Navies of the world

ORGANIZATION—FLEET DIVISION—BUDGETS.

Argentine Republic.

The navy of this country is as yet not fully or independently developed, its administration and budget being incorporated with that of the army. All vessels of a larger size than gun-boats have been purchased from foreign governments, and until lately there have been no facilities for the repair of ships; at present, however, a dock-yard is in course of construction at Zarate, which when completed will furnish docking and repairing facilities for first-rate vessels. This yard is, however, hardly to be considered a building yard. Engines, boilers, and ordnance will be purchased from foreign markets for some time to come, as the mechanical industries are not yet sufficiently developed to permit the establishment in the country of the necessary machine-shops. A naval school has been established and measures have been taken to introduce apprentice instruction.

The personnel of the Argentine fleet is divided into three corps or divisions:

NAVAL DIVISION.

MARINE INFANTRY AND
ARTILLERY DIVISION.

2000 Men (National Guard).

TORPEDO DIVISION.

3 Chiefs. 8 Officers. 80 Men.

The yearly budget of the navy is about $700,000, or a little less than one twenty-fourth of the entire national expense.

There are no cruising squadrons as yet, although more than half of the fleet is kept constantly in commission, policing the coast of Patagonia and the home coast.

Austria.

The Imperial Council being composed of three Ministers only, holding respectively the portfolios of foreign affairs, war, and finance, the navy although a branch of imperial control (as distinguished from the separate cabinets of Austria and of Hungary) is not distinctively recognized in the Council. The head of the Marine Section of the Ministry of War is a Vice-Admiral, who is Commander-in-Chief of the fleet and under whose direct control is placed the superintendence of all the departments of the navy, the Admiralty of the war station of Pola, and the command of the maritime district of Trieste.

The personnel of the navy has a double “cadre,” one for war and another, somewhat reduced, for peace, there being during time of peace a reserve division of officers composed of those whose services can best be spared. The corps and grade divisions of the personnel correspond with those of other navies, the names and cadres being as follows:

SEA OFFICERS.

The number of enlisted men in time of peace is 5836, increased for a war footing to 11,532. These men are all drawn for service from the coast provinces, their length of service being three years in the fleet and seven in the reserve. From the time that men are drafted into the service until they pass into the reserve a thorough system of education is followed out. The depot for their reception is at Pola, where the recruits (received first in shore barracks) are divided into twelve companies, the arrangement being as nearly as possible in conformity with the intelligence of the individual. Company No. 6 is made up entirely of firemen and coal-heavers; Company No. 12, workmen employed in the gun-foundries and dock-yards. The remaining ten companies are the sailors of the fleet. Whilst in the company, the recruit is taught the elements of the drills and discipline, and a certain time is devoted each day to teaching reading, writing, and more especially the German language, as a great number of the recruits are totally ignorant of any tongue except that of their native province.

RELATIVE RANK.

As the recruits advance in instruction, they are picked out for the formation of classes for instruction aboard ship, and at certain intervals a class is transferred to the guard-ship Bellona, where their instruction is extended somewhat, and during the course on this ship selections are made of those who are best qualified to become helmsmen and gunners. The course of instruction on this ship lasts for from six weeks to two months. From the Bellona the classes are transferred to the different school-ships in accordance with the especial line of instruction that is to be followed. The seamen go to the corvette Minerva, to which vessel also recruits who are already sailors are sent direct from the depot without passing through the Bellona, and men who have passed either the helmsman’s or gunner’s course come here for their final course of seamanship. The Minerva is kept cruising almost constantly for exercise in seamen’s duties, and the course of a class is about six months. At the end of this course those who show sufficient aptitude are transferred to the other ships for the complete course; the remainder, as well as all men who have passed the entire course, return to the depot, forming one or more of the twelve companies in readiness for transfer to any ship going into commission.

Those who are found too stupid or vicious to learn within a reasonable time are transferred from the ships to the depot, where they do the police work and are drafted as landsmen into cruising ships. The sloop Saida is the instruction vessel for helmsmen and quartermasters, the course being about three months. Men passing from the Bellona to the Saida are transferred to the Minerva for the final seamanship course, whilst the best of those from the Minerva pass to the Saida and thence to the gunnery-ship for complete instruction. The Adria is the gunnery-ship, the term of service being of the same length as that of the Saida. On board of this ship there is the ordinary gunner’s course, a superior course for those seamen who are selected for non-commissioned officers of marine infantry, and an officer’s course, the higher petty officers who are intended for instructors aboard ship being admitted to the latter.

There is attached to the depot a school for machinist petty officers, having for its object the perfection of the theoretical and practical knowledge of the workmen chosen from amongst the most capable of the 12th company. The length of the course is fixed at one year, at the end of which time an examination is held, and those who pass successfully are appointed machinists and embarked in cruisers at once; the remainder are returned to the depot for subordinate duties. For certain of those who in depot give promise of final success without having the knowledge requisite for an immediate entry into the machinist school, a preliminary six months’ course is provided.

