessels of foreign rig, aggregating 2,454 tons; that is to say, a commercial fleet of 46 vessels, having a tonnage of 17,952 tons. The figures for 1899 were: steamers, 1,221 (total registered tonnage, 315,168 tons), and sailing vessels, 3,322 (total registered tonnage, 269,032), making a fleet of 4,543 ships with a tonnage of 584,200 tons. She has now regular steamship services to China, to Vladivostock, to Korea, to Australia, to Formosa, to British India, to North America, and to Europe. Moreover, she is in a position to use her large army for over-sea purposes, a fine fleet of transports being at all times procurable. Much of this development has taken place since the conclusion of the China-Japan war in 1894-1895, the Government having included in its post-bellum programme a law granting liberal aid to ship-builders and ship-owners. Japan is not yet able, however, to build iron vessels in her own dockyards. She understands the work of construction, and can turn out large steamers by im-