Two first-class armored cruisers, 9,750 20 (Japan.) contracted for Besides mercantile vessels at their shipyard at Walker. By the end of the year 1897, or rather during this year, besides the ships enumerated above for Japan there were in course of construction elsewhere: One battleship (“Fuji”), in commission. One battleship, 14,800 tons, building at Thames Iron Works. One battleship, 14,800 tons, building at Thompson’s. One battleship, 10,000 tons, under consideration, the Armstrong Works (contract not signed). One armored cruiser, 9600 tons, ordered at Vulcan Works. One armored cruiser, 9600 tons, ordered at St. Nazaire. Four torpedo-boat destroyers of 30 knots, similar to British destroyers of 30 knots, building at Yarrow. Four torpedo-boat destroyers of 30 knots, similar to British destroyers of 30 knots, building at Thornycroft. One torpedo-boat destroyer of 30 knots (?), similar to British destroyers of 30 knots, building at Schichau. Eight torpedo boats of 90 tons, Schichau. Four torpedo boats of 90 tons, Normand. The Japanese battleships are named “Yashima,” “Hatzure,” “Mikasa,” “Asahi,” and “Shikisima.” [Illustration: MEDI-J-IEH IN COMMISSION Copyright, 1904, by John W. Dawson] The first-class armored cruisers with seven-inch side armor at Armstrong’s were the “Asama,” “Idzumo,” “Iwate,” and “Takima;” at St. Nazaire, France, “Azuma;” and at the Vulcan Iron Works, Stettin, Germany, the “Yakumo.” Five battleships, 6 armored cruisers, and 21 torpedo boats under construction in 1897, in addition to the ships in their own yards. Soon after his return to America, Mr. Cramp decided that the results of his visits to the Armstrong Works should be given to the public, as there were no obligations of secrecy imposed on him, and particularly as he thought that the United States was, or should be, interested in the matter; besides, he desired to extend the field of the operations of their ship-building works abroad and secure a small portion of the construction of war-ships which England, France, and Germany had monopolized, and for that purpose he prepared a paper, which was printed in the November number of the _North American Review_ for 1897. This paper added a considerable scope of discussion applying directly to the relative naval activity of Russia and Japan, and drawing, or rather pointedly leaving for inference, the conclusion that Russia was not keeping pace with the development of her already great and rapidly growing rival in the Oriental Pacific. This paper was as follows: “THE COMING SEA POWER.”