This system is a temporary one to furnish machinists until the thorough establishment of a new machinists’ apprentice school, the duration of instruction in the latter being three years. This school is intended exclusively for the children of persons who have served in the navy. The entrance age is between fourteen and seventeen, and the children must already have served a partial apprenticeship in a machine-shop. They are obliged to serve for ten years in the navy after completing the course, and in case of failure for any cause except incapacity they are obliged to render one year of general service for each year or part of year passed at the school. The number of apprentices is limited to 50, and whilst at the school they receive in addition to their clothing and sustenance eight cents a day.

There are in general about 2000 men in depot. The Bellona’s complement is 300, the Minerva’s 100, the Saida’s 50, and the Adria’s 500. The remainder of the cadre are embarked or on duty at the dock-yards. In addition to these and not counted in the general draft are the seaman apprentices, quartered on board the Schwartzenberg and numbering about 300. This school is open to all boys between the ages of fifteen and seventeen. The course is three years, with obligation to serve ten more after finally passing.

On leaving the apprenticeship at the end of the three years, the boys pass to the Minerva, Saida, and Adria, receiving certificates and advancement in grade in proportion to their aptitude. In case of failure to pass through the apprentice course they are transferred to depot to go through the recruit’s course and serve out their time.

The Naval Academy is established at Fiume. The curriculum of the school is of the same grade as that of the municipal superior schools. Candidates are appointed by competitive examination, and must be between the ages of 13 and 15. The course is four years, at the expiration of which the student passes into service with the grade of cadet.

Aspirants are students passing into the service without having gone through the academy course. They must be between the ages of 15 and 17 and have successfully passed through the course of one of the municipal superior schools. Upon entering they take the regular course on board the school-ships, taking the grade of cadet at the final successful examination.

One-Year Volunteers.

This institution is a favor accorded to young men who, having prepared themselves by a course of study for a certain profession, do not wish to serve full time under their draft. During one year they receive naval instruction sufficient to fit them as sailors or petty officers in time of war. Particular attention is paid to as far as possible follow a course in consonance with their previous studies. At the end of the course they pass into the reserve. Professional mariners may enjoy this privilege upon presenting certificates stating that they have successfully passed examinations before any native or foreign marine school. They must in addition thoroughly understand German and one other of the languages spoken generally throughout the empire. During their year of service they receive the pay of third-class seamen and their clothing. After passing the different school-ships they enter the reserve as officers if there are vacancies, otherwise as cadets. Students who are preparing themselves for engineers follow the courses of machinists or constructors in the same way. Students whose professions are in no way in accordance with that of the naval officer are sent to the Adria for a thorough course of gunnery. They enter the reserve at the end of a year as petty officers or seaman gunners, according to the rate of their examinations. Medical students have their year of service confined strictly to hospital duty, passing into the reserve as medical cadets, to serve as such in hospitals only, during war-time. Doctors having diplomas practise for a year in the hospitals and pass to the reserve with the grade of lieutenant. They are liable for sea service in time of war.

The depot, school-ships, machinists’ school and apprentice school are all at Pola, and at the same place there is a school for the children of both sexes of people in the naval service in indigent circumstances.

In addition to these departments of the navy, there is a Hydrographic Department, charged with the care of the Observatory, correction of charts, and preparation of almanacs; the Permanent Artillery Commission, charged with all ordnance experiments; the Permanent Commission of Naval Constructions, charged with the examination of all modifications and improvements in the construction and outfit of war-vessels; the dock-yard at Trieste; and the arsenal at Pola. The iron-clads and large wooden vessels of the Austrian Navy are built in the private ship-yards of San Marco and San Rocco at Trieste, under the superintendence of constructing engineers. These yards are fully equal to building iron-clads of the largest type.

Austria has no foreign squadrons in time of peace. Her foreign cruisers are wooden corvettes which make cruises of from one to two years’ duration. Her iron-clads are commissioned singly to cruise for short periods in the Adriatic. In time of war her whole iron-clad fleet is put in commission, the fleet being divided into squadrons of nine vessels each.

Brazil.

