The expenditure upon the Japanese Navy for the years preceding the war
with Russia was—
Yen.
1900-1 17,513,354
1901-2 20,161,010
1902-3 28,425,630
In 1903 the new programme was authorised, to spread over a series of
years.
The Chinese war indemnity paid for most of the ships of the
after-the-war programme. The war with China cost £3,595,400 for the
Navy, while the Army part totalled to £16,455,200.
Japan is not a wealthy country, and, but for the probability of war
with Russia, it is quite possible that the new naval programme would
never have been authorised—at any rate, on so extended a scale as now.