New building for Japanese navy and increasing merchants shipping towards the USA according to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf dated 13 January 1916

An item reported that the Japanese parliament approved the naval program ending 1922 which included the building of four super dreadnoughts and 4 battle cruisers for which was a budget of 254 million yen available. During the war [=First World War] increased the Japanese shipping with as destination the USA with another 22 ships now totally numbering 46 ships.