The Emperor of Brazil is Commander-in-Chief of the land and naval forces of the empire and President of the Supreme Council of War. The navy has a separate representative in the Cabinet, the Minister of Marine being always a civilian. In the Supreme Council of War the navy is represented by four members, naval officers of the highest grades. The organization of the naval ministry consists of a civil and a naval department. The head of both departments is the Minister, assisted in the civil one by a Director-General, four Directors of sections and the under-officers of the sections. The naval department consists of a Naval Council having a vice-president, members, and a secretary. In addition to the Naval Council there is an Adjutant-General’s Bureau with a vice-Admiral at the head who is the immediate executive, a Controller’s Bureau and a Finance Bureau, all within the limits of the Navy Department proper. There are five naval arsenals, situated at Rio Janeiro, Bahia, Pernambuco, Pará, and Matto Grosso. At the ports of Rio Janeiro, Espiritu Santo, Bahia, Sergipe, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Parahyba, Ceara, Rio Grande do Norte, Pianhy, Maranhão, Pará, Matto Grosso, Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Santa Catarina, Parana, and San Paulo are established offices of naval control under the superintendence of a Captain of the Port, these places being recruiting depots. In addition to these departments there is a Naval School, Observatory, and Library at Rio Janeiro.

The naval personnel is divided into two main classes, the active and the reserve, the latter forming a very small minority. The grade divisions of rank are as follows:

There is a corps of pilots having no relative rank, and chaplains are assigned from the different sees without rank.

Warrant officers have the grade of second lieutenant. Machinists are graded into first, second, and third class, the first class having the grade of second lieutenant and the others no official grade.

Candidates for entrance into the Naval Academy are required to be between the ages of 14 and 17. The duration of the course is three years, during which time the exercises are pursued almost exclusively on shore. At the date of graduation the cadet takes rank at once as midshipman. The average complement at the Academy is 100. The cadre of the personnel of the navy is 821 officers, 100 cadets, 2993 men, 842 men of the marine battalion, and 1528 apprentices; total, 6184.

The Brazilians have no foreign squadrons, their practice being to send occasional cruisers to different parts of the world. Their own waters are, however, divided into squadron cruising grounds as follows: Sea coast, three districts, each employing a squadron of from three to seven vessels; river stations, five, as follows: Rio Grande do Sul, Uruguay, Amazon, Paraguay, Rio Plata, each one having a flotilla of from six to twelve gun-boats and iron-clads.

Chili.

There is no distinct Navy Department in Chili, that administration forming one of the sections of the War Department, having one of the senior naval officers at its head. The central administration is at Valparaiso, and is in reality controlled by the civil governor of that district, who has on his staff a naval officer with the title of Major-General, for the superintendence of maritime affairs. Attached to the naval section are a Hydrographic Office, Observatory, and Naval School, and an Apprentice School. The navy is manned in time of peace entirely from voluntary enlistment. The war cadre is not known. That for peace is 148 officers and 5400 men, in addition to which there is a battalion of marine infantry and a battalion of marine artillery of the Civil Guard, amounting in all to 1200 men, making a grand total of 6800.

The grades of Chilian naval officers correspond to those of other services, except that there is no grade of Admiral. The Chilians have neither foreign cruising squadrons nor single cruisers, except an occasional single ship visiting the northern Pacific ports and the Brazil coast. There is but one dock-yard for general repairs at Valparaiso. The vessels composing the fleet with the exception of small gun-boats are purchased in foreign markets. The navy, although small, is in excellent discipline, and is rapidly developing in strength and general efficiency.

China.

The control of naval affairs forms one of the sections of the Ministry of War, the central administration being at Pekin, whilst the general administration is divided amongst three coast districts, at each of which is a dock-yard for construction and repair. To these districts correspond three distinct fleet divisions; 1st, Canton squadron; 2d, Foo Chow squadron; 3d, Shanghai squadron. At Foo Chow are the principal machine-shops and building-yard; at Shanghai the powder factory and arsenal; at Canton the naval school-ships. The fleet is manned by a coast conscription, the length of service being indefinite; cadre unknown.

England.

The government of the navy is vested in a board known as the Board of Admiralty. This board consists of five members, namely: the First Lord, who is always chosen from civil life and is a member of the Cabinet; the Senior Naval Lord (naval officer); the Third Lord (naval officer); the Junior Naval Lord (naval officer), and the Civil Lord (civilian). Under the board is a Parliamentary Secretary, changing, like the five lords, with the government in power. The fixed administration, independent of political parties, consists of one permanent Secretary (naval), a Controller of the Navy (Vice-Admiral), Accountant General (naval), Director-General of the Medical Department (naval), Director of Engineering and Architectural Works (army), Director of Transports (naval), Director of Contracts (naval), Director of Naval Construction (naval), Director of Naval Ordnance (naval), and a Superintendent of Victualling and Stores. The First Lord has supreme authority and all questions are settled by his decision. The Senior Naval Lord directs the movements of the fleet and is responsible for its discipline. The Third Lord has the management of the dock-yards and superintendence of ship-building. The Junior Naval Lord deals with the victualling of the fleet and with the transport department. The Civil Lord has control of the accounts, and the Financial Secretary has charge of the purchase of all stores. The immediate chiefs under the board are the heads of bureaus or departments. In addition to those above named there are others not directly connected with the Admiralty Administration: the Chief of the Hydrographic Bureau, the Adjutant-General of Marines, the Astronomer Royal, and the President of the Naval College.

