DEFENCE
French Fleet has strengthened it where it was we*ke.-;. A great number of olvl destroyers, torpedo Ijoa. ,»riu«.-s ha.
Economies are being made in other directions. The naval port of Lorient is being given over to civil industry, and it will henceforth, as a naval establishment, be dependent on Brest. Rochcfort is also being given over to private uses, but will continue as a base for flotillas and will be capable of rapid expansion in case of war. The Mediterranean squadron has been reduced and a large part of it remains in reserve.
The Navy is under the supreme direction of the Minister of Marine, assisted by a Chief of the Statf. The latter has charge of all the work of the department having reference to construction, maintenance, commissioning, and the mobilization of the fleet, and particularly of all that concerns pre- paration for war. He is chief of the Military Cabinet. There are two sub- chiefs of the staff, of whom one is in charge of various sections, and the other of the work of the Military Cabinet. The central administration also embraces the directorates of personnel, materiel, and artillery, the inspectorate of works, the 6nance department, the services of submarine defences, hydrography, and other special branches. In addition to these are the Superior Council of the Navy, which advises the Minister on high policy, and several special committees. For purposes of administration the French coasts have been divided into fire maritime arrondissements, having their headquarters at the naval ports of Cherbourg, Brest, Lorient, Rochefort, and Toulon. Reference has Wen made above to the future of Lorient and Rochefort. At the head of each arrondissement is a vice-admiral, with the title of Maritime Prefect, who is responsible for the port administration and the coast defences, mobile and fixed. The chief torpedo-stations are Dunkirk, Cherbourg, Brest, Rochefort, Toulon, Corsica, Bizerta, Oran, Algiers, and Bona.
The French navy is manned partly by conscription and partly by volun- tary enlistment. By the channel of the 'Inscription Maritime,' which was introduced by Colbert, and on the lists of which are the names of all male individuals of the ' maritime population * — that is, men and vouths devoted 10 a seafaring life, from the 18th to the 50th year of age — France was provided with a reserve of 114,000 men, of whom about 25,500 were usually serving with the fleet. The time of service in the nary for the ' Inscrits' is the sa: that in the army. It is expected that the period will be reduced in both services.
The ex-enemy vessels allotted to France are included in the following snmmary — 5 light ernisei>, one flotilla leader, 12 destioyers, and 10 sub- marines.
Complete At end of
Dreadnoughts
Pre-Dreadnoueht battleships ' Armoured cruisers Light cruisers .
ers . . .
Torpedo boats Submarines
i m
1O0 («)
is
13
4U
63*
63
49
i Four of these, rhe Di.lrrot class. m\v be call^l ' Semi-Dreadnc -
. iition are IS squadron torpedo-boats, » hicli id reality are small destroyers.
