Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/920

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FKANCE

who is a vice-admiralj were enlarged in 1898. Under tlie Minister he has charge of all the work of the department having reference to the building, maintenance, commissioning, and mobilization of the fleet, and particularly of all that concerns preparations for war. He is chief of the Military Cabinet, while the Civil Cabinet, devoted to administrative work, is directly under the Minister. 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 finance depart- ment, the services of submarine defences, hydrography, and other special branches. In addition to these are the Superior Council of the Navy, and the committee of inspectors-general, with a series of particular inspectorates, the council of works, and a number of special and permanent technical and pro- fessional committees. For purposes of administration the French coasts are divided into five maritime arrondissements, having their headquarters at the naval ports of Cherbourg, Brest, Lorient, Rochefort, and Toulon, at each of which the Government has important shipbuilding establishments. 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, Lorient, Rochefort, Toulon, Corsica, Bizerta, Oran, Algiers, and Bona, The naval forces afloat are the Mediterranean squadron, the northern squadron in the Channel, and the divisions of the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Far East, Cochin China, and the Indian Ocean ; and there are ships on local stations. In 1898 the principal squadrons were reorganised, the most modern battle- ships being collected in the Mediterranean, Avhile the older battleships were sent into the Channel with the recent coast defence ships.

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 youths devoted to a seafaring life, from the 18th to the 50th year of age — France is provided with a reserve of 114,000 men, ot whom about 25,500 are serving wdth the fleet. The time of service in the navy for the ' Inscrits ' is the same as that in the army, with similar conditions as to reserve duties, furloughs, and leave of absence for lengthened periods. It is enacted by the law of 1872 that a certain number of young men liable to service in the Active Army may select instead the naval service, if recognised fit for the duties, even if not enrolled in the ' Inscription Maritime,' The * Inscription ' will furnish at least 50,000 men more than the navy would require upon mobilization.

A summary of French ships is as follows : —

Complete at eud of

' Dreadnoughts ' ...

Pre-Dreadnought battleships i.

,, armoured cruisers

Protected cniisei's ... Torpedo gunboats, etc Destroyers. . . . ,

Torpedo boats .... Submarines

1912

1913

4

23

22

20

]9(?)

12

12

7

7

77

8y

187

?

78

89 1

1914

22(?) 19(?)

•7

1 Six of these, the Danton class, are ' Semi-Dreadnoughts.' Three are ' coast defenders.'