In the central administration the financial secretary assisted by the Civil Lord exercises a rigorous control over all the expenses, guarding against extravagance by means of a system of inspection. For this duty there are two bureaus, the agents of which carry on a rigorous and personal inspection of all coming within their provinces in the different dock-yards. The inspectors of the first bureau are: 1 inspector of machinery, 1 inspector of works in progress, 1 inspector of timber, 2 examiners of completed works, 2 examiners of store accounts. In the second bureau are: 1 inspector of coal, 3 inspectors of dock-yard accounts, 1 examiner of shop accounts, and 1 inspector of buildings and coast-guard posts.

For the general administration there are four naval establishments of the first class, Portsmouth, Devonport, Chatham, and Sheerness, and four of the second class, Deptford, Woolwich, Pembroke, and Haulbowline. In addition to these there are 15 colonial depots: Gibraltar, Malta, Halifax, Bermuda, Antigua, Jamaica, Ascension, Sierra Leone, Cape of Good Hope, Trincomalee, Singapore, Hong Kong, Esquimalt, Sydney, and Queenstown.

The four first-class home stations are each under the immediate command of a commander-in-chief of the station. The Admiral exercises a military command over all the personnel of the reserve, the depots, school-ships, and vessels in commission. The discipline, instruction, and inspection are under his immediate direction. He has charge also of the police of the coasts and harbors of his district in time of peace and their defence and protection in time of war. With regard to the administration of the dock-yard he is only charged with a general surveillance, and under ordinary circumstances he never interferes with its affairs. He has the power to interfere in cases of necessity, but is obliged under such circumstances to render an immediate account of his actions to the Admiralty.

The immediate command of the dock-yard is entrusted to a Rear Admiral superintendent, whose assistants are the heads of the different departments of works.

The navy is manned entirely by voluntary enlistment. There are two main cadres of personnel, the active force and the reserve. The latter force is kept up by voluntary enlistment for periods of five years, with obligation to serve twenty-eight days in each year. This service carries with it certain marine privileges, pay, and after twenty years of service a life pension. Its advantages correspond quite closely to those of a life insurance. The apprentice system is also a permanent source of supply to the active personnel.

The period of enlistment in the active service is for five years, with increase of pay and allowances for continuous service.

GRADES AND RELATIVE RANK
IN THE BRITISH NAVY.

The coast-guard service, although not strictly naval, forms an auxiliary naval force, and is drawn entirely from the personnel of the navy. No person is eligible for the coast-guard who has not served eight years in the Navy and who has not qualified as a trained man or a seaman gunner.

The effective cadre of the British Navy is as follows:

In addition to this cadre there are two corps of marine troops. The marine infantry, intended exclusively for service aboard ship, consists of three divisions of sixteen companies each, comprising in all 300 officers and 11,092 non-commissioned officers and privates; the marine artillery, intended for garrison duty and to a limited extent as gunnery servants on board ship (in the proportion of 32 to a first-rate), 16 companies, comprising a cadre of 100 officers and 2800 non-commissioned officers and privates.

The number of civil employés in the dock-yards amounts to about 20,600.

Officers of the executive corps are drawn exclusively from the naval school established on board the school-ship Britannia. Those of the engineer corps are drawn from the engineer school-ship Marlborough. The other corps are drawn from civil life.

The Royal Naval College at Greenwich is an institute at which officers of the executive, construction, and engineer corps take an advanced course of instruction, for the purpose of raising the standard of naval education and efficiency. All officers between the grades of captain and sub-lieutenant are eligible after passing a preliminary examination. This institution, organized first in Great Britain, is rapidly being developed in all the other European navies.

At the Portsmouth dock-yard there is a special gunnery and torpedo school for the purpose of advanced instruction.

The highest grade of officers in the naval reserve is that of lieutenant. This grade is opened to masters of the merchant service under 45 years of age. The grade of sub-lieutenant is open to the chief mates of the merchant service. The grade of midshipman is open to young gentlemen who have served not less than two years in one of the mercantile training-ships, and who are not over 18 years of age. There is an honorary reserve corps in which the grade of commander is reached, officers of this corps having served in the active reserve.

The course of instruction at the naval school-ship (Britannia) is two years, and the required entering age is between 12 and 13½.

All cadets, midshipmen, and acting sub-lieutenants in active service are required to pass a written examination every year on board the ship where they may be serving. The results of these examinations are forwarded to the Admiralty, and it is by means of them that these officers take their rank in the grade of sub-lieutenant. Those officers who make a specialty of gunnery or navigation and pilotage receive extra pay while doing duties in these specialties. A premium of extra pay is also offered to those officers who acquire fluency in some one of the generally used modern foreign languages.

The squadron divisions for foreign service exclusive of colonial-port stations are:

• Channel Squadron.
• Mediterranean Squadron.
• North American Squadron.
• Pacific Squadron.
• China Squadron.
• East India Squadron.
• Australian Squadron.
• Cape of Good Hope Squadron.
• East Coast of Africa Squadron.
• South American Squadron (Brazil).

The average strength of a squadron during time of peace is eight vessels, the great majority being light corvettes and gun-boats.

An independent naval establishment has been organized for the protection of the interests of the Indian Empire, called the Indian Navy. There are also independent Australian and Canadian services at the support of the colonies, and regarded as auxiliary forces for colonial coast-defence.

France.

The French Navy is represented in the Cabinet by a Minister of Marine, who is invariably chosen from the active list of Admirals. The Minister has as his immediate assistant and Chief of Staff a Vice or Rear Admiral. The central administration of naval affairs is the Naval Ministry at Paris, composed of a Ministers’ Cabinet and five Sections or Directions, which are subdivided into Bureaus.

FIRST DIRECTION.

Personnel.—First Bureau: The Staff of the Fleet, controlling all affairs of the Admiralty Council, prefectures, officers, naval schools. Second Bureau: Technical Corps and General Agents, having charge of construction and engine corps, hydrographic office, commissariat clerks, chaplains, hydraulic engineers, watchmen, etc. Third Bureau: Sailors of the Fleet and Maritime Justice. Fourth Bureau: Marine Infantry and Artillery.

SECOND DIRECTION.

Matériel.—First Bureau: Naval construction and hydraulic works. Second Bureau: Ordnance. Third Bureau: Equipment.

THIRD DIRECTION.

Administrative Service.—First Bureau: Naval inscription and navigational police (control of merchant service). Second Bureau: Fisheries and maritime control. Third Bureau: Pay and clothing. Fourth Bureau: Subsistence and hospitals.

FOURTH DIRECTION.

Colonies.—The administration of colonial affairs is entirely under the direction of the Minister of Marine.

FIFTH DIRECTION.

General Accounts.—First Bureau: Funds and regulations for their expenditure. Second Bureau: Expenses abroad. Third Bureau: Examination of accounts. Fourth Bureau: Examination of receipts and expenditures. Fifth Bureau: Interior service, archives, and libraries.

These being the main divisions of control, there are certain commissions intimately connected with the regulation of affairs, most of the committees being permanent in character.

The Council of Naval Works examines the technical points connected with the introduction or manufacture of naval material.

The Superior Council of Health superintends sanitary matters.

The Council of Captures and Losses regulates prizes and reimbursements.

The Lighthouse Committee controls all lighthouse affairs.

The Forestry Committee has charge of all standing timber and timber lands.

The Committee of Inspection of Fuel has charge of the purchase, storage, and issue of fuel.

The Permanent Commission of Control and Revision of the Regulations, Armament, and Clothing attends to all matters of change of regulation.

The Consulting Commission for the Arrangement of Disputes has general consultation superintendence.

The Superior Commission of Submarine Defences has control of torpedoes.

The Central Commission for the Examination of Works of Officers is a committee through whose hands pass all the naval reports made by officers for the benefit of the service.

The Permanent Commission of Libraries has charge of libraries for naval stations, ships, and prisons.

The Direction for the Regulation of the Affairs of Pensioners and retired people of the service forms a separate department of the Ministry. The Hydrographic Office, Bureau of Longitudes, Museum, Naval and Apprentice Schools and the Artillery experimental firing-ground of Gavre form separate departments.

The general administration of affairs is carried on at the naval ports. The maritime territory of France is divided into five grand districts, each under the control of a Préfet Maritime, who is a Vice-Admiral, Commander-in-Chief of the station; the districts are subdivided, each subdivision being under the control of a Chief and a Captain of the Port. The First District extends from the Belgian frontier to Cherbourg; headquarters, Cherbourg; sub-districts, Dunquerque, Havre, and Cherbourg. The Second District extends from Cherbourg to Quimper, including adjacent islands; headquarters, Brest; sub-districts, Saint Servan and Brest. The Third District extends from Quimper to the Loire, including adjacent islands; headquarters, L’Orient; sub-districts, Nantes and L’Orient. The Fourth District extends from the Loire to the Spanish frontier; headquarters, Rochefort; sub-districts, Bordeaux, Rochefort, and Bayonne. The Fifth District comprises the whole Mediterranean coast and Corsica; headquarters, Toulon; sub-districts, Marseilles, Bastia, and Toulon.

The Préfet Maritime, being at the head of maritime affairs in his district, is assisted by—1st. Major-General of Marine, who has immediate command of all the personnel in the district, the instruction of officers and men, details for dock-yard duty, library, observatory, hydrographic establishment, inspection of vessels fitting out, and the receipt and transmission of reports. This office is as a rule filled by a Rear-Admiral. 2d. A Commissary-General, who has control of the receipt and distribution of funds, enlistment of civil employés, the direction of the marine inscription, administration of police, detail of officers of the commissary department, and general charge of all accounts kept in the district, receiving, arranging, and forwarding them. 3d. A Director of Port Movements (Captain of the Port), who has charge of all vessels either in or out of commission, superintending their movement, anchorages, ballasting, careening, entrance into basins, etc., charge of fire apparatus, clearing of channels, placing of buoys, lights, and signals. 4th. A Director of Naval Constructions. 5th. A Director of Artillery. 6th. A Director of Hydraulic Works and Buildings. 7th. A Council of Health, composed of the surgeons stationed in the district. All of these officers are found at the headquarters port; at the ports of the sub-districts there are always two naval representatives: 1st. The “Chef de Service,” who is a Commissary-General and whose principal charge is in relation to the inscription. 2d. The Captain of the Port, who in general is a Lieutenant.

The French Navy is manned by voluntary enlistment and by inscription. Every seafaring person is placed upon the inscription list upon reaching the age of eighteen, and between that and twenty he is bound to present himself at the headquarters of the district within which he lives. Here he passes through a preliminary course of instruction on board the school-ships lasting for a few months, at the expiration of which time if his services are not required in the fleet he is granted a leave of absence, without pay, which may be extended from time to time. During this period he may make foreign voyages, the only restriction being that he shall not change his calling. At the end of five years he passes into the first reserve, where for a period of two years he cannot leave the country. At the end of this time he passes into the second reserve and is practically free, being only liable to service under especial circumstances. Special inducements are held out for seafaring people. None but those who are or have been inscribed are allowed to fish in French waters or to be employed on French coasting vessels. While they are serving their time, troops cannot be billeted on them; they travel at military rates, and have the benefits of naval hospitals and naval insurance.

In drafting for active service great care is taken to only draft those who can be best spared from their homes, leaving the others at almost entire freedom.

NAMES AND ASSIMILATED GRADES
OF THE DIFFERENT NAVAL CORPS.

At Brest there is a special school of instruction for apprentices, who are received under ordinary restrictions with regard to age and character, and who are obliged to serve for ten years after finishing their apprenticeship. The apprentice school and the schools of instruction for the “inscrits” are amongst the best of their kind in the world, complete records being kept of every man under instruction and the system of rewards being such as to render the inscription a benefit to the seafaring population instead of being a draft on them.

All officers, without distinction of corps, below the grade of Capitaine de Frégate, are obliged once in two years to submit to the Minister of Marine an essay on any subject that they may choose that is of interest to the profession. These essays are examined and reported upon by a special committee. Those that are unsatisfactory are returned, and the writer is required to furnish a satisfactory one within three months. Those that are satisfactory are recorded or disposed of by being published at government expense in the Revue Maritime or Journal Officiel. Rewards for satisfactory essays range from an honorable mention to promotion and the gift of the “Légion d’Honneur.” Officers showing an especial aptitude are placed on a list for special duty. In this way all departments requiring specialists are filled by the best talent of the service.

Promotions are by seniority except in the highest grades. Retirement takes place forcibly after 65 years of age or 45 years of active service. The officers of every corps are graduates of separate naval schools, except in the medical corps, where the naval tutelage consists of a course of naval-hospital practice combined with an advanced course of medical lectures. In time of peace the grade of Admiral is honorary, bringing no especial command except that of appointment by chance to Minister. The marine artillery and infantry do no service in the fleet. The former have charge of the manufacture of ordnance and the garrisoning of naval fortifications; the latter do garrison duty at dock-yards, arsenals, and in the colonies. The Génie Maritime superintend the construction of ships and engines, hydraulic works, buildings, hydrographic work, and civil-engineering duty. They have no duty in the fleet. Machinists have duty almost exclusively in the fleet or in the schools of instruction of firemen. The effective force of the fleet is 1783 officers and 46,500 men; in addition to this force there are 155 officers of Génie Maritime, 825 officers of commissariat, 557 medical officers, 61 chaplains, 63 machinists, 1769 persons connected with the administration; four regiments of marine infantry, 16,000 men; 4500 men of the marine artillery, and 5 companies of gendarmerie with a complement of 660, making a grand total of 71,104 exclusive of the civil employés of the administration. Properly the marine artillery and infantry should be excluded, as their service is principally colonial and carried on by the army in other nations.

The French have six foreign-squadron cruising grounds, in which are included the colonial stations. The squadrons are divided as follows:

MEDITERRANEAN.

1st. Squadron of evolutions; consisting of from nine to twelve iron-clads and several despatch vessels, having headquarters at Toulon and cruising throughout the sea. 2d. Station of Algiers. 3d. Levant division, consisting of one or two vessels stationed permanently on the Egyptian and Greek coasts, and generally one cruising division of the squadron of evolutions. 4th. Constantinople station; one or two vessels stationed permanently at Constantinople and the mouth of the Danube.

NORTH ATLANTIC.

1st. Subdivision of Newfoundland and station of St. Pièrre and Miquelon, a small squadron cruising on the fishing grounds. 2d. Division of the Antilles, a small squadron cruising on the United States, Mexican, and Central American coasts. 3d. Three stations of Martinique, Guadaloupe, and Guiana.

SOUTH ATLANTIC.

1st. South Atlantic division, cruising on the Brazilian coast. 2d. Senegal station, on the west coast of Africa.

CHINA SEAS.

1st. China seas division, cruising on the coast of China and Japan. 2d. Station of Cochin China, with cruisers on that coast, Siam, and the Dutch East Indies.

INDIAN SEAS.

Indian station, with cruisers at each of the French possessions.

PACIFIC OCEAN.

1st. Pacific division, cruising on the west coast of South America. 2d. Tahiti station. 3d. New Caledonia station.

These stations require during peace a total of about 75 vessels and 11,000 men.

Germany.

The navies of the different states of the empire are consolidated into a single one under the chief command of Prussia, controlled by an Imperial Ministry. The cabinet representative of the navy is chosen from amongst the General officers of the army, bearing, whilst Minister of Marine, the honorary title of Admiral, and having naval officers for his immediate staff. The Imperial Admiralty is divided into three grand sections: 1st. The Military Section, composed of the Bureaus of Mobilization, Naval and Military Affairs, General Military Affairs, Instruction, Exploration and Coast Defence, Justice, Sanitary and Medical Affairs. 2d. The Technical Section, composed of the Bureaus of Equipment, Docks, Construction of Vessels, Construction of Engines, Construction of Ordnance, Construction of Torpedoes and Torpedo Defence. 3d. The General Section, composed of Bureaus of Constructional Affairs, Budget and Pay, Administration of Garrisons, Indemnities, Judiciary, Hydrography, and Observatory. In addition to these sections there are connected with the Admiralty: 1st. A Commission for the Examination of Officers of Marine Superintendence. 2d. The Administration of the Naval Stations of Kiel, Wilhelmshaven, Dantzic, and Friedrichsort, and the Naval Academy.

The navy is manned by inscription from the maritime districts, the obligation of service commencing on the 1st of January of the year in which the age of 20 is reached. Active service continues for three years, at the end of which time men pass into the First Reserve for a further period of seven years, during which time they are called for exercise twice in four years in time of peace, and on the breaking out of war they are called into active service. At the end of the seventh year in the first reserve they pass into the second reserve for a further period of five years (seewehr). The Second Reserve also includes those who have been subject to service but who have not been called on: these latter are exercised twice in twelve years. Sailors of the merchant marine are authorized to present themselves between the ages of 20 and 24 years. Mariners who have followed the sea for five years have only to serve for one year; those who have been to sea four years serve two years. For tradespeople and mechanics the term of active service may be reduced to one year. The maritime population of Germany is estimated at 45,000 men, of which number 12,000 may be called into service at any time, not counting sailors of the merchant service absent from home.

The cadre of the executive corps of officers is as follows:

•   1  Admiral (Honorary).
•   1  Vice-Admiral.
•   4  Contre-Admiral.
•  23  Capitän zur See.
•  45  Corvetten Capitän.
•  75  Capitän-Lieutenant.
• 148  Lieutenant zur See.
• 128  Unter-Lieutenant zur See.
• 100  See Cadet.

The sailors of the fleet, divided into two divisions, one being stationed at Kiel and the other at Wilhelmshaven, number 821 petty officers and 5621 men. There is also one division of apprentices, numbering 12 petty officers and 400 boys.

Apprentices are entered between the ages of 14 and 16, and engage to serve for twelve years. The first two years they are placed aboard cruising school-ships, and for another year they are under general harbor instruction. At the end of the third year they pass into the fleet, and if successful in their examinations they are promoted at once to seamen.

Officers of the Second Reserve are recruited from five different sources: 1st. From officers who have retired from active service and who are less than 31 years old. 2d. From masters of the merchant marine. 3d. From one-year volunteers who are seafaring people. 4th. From certain auxiliary officers. 5th. From young men who have successfully passed a master’s examination. Persons from the last three categories must serve for one year at least in the fleet, at the end of which time they receive the brevet of Sub-Lieutenant of Reserve. Officers of the Reserve may be promoted after a certain length of service to the grades of Lieutenant and Lieutenant-Captain, and if they are under 24 years of age they may pass into the active roster.

Machinists are recruited from volunteers and also from tradespeople of the inscription, and before entering the fleet they pass through a course of dock-yard instruction. In the permanent fleet there are 24 Machinist-Engineers, divided into 3 Superior Engineer-Machinists, 9 Engineer-Machinists, and 12 Sub-Engineer-Machinists. The total cadre of the dock-yard division, which includes machinists, petty officers, mechanics, firemen, and coal-heavers, numbers 1475 men.

In the Pay Department there are 26 Commissaries and 29 Sub-Commissaries.

The Medical Corps comprises 1 Surgeon-General, 5 Surgeon-Majors, 17 Surgeon-Majors (subs), and 22 Assistant Surgeons divided into three classes.

The Marine Infantry consists of a single battalion of six companies, organized in a similar manner to the line of the army, and comprising in its cadre 47 officers and 984 men, there being a Colonel in command. The officers are all recruited from regiments of the line.

The detachment of Marine Artillery is composed of three companies organized similarly to the Fortress Artillery of the army; 112 officers and 346 men. This detachment mans the batteries and coast-works under the control of the navy. In time of peace it is employed principally in the fabrication of munitions. The officers are all recruited from army artillery regiments.

Attached to the infantry battalion is a small body called the staff-guard, consisting of 52 Sergeant-Majors and Sergeants, who have charge of the police duties aboard ship and at the dock-yards.

The Technical Corps of Officers forms two divisions, one of Naval Constructions and the other of Engine Constructions, having grades not assimilated with those of officers of the fleet. There are 62 officers in the corps.

At Kiel a Naval Institute has been established on the same principles as the Greenwich Royal Naval College, for the benefit of officers of higher rank than cadet. Officers as high as the grade of Captain are admitted for a course of two years. By this means the standard of general efficiency is raised. Officers receive instruction in all branches of their profession.

The men of the fleet are divided into two divisions, one being stationed at Kiel and the other at Wilhelmshaven. Each division is subdivided into two classes. To pass from the second to the first class, good conduct, a service at sea of 48 months, and a certificate of complete instruction is required. The men of the first class receive a higher pay and form the body of the petty officers of the fleet.

Firemen and coal-heavers may, by proper application, pass through the grades of Machinist to the Corps of Engineer Machinists. In general the Machinists are all drawn from apprentices of that class.

The Germans are just commencing the introduction of permanent foreign squadrons.

Holland.

The King of Holland is Commander-in-Chief of the Dutch Navy, the Crown Prince being Rear-Admiral and Chief of Staff. The navy is represented in the Cabinet by a civilian Minister of Marine, the central control being divided into sections and bureaus in a similar manner to that of other European nations. The general administration is centralized at four dock-yard stations—Amsterdam, Willemsoord, Hellevoetsluis, and Fijenoord—Amsterdam being the principal building-yard, and Fijenoord being the boiler and engine factory.

The grades of the Dutch Navy correspond with those of other services, the names of those of the executive corps being:

In addition to the dock-yard at Amsterdam there is a Naval School and school-ships for the instruction of seamen and apprentices. At Hellevoetsluis there is a school for machinists. Great attention is paid in Holland to the development of torpedo instruction, a special corps of officers being drawn from the executive corps.

The cadre of the navy is filled from both volunteer and inscription methods, the latter resembling the French. This cadre amounts to 788 officers and 6426 men, not including 1000 native sailors and 600 marines in the East Indian local service.

In addition to this force there is a corps of Marine Infantry amounting to 52 officers and 2100 men.

There are two main divisions of the Dutch fleet, the first for home service and the second for East India service. The foreign squadrons are: 1. The Curaçao station. 2d. The Surinam station. 3d. The East India fleet, which is divided into three main squadrons and four subordinate flotilla stations for the purpose of patrolling the coasts of Borneo, Sumatra, Java, and the Celebes Islands. Single cruisers are sent out at short periods to make cruises around the world, whilst a large division is kept ready for service in the shallow home waters.

Italy.

The Italian Navy is represented in the Cabinet by a Minister of Marine. The central administration is divided into four main departments: 1st. The Personnel, under the control of a Secretary-General. 2d. The Matériel. 3d. Artillery and Torpedoes. 4th. Merchant Marine. There is an Admiralty Council for the general consideration of naval affairs, and a Scientific Bureau for the regulation of hydrographic affairs. The general arrangement of bureaus and superintendencies is similar to that of France, the whole central department being classed under the head of the General Staff.

For the general administration of affairs, there are two dock-yard stations, Spezzia and Venice, with a third in process of formation at Tarenta.

The grades of the executive corps of the service are as follows: